Now And Then They Get Into
The Fields Of Indian Corn, Or Maiz, Where They Make A Sad Havock,
Spoiling Ten Times As Much As They Eat.
The Potatos of this Country
are so agreeable to them, that they never fail to sweep 'em all clean,
if they chance to come in their way.
They are seemingly
a very clumsy Creature, yet are very nimble in running up Trees,
and traversing every Limb thereof. When they come down,
they run Tail foremost. At catching of Herrings, they are
most expert Fishers. They sit by the Creek-sides, (which are very narrow)
where the Fish run in; and there they take them up, as fast as it's possible
they can dip their Paws into the Water. There is one thing more
to be consider'd of this Creature, which is, that no Man,
either Christian or Indian, has ever kill'd a She-bear with Young.
It is supposed, that the She-Bears, after Conception, hide themselves
in some secret and undiscoverable Place, till they bring forth their Young,
which, in all Probability, cannot be long; otherwise, the Indians,
who hunt the Woods like Dogs, would, at some time or other,
have found them out. Bear-Hunting is a great Sport in America,
both with the English and Indians. Some Years ago, there were kill'd
five hundred Bears, in two Counties of Virginia, in one Winter;
and but two She-Bears amongst them all, which were not with Young,
as I told you of the rest. The English have a breed of Dogs
fit for this sport, about the size of Farmers Curs, and, by Practice,
come to know the Scent of a Bear, which as soon as they have found,
they run him, by the Nose, till they come up with him,
and then bark and snap at him, till he trees, when the Huntsman shoots him
out of the Trees, there being, for the most part, two or three with Guns,
lest the first should miss, or not quite kill him. Though they are not
naturally voracious, yet they are very fierce when wounded.
The Dogs often bring him to a Bay, when wounded, and then the Huntsmen
make other Shots, perhaps with the Pistols that are stuck in their Girdles.
If a Dog is apt to fasten, and run into a Bear, he is not good,
for the best Dog in Europe is nothing in their Paws; but if ever
they get him in their Clutches, they blow his Skin from his Flesh,
like a Bladder, and often kill him; or if he recovers it, he is never good
for any thing after. As the Paws of this Creature, are held for the best bit
about him, so is the Head esteem'd the worst, and always thrown away,
for what reason I know not. I believe, none ever made Trial thereof,
to know how it eats. The Oil of the Bear is very Sovereign for Strains,
Aches, and old Pains.
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