OF NORTH CAROLINA. 203 



The elk is a monster of the venison sort. His 

 skin is used almost in the same nature as the buf- 

 felo's. Some take him for the red deer of Ameri- 

 ca ; but he is not : for, if brought and kept in 

 company with one of that sort, of the contrary sex, 

 he will never couple. His flesh is not so sweet as 

 the lesser deers. His hams exceed (in weight) all 

 creatures which the new world affords. They 

 will often resort and feed with the buffelo, delight- 

 ing in the same range as they do. 



The stags of Carolina are lodged in the moun- 

 tains. They are not so large as in Europe, but 

 much larger than any fallow deer. They are al- 

 ways fat, I believe, with some delicate herbage 

 that grows on the hills, for we find all creatures 

 that graze much fatter and better meat on the 

 hills, than those in the valleys : I mean towards 

 and near the sea. Some deer on thefee mountains 

 afford the occidental bezoar, not coming from a 

 goat, as some report. What sort of beast affords 

 the oriental bezoar, I know not. The tallow of 

 the harts make incomparable Candles. Their 

 horns and hides are of the same value, as others of 

 their kind. 



Fallow deer in Carolina are taller and longer 

 legged than in Europe ; but neither run so fast 

 nor are so well haunched. Their singles are much 

 longer, and their horns stand forward as the oth- 

 ers incline backward ; neither do they beam or 

 bear their antlers as the English deer do. To- 

 wards the salts they are not generally so fat and 





