THE R A I N - D E E R. 349 



wounded. From this circumftance it has been 

 premmed that the animal is fubject to the epi- 

 lepfy; and from this prefumption (which is not 

 well founded, lince fear might produce the fame 

 effect) the abiurd conclufion has been drawn, 

 that his hoofs have the power of curing, and 

 even preventing, the failing ficknefs. This grofs 

 prejudice has been fo generally difiufed, that 

 many people flill carry pieces of the elk's hoof 

 in the collets of their rings. 



As the northern parts of America are very thinly 

 inhabited, all the animals, and particularly the 

 elks, are more numerous there than in the North 

 of Europe, f he favages are not ignorant of the 

 art of hunting and feizing the elks *. They fome- 

 times follow the tract of thefe animals for feve- 

 ral days, and, by mere perfeverance and addrefs, 

 accomplifh their purpofe. Their mode of hunt- 

 ingin winter is particularly fingular. 'Theyufe,' 

 fays Denys, 'rackets, by means of which they 

 ' walk on the fnow without finking. . . The 

 c orignal does not make much way, becaufe he 

 1 finks in the fnow, which iatigues him. He 



' eats 



ed me with the left hind feet of the elks he had k'lled, and 

 told me they were a fovereign remedy againit the falling fick- 

 nefs. To which I anfwered, fmiling, that, fince this foot had 

 fo much virtue, I was furprifed that the animal to which it 

 ! elonged iuould ever be afflic'ted with the diieafe. The gentle- 

 man likewife laughed, and find that L was right ; that he 

 had feen it adminiftered without effect to many people who 

 were troubled with the epilepfy ; and that he knew, as weil 

 as I did, that it was a vulgar error ; Voyage de la Martime're, 

 $. 10. 



* Defcript. de l'Amerique, par Denys, torn. 2. p. 425. 



