A shooting trip to Kamchatka (1904) (14596001297)

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• Source book page: https://archive.org/stream/shootingtriptoka00demi/shootingtriptoka00demi#page/n222/mode/1up

Identifier: shootingtriptoka00demi (find matches)
Title: A shooting trip to Kamchatka
Year: 1904 (1900s)
Authors: Demidov, Elim Pavlovich, principe di San Donato, b. 1867
Subjects: Hunting -- Russia (Federation) Kamchatka Peninsula Kamchatka Peninsula (Russia) -- Description and travel
Publisher: London : R. Ward, Ltd.
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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Text Appearing Before Image:
We could distinguish at the head of the valley rows
of volcanic pinnacles, some 5,000 feet high, with pre-
cipitous snow-slides shooting down the gullies between
them. They ran westward of the main peak, and
appeared to be first-rate ground for sheep.
A distance of about six miles as yet intervened, and
it took us at least three hours before we reached the
more abrupt slopes of the towering crags. As we
were preparing for the last scramble I spied a large
bear some lour hundred yards above us. As I
watched him through the glass, digging the earth
and slowly advancing at right angles from us, his
coat seemed unusually light in colour, almost white.
As he was on our way, I suggested a stalk, and, hiding
from view, followed a lateral ravine in his direction.
Unfortunately, on reaching the commanding ridge,
alder bushes, on which we counted for concealment,
had l)ecome scarce, and further advance in the open
would have involved certain failure. Bruin was now
two hundred and fifty yards off, and as he appeared
to have no intention of coming- anv nearer, I had to
Text Appearing After Image:

OVIS NIVICOLA (AN OLD RAM)

A WOUNDED BEAR
193
take my chance. Out of five consecutive shots, the
fifth at least reached its destination, for the beast,
which had remained motionless, as if thunder-stricken
by the cracks of the rifle, emitted a loud roar, and
pelted downhill to my right into patches of dense
brushwood, where we could locate him by the waving
of the branches above him, as he forced his way
through. Though we found blood on his tracks, he
was strong enough to pursue his course through the
thicklv entangled scrub, in the midst of which it
would be a dangerous matter to tackle a wounded
bear. The rifie was of no avail, and the General
proposed to abandon a chase which involved such
risk. Time being precious. I agreed to this wise
suggestion, and reluctantly leaving the animal to its
unhappy fate, proceeded to climb a perpendicular
slope towards the left ridge of the valley, along
which we journeyed to a low saddle, where we settled
down to spy. There mosquitoes again gathered round
us in countless numbers ; my companion, who wore no
gloves, declined to use the spare Zeiss I had lent him
and kept his hands in his pockets.

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