OP THE POLAR SEA. 147 



the most furious manner at the hunters, who must 

 be very dexterous to evade them. They can de- 

 fend themselves by their powerful horns against 

 the wolves and bears, which as the Indians say, 

 they not unfrequently kill. 



The musk oxen feed on the same substances 

 with the rein-deer, and the prints of the feet of 

 these two animals are so much alike, that it re- 

 quires the eye of an experienced hunter to dis- 

 tinguish them. The largest of these animals 

 killed by us did not exceed in weight three hun- 

 dred pounds. The flesh has a musky disagree- 

 able flavour, particularly when the animal islean^ 

 which unfortunately for us was the case with all 

 that were now killed by us. 



During this day's march the river varied in 

 breadth from one hundred to two hundred feet, 

 and except in two open spaces, a very strong 

 current marked a deep descent the whole way. 

 It flows over a bed of gravel, of which also its 

 immediate banks are composed. Near to our 

 encampment it is bounded by cliffs of fine sand 

 from one hundred to two hundred feet high. 

 Sandy plains extend on a level with the summit 

 of these cliffs, and at the distance of six or seven 

 miles are terminated by ranges of hills eight hun- 

 dred or one thousand feet high. The grass on 

 these plains affords excellent pasturage for the 



