ABSTRACT
One Sunday morning the admiral was invited out by the Dutchmen whose ship lay, with three English vessels, at the anchorage of the citizens’ ships; and after mattins was over a great banquet was made ready. But about two o’clock a huge white bear came running towards the booths, of enormous size and fearsome to look upon. None of all the people had ever seen such a sight before; he was pale in hue and with red chaps. One and all leapt from their seats to chase him with muskets and weapons. He gave them no chance of attacking him, but ran very swiftly to the shore and plunged into the sea, and bit a piece out of the boat, from which he was later killed, for the Biscayans seized it and dashed after him, and harpooned him with a harpoon on a rope, and killed him, and his skin was presented to the admiral. Later in the evening we betook ourselves thence after an excellent meal.
