THE MOOSE AND HIS HISTORY 13 



The skipping Squerrelly Rabbet, purblinde HarCy 

 Immured in the seljesame Castle are, 

 Least red-eyd Ferrets, wily Foxes should 

 Them undermine, if rampird^^ but with mould. 

 The grim fact Ounce, and ravenous howling Woolfe^ 

 Whose meagre paunch suckes like a swallowing 

 gulfe. 



Blacke glistering Otters, and rich coated Bever, 

 The Civet sented Musquash smelling ever,^^ 



'The beast called a Moose," he explains, "is 

 not much unlike red Deare, this beast is as bigge 

 as an Oxe; slow of foote, headed like a Bucke, 

 with a broade beame, some being two yards wide 

 in the head, their flesh is as good as Beefe, their 

 hides good for cloathing; The English have some 

 thoughts of keeping them tame, and to accustome 

 them to the yoake, which will be a great commoditie : 

 First because they are so fruitfull, bringing forth 

 three at a time, being likewise very uberous. 

 Secondly, because they will live in winter without 

 any fodder. There be not many of these in the 

 Massachusets hay, but forty miles to the Northeast 

 there be great store of them; These pore beasts 

 likewise are much devoured by the Woolves.'* 

 Thomas Morton, the gay roysterer of Merry 



Ramparted. 



*» Part I., chap. vi. 



