344 ANIMALS OF THE 



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, there- 

 fore, perceive a herd of these at a distance, they 

 immediately prepare for their pursuit, which is 

 not, as with us, the sport of an hour, but is at- 

 tended with toil, difficulty, and danger.* The 

 timorous animal no sooner observes its enemies 

 approach, than it immediately endeavours to 

 escape, but sinks at every step it takes. Still, 

 however, it pursues 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 

 lofty horns are entangled in the branches of the 

 forest as it passes along. The trees, however, are 

 broken down with ease ; and wherever the moose- 

 deer runs, it is perceived by the snapping off the 

 branches of trees, as thick as a man's thigh, with 

 its horns. The chase lasts in this manner for the 

 whole day, and sometimes it 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 succeeds ; and the Indian who 

 first comes near enough, darts his lance with un- 

 erring aim, which sticks in the poor animal, and 

 at first increases its efforts to escape. In this man- 

 ner the moose trots heavily on, (for that is its 

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



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



