The bear is in many respects so serviceable to man, that he has at all times been a favourite object of chase, and many ingenious methods have been de vised for catching or destroying him. The most simple and common method is to attack him with deadly weapons, such as spears, clubs, or fire-arras.
In many parts of Siberia the hunters erect a scaffold of several heat balks piled on each other, under which is placed a trap, which the bear no sooner touches, than he brings down the whole scaffold upon himself, and is crushed beneath its weight. Some times pits are dug, in which are fixed smooth, solid, and sharp-pointed posts, rising about a foot from the bottom. The mouth of the pit is carefully covered over with sods, and across the bear's track is placed an elastic bugbear, connected with a thin rope. As soon as he touches the rope, the bugbear starts loose, and the terrified animal, flying with preci pitation, falls violently into the pit, and is pierced by the pointed stake. Should he escape this snare, caltrops,* and other annoying instruments, await him at a small distance. Amongst them is a similar frightful log ; and the persecuted beast, in striving to get free, only fixes himself faster to the spot, where the hun ter lies in ambush ready to take his aim. Nor is it only upon the ground that the bear is exposed to dan ger from the cruel invention of man. In some parts of America it is common to set fire to the trees on which they take refuge, and they are easily despatched as they descend. The Koriaks attach a noose to the summit of a crooked tree, hanging something along with it of which the bear is fond. Lured by this bait, he eagerly climbs the tree : in attempting to seize the bait, his neck is introduced into the noose, and the tree, springing violently back into its former direc tion, keeps the animal suspended in the air. The plan adopted by the mountaineers of Siberia to make the bear kill himself, is yet more singular and ingenious. They fasten a very heavy block to a rope, terminating at the other end with a loop. This block they lay near a steep precipice in the wonted path of the bear. Finding his neck in the noose, and unable to proceed for the clog, he takes it up in a rage, and, to disen cumber himself, throws it down the precipice ; he is naturally pulled after it, and is generally killed by the fall. If he happens to survive the first shock, he again drags the block up the steep, and renews his efforts for freedom, till, with increasing fury, he either sinks nerveless to the ground, or, by one decisive plunge, puts an end to his torments. In Kamtshatka
the bears are so harmless and familiar, that women and *girls go out fearless amidst a whole drove of them to gather herbs and roots, and they often ap proach them to eat out of their hand. They have never been known to attack a man, except when roused from their sleep, and even when wounded sel dom turn upon their pursuer. Yet this harmless character of the Kamtehadale bear gives him no secu rity from the persecutions of mankind. Armed with clubs and spears, the hunter traces the bear to his retreat, who, intent only on defence, gravely collects the faggots brought by his persecutor, and chokes up the entrance to his den. The hunter then bores a hole through the top of the cavern, and in perfect security spears his defenceles foe. " It would be difficult," says Mr Tooke, " to name a species of animals, excepting the sheep, so variously serviceable to man as the bear is after his death to the Kamt shadales. Of the skin of this animal, they make beds, covertures, caps, gloves, and collars for their sledge-dogs. Those who go upon the ice for the capture of marine animals make their shoe soles of them, which have this advantage, that the wearer is not in danger of slipping with them. The fat of the bear is held in great estimation as a very savoury and wholesome nourishment, and when melted,' and thus rendered fluid, supplies the place of oil. The flesh is reckoned such a dainty, that they seldom eat it alone, but usually invite a number of guests to par take of the delicious repast. The intestines, when cleansed and properly scraped, are worn by the fair sex as masks to preserve their faces from the effects of the sun-beams, which here, on being reflected from the snow, are generally found to blacken the skin, by which means the Kamtshadale ladies preserve a fine complection. The Russians of Kamtshatka make window-panes of the intestines of the bear, which are as transparent and clear as those made of Muscovy glass. Of the shoulder blades are made sickles for cutting grass. A light black bear-skin is one of the most com fortable and costly articles of the winter wardrobe of a man of fashion at Petersburg or Moscow, and even the small white hand of a belle is slipt into the large bear-muff, which covers half of her elegant shape." See Buffon's NaturalHistory, vol. vi. 12mo ; Tooke's View of the Russian Empire, vol. iii. p. 53-59. (p)