A little before noon, we crossed a small stream which was called Castle Rock creek, from a remarkable pile of naked rocks, and halted for dinner on the bank of the river.[27]
In the morning, Mr. Peale and two hunters had taken a different route from the remainder of the party, hoping to meet with game. They arrived at a small grove of timber, where it was thought deer might be found; they therefore left their horses in care of one of the hunters, and entered the wood on foot. The man had been left alone but a short time, when he discovered a large grizzly bear (ursus horribilis, Ord.) approaching rapidly towards him, and without staying to make any inquiry into the intentions of the animal, mounted his horse and fled.
This animal is widely distinct from any known { 240} species of bear, by the essential character of the elongated anterior claws, and rectilinear or slightly arcuated figure of its facial profile. In general appearance it may be compared to the alpine bear, (U. arctus), and particularly to the Norwegian variety. The claws, however, of these appear to be of the usual form and not elongated, and the facial space included between the eyes is deeply indented; they also differ in their manners, and climb trees, which the grizzly bear is never known to do.
Lewis and Clarke frequently saw and killed these bears during their celebrated expedition across the continent. They mention one which was nine feet long from the nose to the tip of the tail. The forefoot of another was nine inches across, its hind foot eleven and three quarter inches long, exclusive of the talons, and seven inches wide. The talons of a third were six and one-fourth inches long.
They will not always attack, even when wounded. "As they fired, he did not attempt to attack, but fled with a most tremendous roar, and such was its extraordinary tenacity of life, that although he had five balls passed through his lungs, and five other wounds, he swam more than half across the river to a sand-bar, and survived twenty minutes. He weighed between five or six hundred pounds, at least, and measured eight feet seven and a half inches from the nose to the extremity of the hind feet."--_Lewis and Clarke._