Aug. 1859. MUSK OXEN. 283 



months passed there by the ships commanded by Captain 

 Kellett and myself. On its western shores our exploring 

 parties would sometimes see forty, fifty, or even sixty oxen 

 in a single day's march. 



The largest bulls approach to 800 lbs. in weight. The 

 uniform colour is a dark brownish black ; one cow was seen 

 of a pure white colour, but she was accompanied by a black 

 calf. They clamber up the steepest rocky ascents like 

 goats, and when running, their long black hair heaves up 

 and down, and, streaming in the breeze, gives them a 

 peculiarly savage appearance ; it is so long that they occa- 

 sionally tread on it, and you find hairs almost two feet in 

 length, stamped into the snow. There is an undergrowth 

 of very thick wool, so soft and silky that the warmest gloves 

 have been made of it. The musk ox is not absolutely 

 deficient of a tail, but it never exceeds one inch and a 

 half in length. 



They do not seem to cross from one island to another, as 

 the reindeer do, but usually roam about in small herds. 

 Unaccustomed to man, they seldom deigned to notice us 

 until we came tolerably near, then they would generally 

 close together in an attitude of defence. Whilst facing you, 

 their massive horns so effectually shield every vital part 

 that it is useless to fire, therefore a single sportsman must 

 wait until their patience is exhausted, and they alter their 

 position. But it is desirable to get behind a patch of glassy 

 ice, a rock, or some rough ground, where they cannot 

 charge straight at you, which we have known them do, 

 before, as well as after being fired at. 



I once came rather suddenly upon a solitary old bull ; he 

 instantly faced me, rubbed the tips of his horns against his 

 forelegs for a few seconds, and then rushed on at full speed. 

 At the moment I was standing quite still, waiting for him to 

 expose his shoulder, and examining my priming ; I had, 



