JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



a herd of musk oxen, we encamped, having come 

 twenty-four miles and a half 



In the afternoon they brought us the agreeable 

 inteUigence of their having killed eight cows, of 

 which four were fuU grown. All the party were 

 immediately despatched to bring in this season- 

 able supply. A young cow irritated by the firing 

 of the hunters ran down to the river, and passed 

 close to me when walking at a short distance from 

 the tents. I fired and wounded it, when the animal 

 instantly turned, and ran at me, but I avoided its 

 Jury by jumping aside and getting upon an ele- 

 vated piece of ground. In the mean time some 

 people came from the tents, and it took to flight. 

 Ihe musk oxen, like the buffalo, herd together 

 in bands and generally frequent the barren 

 grounds during the summer months, keeping 

 near to the banks of the rivers, but retire to the 

 woods m wmter. They seem to be less watch- 

 ful than most other wild animals, and when 

 g a2mg are not difficult to approach, provided the 

 hunters go against the wind ; when two or three 

 "en ge so, ear a herd as to fire at them from 

 different pomts, these animals instead of sepa- 

 raung or running away, huddle closer together, 

 and several aregenerally killed; but if the wound 

 not mortal they become enraged and dart in 



