NORTHERN OCEAN 167 



the hair which is on them, being too short for that purpose. 1771. 

 In Winter they are provided with a thick fine wool, or furr, •^'^^' 

 that grows at the root of the long hair, and shields them from 

 the intense cold to which they are exposed during that season ; 

 but as the Summer advances, this furr loosens from the skin, 

 and, by frequently rolling themselves on the ground, it works 

 out to the end of the hair, and in time drops off, leaving little 

 for their Summer clothing except the long hair. The season 

 is so short in those high latitudes, that the new fleece begins 

 to appear, almost as soon as the old one drops off; so that by 

 the time the cold becomes severe, they are again provided 

 with a Winter-dress. 



The flesh of the musk-ox noways resembles that of the 

 Western buffalo, but is more like that of the moose or elk ; 

 and the fat is of a clear white, slightly tinged with a light 

 azure. The calves and young heifers are good eating ; but 

 the flesh of the bulls both smells and tastes so strong of musk, 

 as to render it very disagreeable : even the knife that cuts the 

 flesh of an old bull will smell so strong of musk, that nothing 

 but scowring the blade quite bright can remove it, and the 

 handle will retain the scent for a long time. Though no 

 part of a bull is free from this smell, yet the parts of genera- 

 tion, in particular the urethra^ are by far the most strongly 

 impregnated. The [139] urine itself must contain the scent 

 in a very great degree ; for the sheaths of the bull's penis are 

 corroded with a brown gummy substance, which is nearly as 

 high-scented with musk as that said to be produced by the 

 civet cat ; and after having been kept for several years, seems 

 not to lose any of its quality. 



On the eighth, the weather was fine and moderate, though sth. 

 not without some showers of rain. Early in the morning we 

 set out, and walked eighteen miles to the Northward. The 

 Indians killed some deer ; so we put up by the side of a small 

 creek, that afforded a few willows, with which we made a 

 fire for the first time since our leaving Congecathawhachaga ; 



