Animal Legends and Lore

[brotherbear]

The Grizzly Bear by William H. Wright ( 1909 )... He then proceeds to call attention, in regard to the Great Naked Bear, which they believe to have once inhabited the territories of New York State, and to suggest that the bear of this Indian legend was identical with the grizzly... The report runs: "that among all animals that had been formerly in this country this was the most ferocious; that it was the largest of the common bears and remarkably long bodied. All over ( except a spot of hair on its back of a white color ) naked. That it attacked and devoured man and beast, and that a man or a common bear only served for one meal for one of these animals; that with its teeth it could crack the strongest bones; that it could not see very well, but in discovering its prey by scent it exceeded all other animals; that it purpued its prey unremitting ravenousness, and that there was no other way of escape but by taking to a river, and either swimming down the same or saving one's self by means of a canoe; that its heart being remarkably small, it could seldom be killed with an arrow; that the surest wayof destroying him was to break its backbone; that when a party went out to destroy this animal they first took leave of their friends and relations at home, considering themselves as going on an expedition, perhaps never to return again; that when out they sought for his track, carefully attending to the course the wind blew and endeavoring to keep as near as possible to a river; that every man of the party knew at what part of the body he was to take his aim; that some were to strike at the backbone, some at the head, and others at the heart; that the last of these animals known of was on the east side of the Mohicanni Sipu ( Hudson River ) where, after devouring several Indians that were tilling their ground, a resolute party, well provided with bows,. arrows, etc., fell upon the following plan... Reply