THE DEER KIND. 



271 



small antlers, like teeth on one of the edges. 

 In this particular, all of the elk kind agree ; as 

 well the European elk, as the gray and the 

 black moose-deer. 



The gray moose deer is about the size of a 

 horse ; and, although it has large buttocks, its 

 tail is not above an inch long. As, in all of 

 this kind, the upper lip is much longer than the 

 under, it is said that they continue to go back- 

 ward as they feed. Their nostrils are so large 

 that a man may thrust his hand in a consider- 

 able way ; and their horns are as long as those 

 of a stag, but, as was observed, much broader. 



The black moose is the enormous animal 

 mentioned above, from eight to twelve feet 

 high. Jocelyn, who is the first English wri- 

 ter that mentions it, says, that it is a goodly 

 creature, twelve feet high, with exceeding fair 

 horns, that have broad palms, two fathoms 

 from the top of one horn to another. He as- 

 sures us that it is a creature, or rather a mon- 

 ster of superfluity, and many times bigger than 

 an English ox. This account is confirmed by 

 Dudley ; but he does not give so great an ex- 

 pansion to the horns, measuring them only 

 thirty-one inches between one tip and the other ; 

 however, that such an extraordinary animal as 

 Jocelyn describes, has actually existed, we can 

 make no manner of doubt of, since there are 

 horns common enough to be seen among us, 

 twelve feet from one tip to the other. 



These animals delight in cold countries, feed- 

 ing upon grass in summer, and the bark of trees 

 in winter. When the whole country is deep- 

 ly covered with snow, the moose-deer herd to- 

 gether under the tall pine-trees, strip off the 

 bark, and remain in that part of the forest while 

 it yields them subsistence. It is at that time 

 that the natives prepare to hunt them : and par- 

 ticularly when the sun begins to melt the snow 

 by day, which is frozen again at night ; for 

 then the icy crust which covers the surface of 

 the snow, is too weak to support so great a 

 bulk, and only retards the animal's motion. 

 When the Indians, therefore, perceive a herd 

 of these at a distance, they immediately pre- 

 pare for their pursuit, which is not, as with us, 

 the sport of an hour, but is attended with toil, 

 difficulty, and danger." The timorous animal 

 no sooner observes its enemies approach, than 

 it immediately endeavours to escape, but sinks 



Phil. Trans, vol. ii. p. 436. 



at every step it takes. Still, however, it pur- 

 sues its way through a thousand obstacles : the 

 snow, which is usually four feet deep, yields 

 to its weight, and embarrasses its speed ; the 

 sharp ice wounds its feet ; and its lof'y horns 

 are entangled in the branches of the forest, as 

 it passes along. The trees, however, are bro- 

 ken down with ease ; and wherever the moose- 

 deer runs, it is perceived by the snapping off 

 the branches of the trees, as thick as a man's 

 thigh, with its horns. The chase lasts in this 

 manner for the whole day ; and sometimes he 

 has been known to continue for two, nay three 

 days together; for the pursuers are often not 

 less excited by famine, than the pursued by fear. 

 Their perseverance, however, generally suc- 

 ceeds ; and the Indian who first comes near 

 enough, darts his lance, with unerring aim, 

 which sticks in the poor animal, and at first 

 increases its efforts to escape. In this manner 

 the moose trots heavily on, (for that is its 

 usual pace,) till its pursuers once more come up, 

 and repeat their blow: upon this, it again sum- 

 mons up sufficient vigour to get a-head ; but, 

 at last, quite tired, and spent with loss of blood, 

 it sinks, as the describer expresses it, like a ruin- 

 ed building, and makes the earth shake be- 

 neath its fall. 



This animal, when killed, is a very valuable 

 acquisition to the hunters. The flesh is very 

 well tasted, and said to be very nourishing. 

 The hide is strong, and so thick that it has been 

 often known to turn a musket-ball ; however, 

 it is soft and pliable, and, when tanned, the leath- 

 er is extremely light, yet very lasting. The 

 fur is a light gray in some, and blackish in 

 others ; and when viewed through a microscope, 

 appears spongy like a bulrush, and is smaller 

 at the roots and points than in the middle ; for 

 this reason, it lies very flat and smooth, and 

 though beaten or abused never so much, it al- 

 ways returns to its former state. The horns 

 also are not less useful, being applied to all the 

 purposes for which hartshorn is beneficial : 

 these are different in different animals ; in some 

 they resemble entirely those of the European 

 elk, which spread into a broad palm, with small 

 antlers on one of the edges ; in others they 

 have a branched brow-antler between the bur 

 and the palm, which the German elk has not: 

 and in this they entirely agree with those 

 who-e horns are frequently dug up in Ireland. 

 This animal is said to be troubled with the epi- 



