THE MOOSE AND HIS HISTORY 17 



of the Saguenay, more than five hundred moose 

 skins were handled in the way of trade in 1648.''^ 

 This of course did not include the many used by 

 the savages in making their clothing.^^ 



Several writers suggested the possibility of 

 domesticating the moose, hoping thus to avoid 

 some of the hardships of their long journeys to 

 the distant missions. Fr. Le Jeune, superior of 

 the "Residence of Kebec," wrote in 1636 that the 

 French Governor had two bull moose and one cow 

 in captivity, which he was seeking to domesticate.^^ 

 The experiment was evidently a failure, for no 

 further mention of the captives is made. 



Many accounts are given of the Indian feasts. 

 These functions were frequent, and varied in 

 character, but the gluttony of the red men in times 

 of plenty, and the disregard of rules of cleanliness 

 in preparing the food, make the savage banquets 

 seem anything but attractive. 



Each guest took with him to the feast his own 

 bark dish and wooden spoon. The choicer por- 



'4 Jes. ReL, vol. xxxii., p. 103. 



25 A good description of the moose-skin garments of the Indians is 

 given by Fr. Le Jeune, writing in 1634-35. See Jes. Ret., vol. vii., pp. 

 15-17. The skin of the moose as material for clothing was valued by 

 the white man also. Alexander Bradford of Dorchester, Mass., by 

 his will, proved in 1645, bequeathed a "Moose Suite & a musket & 

 Sworde & bandilieres & vest." {New England Historical and Genea' 

 logical Register, vol. iii. [1849], p. 82.) 

 Jes. Rel., vol. ix., pp. 131, 165. 



