After enjoying the hospitality of their planter friend for a few days longer, our travellers once more resumed their journey; and proceeded up the great Mississippi, towards the cold countries of the North.
Chapter Forty Three.
The Polar Bear.
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 entrepôt 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.