But while we stood prepared, Shipley with a lance, and myself with the
boat's hatchet, to receive his onset, the skiff was allowed to keep on
her headway, and we passed beyond our foe, who took advantage of the
error, and dashed forward to the ice, which he gained just as our boat
in pursuit of him ran her nose up against the floe, and almost tripped
his heels.
It was said by the harpooner, who first caught sight of this bear, that
he was floating on his back in the water; and Greenlanders maintain, how
truly or wrongly I know not, that bears sometimes throw themselves into
this position to avoid being seen. Another reason for this attitude they
affirm to be, a power possessed by bears of flinging themselves suddenly
forward, by a violent jerk, whilst extended on their backs, so as to
bring themselves at once into a boat; but this is a feat of which I do
not believe them capable. Whilst speaking of bears, I may mention here,
that the mate of the Dundee nearly lost his life this summer, from the
fury of a she brownie, who attacked him on the ice. After killing her
cub, he had fired at her, and struck her on the jaw, which remained
gasping, as if dislocated, and believing her _hors de combat_, he
got upon the floe, to take possession of her slain offspring.
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