The _flesh_ of the young sea-otters is said to be an extremely delicate food, and scarcely to be distinguishable from that of lamb.
60. _The COMMON BEAR_ (Ursus arctos, Fig. 5) _is a heavy looking quadruped of large size, which has a prominent snout, a short tail, treads on the whole sole of its foot; and is covered with shaggy blackish hair._
_It is found in marshy woods of the northern parts of Europe and Asia, and is likewise found in Egypt, Barbary, and India._
The hunting of bears is an extremely important pursuit to the inhabitants of nearly all the countries in which they are found; and in many parts of the world it constitutes their principal and most profitable employ. The _skins_ are made into beds, covertures, caps, and gloves. Of all coarse furs these are the most valuable; and, when good, a light and black bear's skin is one of the most comfortable, at the same time one of the most costly articles in the winter wardrobe of a man of fashion at Petersburgh or Moscow. In England bears' skins are used for the hammer-cloths of carriages, for pistol-holsters, and other purposes. The leather prepared from bears' skins is made into harness for carriages, and is used for all the purposes of strong leather.
Nearly every part of the bear is of use. Its _flesh_ is a savoury and excellent food, somewhat resembling pork: and that of the paws is considered a delicacy in Russia, even at the imperial table. The _hams_ are salted, dried, and exported to other parts of Europe. The flesh of young bears is as much in request in some parts of Russia as that of lamb is with us.
Bears' _fat_ is frequently employed as a remedy for tumours, rheumatism, and other complaints. An _oil_ prepared from it is adopted as a means of making the hair grow. This fat is likewise used by the Russians and Kamtschadales with their food, and is esteemed as good as the best olive-oil. The _intestines_, when cleansed and properly scraped, are worn by the females of Kamtschatka, as masks to preserve their faces from the effects of the sun, the rays of which, being reflected from the snow, are found to blacken the skin; but by this means they are enabled to preserve a fair complexion. These intestines are also used instead of glass for windows. In Kamschatka the _shoulder-blade bones_ of bears are converted into sickles for the cutting of grass.