172 THEOUGH THE MACKENZIE BASIN 



and gave no trouble, not even when being carried across the 

 Wilmot Horton River, but to my deep regret he died at sun- 

 rise the following morning, having no doubt bled to death 

 internally. On reaching Rendezvous Lake, near the end of 

 the eastern limit of the woods, my disappointment was great 

 when I learned that a female spring musk-ox calf, which 

 had shortly before been secured for me iby an Anderson River 

 Indian, had been killed by dogs during the previous night. 

 Subsequent attempts in the same desirable direction unfor- 

 tunately failed, and the field is therefore still open for the 

 successful efforts of some favorably circumstanced and 

 luckier party. 



On another occasion (June 29, 1865), near the Wilmot 

 Horton River, we shot a large bull which was grazing on a 

 flat plain bordering on a small stream named Eagle. After 

 approaching him we unloaded our do^ and they soon siir- 

 rounded and began barking at him, a course which he 

 resented by endeavouring to impale one of them on his 

 sharply-curved horns; but just as we were coming within 

 gun range he noticed us and at once made off at full speed. 

 It was surprising to witness the seemingly easy, but really 

 swift, gait at which this rather short-legged and clumsy- 

 looking beast ascended a somewhat steep hill in front of him. 

 A long and well-directed shot, however, suddenly ended his 

 career. The beef proved acceptable to the men and dogs, 

 and it neither smelled nor tasted of mnsk, as it often does 

 later in the year, but especially during the rutting season, 

 when it is scarcely eatable except by natives and a few of 

 the Company's servants blessed with strong appetites and 

 good digestive powers. The hide was secured, but the skin 

 was so dilapidated, owing to the thick inner coating being 

 still unshed except in large, ugly patches, that it was useless 

 as a specimen. 



During the severe cold of winter, the musk ox enters the 

 outer sections of the forest and is frequently found therein 

 to a distance of 40 or 50 miles, while we have heard of more 



