VENISON. 407 
mosses for their sustenance, although they are rarely if ever en- 
tirely 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 appreciably. 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 safely 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 acquainted. 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 winter camp near the mouth of the 
Columbia River, about Christmas in 1805. They say, ‘ Our 
Elk meat is spoiling in consequence of the warmth 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 
