260 AN ACCOUNT OF THE ANIMALS USEFUL IN AN ECONOMIC 



severely injured, and even killed by them. They fight rather with their 

 fore-feet than with their horns. 



The rises to which the various parts of the Moose are put are many. 

 The hide supplies parchment, leather, lines, and cords ; the sinews yield 

 thread and glue ; the horns serve for handles to knives and awls, as well 

 as to make spoons of ; the shank bones are employed as tools to dress 

 leather with ; and with a particular portion of the hair, when dyed, the 

 Indian women embroider garments. 



To make leather and parchment, the hide is first divested of hair by 

 scraping, and all pieces of raw flesh being cut away, if then washed, 

 stretched, and dried, it will become parchment. In converting this into 

 leather a further process of steeping, scraping, rubbing, and smearing with 

 brains is gone through, after which it is stretched and dried, and then 

 smoked over a fire of rotten wood, which imparts a lively yellow colour to 

 it. The article is then ready for service. Of parchment, as such, the 

 ' Chipewyans make little use, but the residents avail themselves of it, in 

 place of glass for windows, for constructing the sides of dog-carrioles, and 

 for making glue. The leather is serviceable in a variety of ways, but is 

 principally made up into tents and articles of clothing, and in the fabrica- 

 tion of dog-harnesses and fine cords, wallets, &c. The capotes, gowns, 

 firebags, mittens, moccasins, and trousers made of it are often richly orna- 

 mented with quills and beads, and when new, look very neat and becoming. 

 The best dressers of leather in these parts are the Slave Lake Chipewyans 

 and Liard's River Slaves. 



The lines and cords are of various sizes, the largest being used for sled 

 lines and pack-cords ; the smaller answer for lacing snow-shoes and other 

 purposes. In order to make sled lines pliant — a very necessary quality 

 when the temperature is 40 deg. or 50 deg. below the zero of Fahrt. — the 

 cord is first soaked in fat fish liquor, it is then dried in the frost, and after- 

 wards rubbed by hauling it through the eye of an axe ; to complete the 

 operation it is well greased, and any hard lumps masticated until they 

 become soft, by which process a line is produced of great strength and 

 pliancy, and which is not liable to crack in the most severe cold. 



To obtain thread, the fibres of the sinews are separated and twisted into 

 the required sizes. The Moose furnishes the best quality of this article, 

 which is used by the natives to sew both leather and cloth, to make rabbit 

 snares, and to weave into fishing nets. Sinews can be boiled down into an 

 excellent glue or size. 



In mounting knives and awls with the horns, lead, copper, and iron are 

 used for inlaying, and rather handsome articles are sometimes produced. 

 The making of spoons, tipping of arrows, and carving of fish-hooks requires 

 little explanation, nor does the stuffing of dog-collars, and embroidering 

 with the hair need any particular comment, so I shall conclude this im- 

 perfect notice of a very valuable animal, which yields food, shelter, and 

 clothing to the savage inhabitants of this remote and dreary portion of the 

 globe. 



