14 



THE AMERICAN MOOSE 



Mount, who was devoted to hunting, described 

 New England and its resources in his New English 

 Canaan, Morton wrote upon tenne yeares know- 

 ledge and experiment of the Country." In the 

 fifth chapter of his second book, "Of the Beasts 

 of the forrest," he describes three kinds of deer. 



"First, therefore I will speake of the EIke, 

 which the Salvages call a Mose: it is a very large 

 Deare, with a very faire head, and a broade palme, 

 like the palme of a fallow Deares horne, but much 

 bigger, and is 6. footewide betweene the tipps, 

 which grow curbing downwards : Hee is of the big- 

 nesse of a great horse. 



"There have bin of them, seene that has bin i8. 

 handfulls higher hee hath a bunch of haire under 

 his jawes: he is not swifte, but stronge and large 

 in body, and longe legged; in somuch that hee 

 doth use to kneele, when hee feedeth on grasse. 



"Hee bringeth forth three faunes, or younge 

 ones, at a time; and being made tame, would be 

 good for draught, and more usefull (by reason of 

 their strength) then the Elke of Raushea. These 

 are found very frequent, in the northerne parts of 

 New England, their flesh is very good foode, and 

 much better then our redd Deare of England. 



"Their bids are by the Salyages converted into 

 very good lether, and dressed as white as milke. 



