A few weeks after leaving the Louisiana planter, our hunters were
receiving hospitality from a very different kind of host, a
"fur-trader." Their headquarters was Fort Churchill, on the western
shore of Hudson's Bay, and once the chief entrepot of the famous company
who have so long directed the destinies of that extensive region--
sometimes styled Prince Rupert's Land, but more generally known as the
"Hudson's Bay Territory."
To Fort Churchill they had travelled almost due north--first up the
Mississippi, then across land to Lake Superior, and direct over the lake
to one of the Company's posts on its northern shore. Thence by a chain
of lakes, rivers, and "portages" to York factory, and on northward to
Fort Churchill. Of course, at Fort Churchill they had arrived within
the range of the great white or Polar bear (_ursus maritimus_), who was
to be the _next_ object of their "chasse." In the neighbourhood of York
factory, and even further to the south, they might have found bears of
this species: for the _ursus maritimus_ extends his wanderings all round
the shores of Hudson's Bay--though not to those of James' Bay further
south. The latitude of 55 degrees is his southern limit upon the
continent of America; but this only refers to the shores of Labrador and
those of Hudson's Bay. On the western coast Behring's Straits appears
to form his boundary southward; and even within these, for some distance
along both the Asiatic and American shores, he is one of the rarest of
wanderers. His favourite range is among the vast conglomeration of
islands and peninsulas that extend around Hudson's and Baffin's Bays--
including the icebound coasts of Greenland and Labrador--while going
westward to Behring's Straits, although the great quadruped is
occasionally met with, he is much more rare. Somewhat in a similar
manner, are the white bears distributed in the eastern hemisphere.
While found in great plenty in the Frozen Ocean, in its central and
eastern parts, towards the west, on the northern coasts of Russia and
Lapland, they are never seen--except when by chance they have strayed
thither, or been drifted upon masses of floating ice.
It is unnecessary to remark that this species of bear lives almost
exclusively near the sea, and _by_ the sea. He may be almost said to
dwell upon it: since out of the twelve months in the year, ten of them
at least are passed by him upon the fields of ice. During the short
summer of the Arctic regions, he makes a trip inland--rarely extending
it above fifty miles, and never over a hundred--guided in his excursions
by the courses of rivers that fall into the sea. His purpose in making
these inland expeditions, is to pick up the freshwater fish; which he
finds it convenient to catch in the numerous falls or shallows of the
streams. He also varies his fish diet at this season, by making an
occasional meal on such roots and berries as he may find growing along
the banks. At other times of the year, when all inland water is frozen
up, and even the sea to a great distance from land, he then keeps along
the extreme edge of the frozen surface, and finds his food in the open
water of the sea. Sea-fish of different species, seals, the young
walrus, and even at times the young of the great whale itself, become
his prevail of which he hunts and captures with a skill and cunning,
that appears more the result of a reasoning process than a mere
instinct.
His natatory powers appear to have no limit: at all events, he has been
met with swimming about in open water full twenty miles from either ice
or land. He has been often seen much further from shore, drifting upon
masses of ice; but it is doubtful whether he cared much for the footing
thus afforded him. It is quite possible he can swim as long as it
pleases him, or until his strength may become exhausted by hunger.
While going through the water, it does not appear necessary for him to
make the slightest effort; and he can even spring up above the surface,
and bound forward after the manner of porpoises or other _cetaceae_.
If any quadruped has ever reached the pole, it is the polar bear; and it
is quite probable that his range extends to this remarkable point on the
earth's surface. Most certainly it may, if we suppose that there is
open water around the pole--a supposition that, by analogical reasoning,
may be proved to be correct. The daring Parry found white bears at 82
degrees; and there is no reason why they should not traverse the
intervening zone of 500 odd miles, almost as easily as the fowls of the
air or the fish of the sea. No doubt there are polar bears around the
pole; though it may be assumed for certain that none of them ever
attempts to "swarm" up it, as the white bear is not the best climber of
his kind. The female of the polar bear is not so much addicted to a
maritime life as her liege lord. The former, unless when barren, keeps
upon the land; and it is upon the land that she brings forth her young.
When pregnant, she wanders off to some distance from the shore; and
choosing her bed, she lies down, goes to sleep, and there remains until
spring. She does not, like other hybernating bears, seek out a cave or
hollow tree; for in the desolate land she inhabits, ofttimes neither one
nor the other could be found. She merely waits for the setting-in of a
great snow-storm--which her instinct warns her of--and then, stretching
herself under the lee of a rock--or other inequality, where the snow
will be likely to form a deep drift--she remains motionless till it has
"smoored" her quite up, often covering her body to the depth of several
feet. There she remains throughout the winter, completely motionless,
and apparently in a state of torpor. The heat of her body thawing the
snow that comes immediately in contact with it, together with some
warmth from her limited breathing, in time enlarges the space around
her, so that she reclines inside a sort of icy shell. It is fortunate
that circumstances provide her with this extra room: since in due course
of time she will stand in need of it for the company she expects.
And in process of time it is called into use. When the spring sun
begins to melt the snow outside, the bear becomes a mother, and a brace
of little white cubs make their appearance, each about as big as a
rabbit.
The mother does not immediately lead them forth from their snowy
chamber; but continues to suckle them there until they are of the size
of Arctic foxes, and ready to take the road. Then she makes an effort,
breaks through the icy crust that forms the dome of her dwelling, and
commences her journey towards the sea.
There are times when the snow around her has become so firmly caked,
that, with her strength exhausted by the suckling of her cubs, the bear
is unable to break through it. In a case of this kind, she is compelled
to remain in an involuntary durance--until the sun gradually melts the
ice around her and sets her free. Then she issues from her prolonged
imprisonment, only the shadow of her former self, and scarce able to
keep her feet.
The Northern Indians and Eskimos capture hundreds of these hybernating
bears every season--taking both them and their cubs at the same time.
They find the retreat in various ways: sometimes by their dogs scraping
to get into it, and sometimes by observing the white hoar that hangs
over a little hole which the warmth of the bear's breath has kept open
in the snow.
The hunters, having ascertained the exact position of the animal's body,
either dig from above, and spear the old she in her bed; or they make a
tunnel in a horizontal direction, and, getting a noose around the head
or one of the paws of the bear, drag her forth in that way.
To give an account of the many interesting habits peculiar to the polar
bear--with others which this species shares in common with the Bruin
family--would require a volume to itself. These habits are well
described by many writers of veracity,--such as Lyon, Hearne,
Richardson, and a long array of other Arctic explorers. It is therefore
unnecessary to dwell on them here--where we have only space to narrate
an adventure which occurred to our young bear-hunters, while procuring
the skin of this interesting quadruped.