170 THROUGH THE MACKENZIE BASIN 



always considered it, when in prime condition, second to 

 no other variety of flesh food to ibe had in that extensive 

 territory. 



Musk Ox — Ovihos moschatus (Zimmerman). 



This interesting member of the family Bovidw has not, 

 so far as I am aware, been discovered in the flesh to the 

 westward of the Mackenzie River, nor, as a rule, are many 

 met with in the tract of country lying to the eastward be- 

 tween that stream and the Anderson. Mr. P. Deschambeault 

 distinctly remembers having, upward of fifty years ago, seen 

 his first musk-ox skin at Fort MePherson, Peel River, then 

 in charge of his father, Chief Trader George Deschambeault. 

 It had probably been taken from a straggler by an Indian 

 on the east side of the Mackenzie River. In the " Barrens '' 

 proper, however, as well as along the Arctic American coast, 

 and on the borders of, and for a short distance within, the 

 northern forest region to the south-eastward, in winter, musk 

 oxen are fairly, though in no one place or section very, 

 numerous. In fact, very few were ever observed by us on 

 any of our several specimen-collecting tours from Fort 

 Anderson to Franklin Bay, or on any other of our many 

 summer and winter journeys within the Arctic Circle. 



On one occasion, however (July 4, 1864), on our way 

 back from that bay, we saw a herd of twenty-five animals 

 of various ages reposing on the side (and just below the 

 summit) of a gentle eminence in the Barren Grounds. A 

 patriarchal-looking bull on the top of the eminence evidently 

 kept guard, while the others appeared to sleep. I had been 

 for some time endeavouring to obtain a pair of live calves 

 for shipment to London, and as this seemed a good oppor- 

 tunity for making an attempt in that direction, we rapidly 

 advanced to about 300 yards from their position, when we 

 halted and unloaded our twelve Eskimo pack-carrying dogs 

 and sent them at the herd, while several of the fastest sprint- 



