Quote
PORTSMOUTH.
A very uncommon kind of animal was lately landed at Portsmouth, from one of the King’s ships just arrived from Boston in New England: It resembles a bear in many particulars, but with this striking difference, that it has a very sharp horn on its forehead, with which, as well as its paws and teeth, it is capable of doing great damage. What is more remarkable, it will hunt man or beast to any distance after having once smelt the tread. It makes a tremendous noise, and its eyes glare like fire.—This animal may, perhaps, when a little tamer, be of use in gentlemen’s parks, by becoming a safe guard against poachers, thieves, &c. And, in the mean time, he will be a subject for animadversion to the naturalists.
The Rochford East Indiaman, Capt. Hunt, from Bengal; the Pearl frigate, Capt. Bremmer; and the Otter sloop of war, Capt. Morris, the two last from Newfoundland, are sailed for the River.
— Hampshire Chronicle, Monday 26 October 1772 source
So… it’s a joke, right? A bear with a single horn and eyes like fire from a faraway land is more mythology than naturalism. The bit about using it as a guard dog must be tongue-in-cheek social commentary? If this was a 19th Century American paper, yep, no problem. But… but… I’ve seen no other pieces like this in Hampshire Chronicle, and the article segues straight into quotidian shipping movements.
There are American ungulates with horns (eg musk ox, bighorn sheep, moose), but… “resembles a bear in many particulars”?
Very odd.