17 * 
ELK. 
Indians in general take with them nothing mor^ 
than a knife or bayonet, and a little bag, con- 
taining implements for lighting a Are. When the 
poor animals are* incapable of further speed, they 
stand and keep their pursuers at bay with their head 
and fore feet : in the use of the latter of which 
they are so dexterous, that the Indians are gene- 
rally obliged to lash their knives or bayonets at the 
end of a long stick, and stab the elk at a distance. 
Some who have neglected this necessary precaution, 
and rashly attempted to rush in upon them, have 
received very serious blows from their fore feet. 
When wounded they sometimes become furious, 
rush boldly on the hunters, and endeavour to tread 
them down ; in this case the men are frequently 
compelled to leave their outer garments, (on which 
the animals wreck their vengeance,). and escape 
into the trees. 
In summer the elks frequent the margins of rivers 
and lakes, getting into the water in order to avoid 
the innumerable multitudes of musquetoes and 
other flies’ that pester them during that season. 
They are often killed by the Indians, while .they are 
crossing rivers, or swimming from the main land 
to islands. When pursued in this situation, they 
are the most inoffensive of all animals, never 
making any resistance. And the young ones are 
so simple, that, in North America, Mr. Hearne 
saw an Indian paddle his canoe up to one of them, 
and take it by the poll without the least opposi- 
tion ; the poor harmless animal seeming, at the 
same time, as contented along-side the canoe, as if 
3 winding by the side of its dam, and looking up 
in the faces of those who were about to become 
its murderers with the most fearless innocence ; 
using its fore feet almost every instant to clear its 
eyes of musquetoes, which at the time were re^* 
markably numerous. 
