ORIGINAL ANECDOTES OF HUNTING.

For the Bee.

66

Hunting, to those who derive their ideas on that subject from what they observe in highly civilized countries, can only be considered as a frivolous amusement; but if they extend their views to an early state of society, where man is forced to contend for dominion with the ferocious beasts of the desert, or to find a subsistence from the animals he can subdue, it becomes a subject highly interesting. An eastern prince, at a very early period, was celebrated as a mighty hunter before the Lord;" and the names of Hercules and Theseus have become immortal because of their peculiar eminence in this art. Indeed nothing so much discovers the vast pre-eminence that man enjoys above all the other parts of the animate creation as the history of hunting. Ransack every corner of the globe, in every state of society you find man possess a decided dominion over all other animals. By observing their faculties, their habits, and propensities, he learns equally to subdue the strongest, and to overtake the swiftest of the animate creation. Nothing eludes his grasp; and the ingenuity that the most savage tribes discover, in the ait of overcoming the animals that mo lest them, or those that minister to their subsistence, will often fill with astonishment the minds of the most civilized people. It is these uncultivated people alone, who from necefsity are obliged to study the manners of the brute creation with attention, that civilized nations can acquire a proper knowledge of these creatures. To the naturalist, therefore, the history of hunting must prove extremely interesting, and to no man can they prove indifferent. For the anecdotes respecting hunting in Rufsia, that fhall occur under this head, the Editor is obliged to his respectable correspondent Arcticus. For those respecting the American Indians, he is indebted to Mr Patrick Campbell, who has been so obliging as to allow him to extract with freedom, from his "Travels in North America," now in the prefs, many very curious articles of this kind, which will be marked as they occur.

Mode of hunting the bear in Russia. To encourage the peasants not to destroy the bear clandestinely amongst themselves, for the skin, hams, grease, &c. (all profitable articles ;) at least not to destroy them in a certain district round Pe

tersburgh, within the range of the imperial hunt, an edict offers, for every bear pointed out by a peasant, a sack or cool of corn for seed, with ten rubles in money, which he receives at the grand huntsman's office in St Petersburgh; and when it is considered what they lose by not killing it themselves, by the destruction of their corn, and by the time employed in coming to town, and attending the chace, the reward is not too great.

First bear chace.

Four winters ago, a peasant having given information at the grand Veneur's office, prince Galitzen, of a bear having been found in a wood about twenty versts beyond her majesty's country palace of Ranenbome, the Veneur Potemkin, the second in the department of the imperial hunt, set out in pursuit of it, with a number of huntsmen, armed, as is usual on these occasions, with guns, spears, and cutlafses, or 'des couteaux de chase. The Veneur was accompanied on this occasion, by the two senators count Alexy Rosomoffky, and Mr de Sadouofffky, with the master of the horse, general Ribender, and Mr John Farquharson, a British gentleman, and a keen sportsman*. On the arrival of the party in the indicated wood, the peasant pointed out the winter habitation of the bear, who at that season is remarkably lazy; the hunters immediately took two pieces of thread net, such as is used to catch partridges, and after cutting a little avenue through the brush wood with their cutlafses, for some way behind and before the bear, lined the walk they had thus cut out for the animal,

* I mention these names on this occasion, as some of the facts miv appear too wonderful to be believed without this precaution.

with the two long pieces of net, a fence, weak as it may appear, which that strong and furious animal never ventures to break; so that they are sure he will endeavour to escape in the direction of the avenue, at each end of which, certain death awaits him, from the gentlemen hunters at one, and the huntsmen at the other. This preliminary arrangement being made, the huntsmen began to make as much noise behind him as possible, to drive him in the opposite direction, where the gentlemen were waiting in silence to shoot at him on his approach, supported by a rank of spearsmen, who advance in case of the hunters missing their aim, and being afsailed by the furious animal, rendered always so by the discharge of a gun, especially if he is wounded.

There happened nothing worth mentioning in this first chace, except that the bear, instead of running in the expected direction, from the noise, towards the noble sportsmen, turned suddenly on the hallooing huntsmen, and overturned one of them (though without injury,) before he was dispatched by the

rest.

It is curious, however, to observe, in the above. simple arrangement, the wonderful effect of the thread net, which sets as effectual bounds to the liberty and course of such a vigorous animal, as if made of bars of iron; such is his instinctive aversion to what has the appearance of a toil; and it is likewise singular that the Russians fhould have discovered this trait in bruin's character, which I presume is new even to your able writer on the philosophy of natural history, as may possibly be another in the character of the black game to be mentioned farther on.

Second bear chace.

Another monstrous bear, whom a single huntsman met within about an hour after, whilst at a distance from his companions, beating about for game, afforded an uncommon instance of strength, and courage alluded to in the note. The noise the two made, drew the party of gentlemen to the spot, who happened to be nearerit than the professional huntsmen; and they were astonished to find a large bear on his hind legs, fighting with a man, who happened to be without his couteau de chafse, the useful and usual weapon on such occasions. The bold fellow held the bear, taller than himself, by the ear, at arm's length, with his right hand, and with the left was striking him on the opposite side of the head, every time he offered to bite or claw the extended arm, which kept him from being hugged. Count Alexy Rosomoffky, much alarmed for the safety of the huntsman, with the rest of the company, called him to let go the animal that they might shoot him, or he certainly would be destroyed; but the hardy Russian replied, that the bear was only in joke, although he had already clawed his face in such a manner, that no one knew which of the men it was, thus engaged in single combat. At this moment a number of his companions came running up, and instead of attempting to kill the bear, instantly took off their belts; and coming behind the animal, still struggling with their comrade, and growling as they do when attacked, slipt one belt into his mouth, a couple more round his body, and carried him off alive.

Third bear chace.

Since the above mentioned hunt, an old superannuated huntsman, retired on a pension, and living in a hut not far from Paulof sky, the summer palace of the great duke, killed another large bear when quite alone, with his conteau de chase.

The old sportsman had fallen unexpectedly on a bear, whilst sauntering in the woods in search of other game. The noise of his gun, probably fired close to the animal without knowing it, brought him upon the old man, unable to save himself by flight; he therefore drew his side arm, and as the bear rose to hug him, plunged it so fortunately into its belly, as to lay it dead at his feet. He then went home, and having procured a boor's cart, conveyed his prey to his imperial highnefs, who was so charmed with the bold veteran, that he gave him an hundred rubles for his aged prowefs, and ordered him to keep the fkin as a trophy of it, which he did, and fhows to this day with much pride.

Fourth bear chace.

When upon this subject it is worth while to mention the manner in which the hunters attack the bear, when only three in number, the least that venture on that dangerous businefs, with a premeditated design.

When one is found, the three sportsmen take their station at a certain distance and direction from one another; one of them fires at the animal, on which he immediately makes towards him; the second then fires to draw him to the other side, and the third does the same, to give him a third direction. By the time these manoeuvres are executed, the