VENISON. 407 



mosses for their sustenance, although they ave rarely if ever en- 

 tirelj'^ dependent upon them. That the flesh of this Caribou is 

 exceptionally tender we must believe, for even in its poorest con- 

 dition nothing is said about its being tough, but only that it is 

 tasteless or insipid, and not nourishing. I think we must admit 

 that when it is in good condition it differs from, and is decidedly 

 superior to all other venison. 



Of the venison of our Elk I should be able to speak under- 

 standingly both of the wild animals and those raised in my 

 grounds. The tallow of this deer, that is, the internal fat, is 

 harder than that of any of the other deer, and almost as hard as 

 beeswax or stearine. A temperature of 90° Fahr. seems scarcely 

 to- soften the surface appreciablj'. The external fat is also harder 

 than that of any other deer, though it is not so hard as the in- 

 ternal fat. I think, however, after careful observation, that I 

 may safel}'' say that both the internal and external fat are harder 

 in the wild Elk than in those always confined in inclosures. 

 The greater activity and larger amount of exercise which the 

 wild Elk gets may reasonably explain this difference. But in 

 both the external fat is so hard as to make special precautions 

 necessary to prepare this venison for the table in order to appre- 

 ciate its full excellence. It must be served hot and kept hot, or 

 else if there be much fat in it one will find a thin scale of the 

 fat coating the roof of the mouth, which to most persons is very 

 disagreeable, and for which but an indifferent compensation is 

 found in the richest flavor and the most nutritive properties. 



Ordinarily it is not so tender as the venison of the smaller 

 deer, but it is more nutritious than any other flesh with which I 

 am ac(juainted. While I have no analysis with which to make 

 the comparison, I have found, by actual use on many occasions 

 and with many people, that about one half the amount of Elk 

 meat will satisfy hunger and sustain the system which would be 

 required of good beef. 



Another peculiarity is that this is the most difficult of all to pre- 

 serve. The difficulty of curing Elk meat, is first mentioned by 

 Lewis and Clarke, at their wi'nter camp near the mouth of the 

 Columbia River, about Christmas in 1805. They say, " Our 

 Elk meat is spoiling in consequence of the warmtli of the 

 weather — though we have kept a constant smoke under it." 

 Again, " The whole stock of meat being now completely spoiled 

 our pounded fish became again our chief dependence." Elk was 

 their only meat. I lost several lots of Elk meat, which I prepared 



