44 
Deer. 
ter, when they fink fo deep in the fnow as to be~> ; 
come an eafy prey: the flefh is much commended ! 
for being light and nourifhing, but the nofe is rec¬ 
koned the greateft delicacy in all Canada: the 
tongues are excellent, and are frequently brought 
here from Rujfia: the ikin makes excellent buff 
leather *: Linnaeus fays it will turn a mufket ball: the 
hair which is on the neck, withers and hams, of the 
full grown Elk, is of great length and very elaftic, is ' 
ufed to make matreffes : the hoofs were fuppoled to 
have great virtues in curing epilepfics. It was pre¬ 
tended, that the Elk being fubjed to that difeafe, 
cured itfelf by fcratching its ear with its hoof. 
The Elk was known to the Romans by the name 
of Alee and Machlis: they believed that it had no 
joints in its legs j and, from the great fize of the 
Upper lip, imagined it could not feed without going 
backward as it grazed. 
Before I quit this fubjed it will be proper to take 
fome notice of the enormous horns that are fo often 
found fulfil in Ireland^ and which have always been 
attributed to the Moofe Deer: I mean the Moofe 
Deer of JoJfelyn ; for no other animal could poffibly 
be fUppofed to Carry fo gigantic a head. Thefe 
horns differ very much from thofe of the European 
or American Elk; the beam, or part between the 
bafe and the palm, is vaftly longer: each is fur- 
nifhed with a large and palmated brow antler, and 
the fnags on the upper palms are longer. The 
meafurements of a pair of thefe horns are as follow; 
* Numbers of the American Elk Ikins are fent from hence to 
Bayonne , where they are drelfed, and fold to the Gallegos, who 
snake buff waiftcoats of them. ,J> 
from 
