4-2 
DEER. 
of the American Moofe has all the appearance of being 
greatly exaggerated; the firft afferting, that fome are 
found 12 feet or 33 hands high, and the laft makes 
it only one foot lower; but Charlevoix, Dierville 
and Lefcarbot *, with greater appearance of pro¬ 
bability, make it the fize of a horfe, or an Au¬ 
vergne mule, which is a very large fpecies *, and the 
informations alfo that I have received from eye- 
witneffes, make its height from 15 to 17 hands. 
The writers who fpeak of the European kind, con¬ 
fine its bulk to that of a horfe. Thofe who fpeak 
of the gigantic Moofe, fay, their horns are fix feet 
high 1 Joffelyn makes the extent from tip to tip to 
be two fathom, and La Hontan from hearfay pre¬ 
tends, that they weigh from 300 to 400 lb.; not- 
withftanding he fays that the animal which is to 
carry them is no larger than a horfe. Thus thefe 
writers vary from each other, and often are not 
confident with themfelves. It feems then that Jof¬ 
felyn and Dudly have been too credulous, and taken 
their evidence from huntfmen or Indians , who were 
fond of the marvellous; for it does not appear that 
they had feen it. The only thing certain is, that 
the Elk is common to both continents; and that 
the American having larger forefts to range in and 
more luxuriant food, grows to a larger fize than 
the European . In America they are found, tho* 
rarely, in the back parts of New England; in the 
peninfula of Nova Scotia, and in Canada ; in Europe 
f Charlevoix hip, nouvelle France , V. 183, Dierville voy. ds 
VAcadie 122. Lefcarbot bp. noun/, France 81 o. The French ,call this 
animal, Orignal. 
** Voy. America } I, 57. 
they 
