﻿30 
  [Assembly 
  

  

  snow 
  lies 
  deep, 
  they 
  will 
  tread 
  down 
  a 
  space 
  of 
  several 
  acres, 
  

   which 
  are 
  termed 
  by 
  the 
  hunters 
  moose-yards. 
  At 
  this 
  season, 
  

   and 
  in 
  such 
  situations, 
  the 
  hunter 
  attacks 
  them 
  most 
  successfully. 
  

  

  They 
  are 
  yet 
  numerous 
  iu 
  the 
  unsettled 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  

   in 
  the 
  counties 
  of 
  Essex, 
  Herkimer, 
  Hamilton, 
  Franklin, 
  Lewis 
  

   and 
  Warren 
  ; 
  and 
  since 
  the 
  gradual 
  removal 
  of 
  the 
  Indians, 
  they 
  

   are 
  now 
  (1841) 
  believed 
  to 
  be 
  on 
  the 
  increase. 
  They 
  have 
  been 
  

   extirpated 
  from 
  Massachusetts, 
  but 
  are 
  still 
  found 
  in 
  Maine, 
  Ver- 
  

   mont 
  and 
  New 
  Hampshire. 
  Godman 
  has 
  erroneously 
  stated 
  that 
  

   they 
  are 
  not 
  known 
  south 
  of 
  Maine 
  ; 
  and 
  this 
  error 
  has 
  been 
  

   magnified 
  by 
  subsequent 
  copyists, 
  who 
  assert 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  found 
  

   in 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  Maine. 
  It 
  existed 
  formerly 
  much 
  nearer 
  the 
  

   Atlantic 
  coast; 
  for 
  we 
  learn 
  from 
  Dunlap, 
  that 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  moose 
  

   were 
  once 
  sent 
  from 
  Fisher's 
  island 
  to 
  England. 
  

  

  The 
  moose 
  is 
  a 
  timid, 
  wary 
  animal 
  ; 
  and 
  its 
  senses 
  of 
  hearing 
  

   and 
  smelling 
  are 
  so 
  acute, 
  that 
  it 
  requires 
  the 
  greatest 
  caution 
  on 
  

   the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  hunter 
  to 
  approach 
  it. 
  During 
  an 
  expedition 
  of 
  

   several 
  weeks 
  through 
  the 
  counties 
  of 
  Hamilton, 
  Franklin 
  and 
  

   Essex, 
  although 
  their 
  tracks 
  were 
  almost 
  daily 
  visible, 
  yet 
  we 
  

   never 
  had 
  an 
  opportunity 
  of 
  shooting 
  a 
  single 
  individual. 
  

  

  The 
  moose 
  furnishes 
  an 
  excellent 
  material 
  from 
  its 
  hide 
  for 
  

   moccasins 
  and 
  snow-shoes. 
  The 
  best 
  skin 
  is 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  

   bull 
  moose 
  in 
  October, 
  and 
  usually 
  sells 
  for 
  four 
  dollars. 
  They 
  

   were 
  formerly 
  so 
  numerous 
  about 
  Raquet 
  lake, 
  that 
  the 
  Indians 
  

   and 
  French 
  Canadians 
  resorted 
  thither 
  to 
  obtain 
  their 
  hides 
  for 
  

   this 
  purpose 
  ; 
  and 
  hence 
  we 
  have 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  that 
  

   lake, 
  the 
  word 
  raquet, 
  meaning 
  snow-shoes. 
  They 
  still 
  exist 
  in 
  its 
  

   neighborhood. 
  

  

  The 
  moose, 
  when 
  pursued, 
  trots 
  off 
  with 
  great 
  rapidity, 
  but 
  in 
  

   an 
  awkward 
  manner, 
  its 
  hoofs 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  making 
  a 
  crack- 
  

   ing 
  noise. 
  At 
  this 
  gait 
  it 
  soon 
  leaves 
  the 
  hunter 
  far 
  behind, 
  step- 
  

   ping 
  with 
  great 
  ease 
  over 
  fallen 
  timber 
  of 
  the 
  largest 
  size. 
  When 
  

   hard 
  pressed 
  by 
  the 
  hunters 
  on 
  snow-shoes, 
  if 
  it 
  breaks 
  up 
  into 
  

   a 
  gallop, 
  they 
  are 
  sure 
  of 
  overtaking 
  it 
  soon. 
  Its 
  flesh 
  is 
  much 
  

   esteemed, 
  and 
  the 
  meat 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  can 
  scarcely 
  be 
  distinguish- 
  

   ed 
  from 
  the 
  best 
  veal. 
  The 
  nose 
  and 
  tongue 
  are 
  particularly 
  con- 
  

   sidered 
  great 
  dainties. 
  The 
  moose, 
  when 
  'taken 
  young, 
  is 
  easily 
  

  

  