NORTHERN OCEAN 261 



The flesh of the moose is very good, though the grain is 1772. 

 but coarse, and it is much tougher than any other kind of •'^""^'^* 

 venison. The nose is most excellent, as is also the tongue, 

 though by no means so fat and delicate as that of the common 

 deer. It is perhaps worth remarking, that the livers of the 

 moose are never found, not even at any time of the year ; and, 

 like the other deer, they have no gall. The fat of the intes- 

 tines is hard, like suet ; but all the external fat is soft, like 

 that of a breast of mutton, and when put into a bladder, 

 is as fine as marrow. In this they differ from all the other 

 species of deer, of which the external fat is as hard as that of 

 the kidnies. 



[259] The moose in all their actions and attitudes appear 

 very uncouth, and when disturbed, never run, only make a kind 

 of trot, which the length of their legs enables them to do with 

 great swiftness, and apparently with much ease ; but were the 

 country they inhabit free from under-wood, and dry under- 

 foot, so that horsemen and dogs might follow them, they 

 would become an easy prey, as they are both tender-footed 

 and short-winded : But of this more hereafter."^ 



The skins of the moose, when dressed by the natives, 

 make excellent tent-covers and shoe-leather ; and in fact 

 every other part of their clothing. These, like the skins of 

 the buffalo, are of very unequal thickness. Some of the 



on them, in the same manner as the most domestic animal would have done, 

 and never offered to stray from the tents. Unfortunately, in crossing a deep 

 bay in one of the lakes (on a fine day), all the Indians that were not interested 

 in the safe-landing of those engaging creatures, paddled from point to point ; 

 and the man that owned them, not caring to go so far about by himself, accom- 

 panied the others, in hopes they would follow him round as usual ; but at night 

 the young moose did not arrive ; and as the howling of some wolves was heard 

 in that quarter, it was supposed they had been devoured by them, as they were 

 never afterward seen. 



* Mr. Du Pratz, in his description of this animal, says, it is never found 

 farther North than Cape Breton and Nova Scotia ; but I have seen them in 

 great numbers in the Athapuscow Countn-, which cannot be much short of 

 60° North latitude. 



