THE R A I N-D EER, 32- 



the orignal, and the rain-deer under that 

 of caribou, Thofe naturalifts who fufpedfc 

 that the orignal * is not the elk, and the cari- 

 bou 



* The elks or orignah are frequent in the province of Ca- 

 nada, and very rare in the country of the Hurons ; becaufe 



thefe animals generally retire to the coldeil regions 



The Hurons call the elks fondareinta, and the caribous aafqitoy, 

 of which the lavages gave us a foot, which was hollow, and 

 fo light, that it is not difficult to believe what is faid of this 

 animal, that he walks on the mow without making a track. 

 The elk is taller than a horie. . . . His hair is commonly 

 gray, fometimes yellow, and as long as a man's linger. 

 His head is very long, and he has double horns like the flag. 

 They are as broad as thofe of the fallow deer, and three feet 

 in length. His foot is cloven, like that of the flag, but much 

 larger. His flelh is tender and delicate. lie palHifes, in the 

 meadows, and likewife e.its the tender twigs of trees* Next 

 to filh, he is the principal food of the Canadians; Voyage Jz 

 Sagard Tkeodat. p. 308 — There are elks in Virginia 

 dela Virginity p. 213. — We find in New England • am- 



bers of orignah or elks ; Dcfcript. 4e P&Meriqtu'Sip '. par 

 Denys, torn. 1. p. 27. — The ifland Cape Drkain was famed lot 

 the chafe of the orignal, where they were very numerous i 

 but they have fince been extirpated by the Savages ; / . 



1. p. 163 Fhe orignal ©f New l-Yaace is as fti a mule i 



his head is nearly of the fame lhape. His neck is longer, 

 and his whole body more meager; H's limbs are Ion ■ ; and 

 nervous. Hisfootis cloven, and his tail is very iliort 

 cf them are gray, others reddilh or biack, and, wheu old* 

 their hair is hollow, as long as a man's ringer, and makes ex- 

 cellent mattrelfes, or ornaments for faddles. The elk has 

 large, flat, palmated horns. Some of them are a iVj.iom 

 long, and weigh from a hundred to a hundred and nity 

 pounds. They Hied, like thofe of the (tag ; Id. torn. 2, pi j2i. 

 ■ — The orignal is a fpecies of elk, very little different 

 thofe we fee in Mufcovy. He is as large as a mule, and oi 

 a fimilar figure, except in the muzzle, the tail, and the 

 large flat horns, which, if we may credit, the Savages, fome-» 



times 



