Southern (American J Elk. 51 



Delawares is called Chingleclamoose, which signifies 

 the " Little Elk's Eyes." The river which we call 

 Muskingum, the same Indians call Moosekingum* , or 

 " Elk's Eyes," because they observed on this river 

 (I suppose, at the time they took possession of it) a 

 number of Elks staring. At some future period, 

 when the whole of the great tract of country beyond 

 the Alleghaney-mountains shall be inhabited by a ci- 

 vilized and industrious people ; when the banks of 

 the Muskingum shall be decorated with towns and ci- 

 ties ; and its waters covered with vessels transporting 

 the productions of the upper country, through the 

 Ohio and the Missisippi, to the West-Indies, and to 

 Europe, and, perhaps, to India, it will be curious (and 

 to the naturalist pleasing) to reflect, that this river re- 

 ceived its name from an animal which, at the period I 

 allude to, will hardly be found wild within the limits 

 of the United-States. 



As the Elk has not, to my knowledge, been des- 

 cribed by any systematic writer on zoology, I have 

 assumed the liberty of giving it a specific name. I 

 have called it Wapiti, which is the name by which 

 it is known among the Shawnees, or Shavvnese-Indians. 

 I should have preferred the specific name of Moose, or 

 Moos, by which this animal is more generally called 

 by our Indians. But this name, by interfering with 

 the commonly received apppellation of the Cervus Al- 

 ecs, would only serve to introduce some confusion in- 

 to the nomenclature of our quadrupeds. 



* Perhaps, Moosekingung. 



