THE MUSK OX. 107 



and watching attentively the least movement on the 

 part of the hunters. 



" This survey being accomplished, he retires to his 

 post and awaits the attack. Then it is that this 

 animal appears in all his majestic beauty ; and when 

 the hunter finds himself for the first time in his 

 presence, he must muster up his courage and 

 strengthen his nerves. But although seemingly so 

 terrible, these animals, either stupid or over-confi- 

 dent in their strength, allow the hunters to approach 

 within a short distance, and then at the first gun- 

 shot the whole herd takes flight, abandoning the 

 dead and the wounded. I have often seen five or 

 six hunters destroy a herd of a score of them. On 

 one occasion only have I seen one of these animals 

 charge ; it is true that the poor beast had twelve 

 balls in his body, and being unable to fly, ho 

 defended himself to the last moment." 



This last story scarcely accords with what Boss 

 relates : 



A musk ox, in whose body he had lodged three 

 balls, threw himself upon him, and the illustrious 

 sailor owed his safety entirely to a large fragment 

 of rock, behind which he took refuge, the animal's 

 head coming in contact with it with prodigious 

 force. 



