both continents, where it frequents the forests. It is often larger than the Horse, both in height and bulk; but the length of the legs, the bulk of the body, the shortness of the neck, and uncommon length of the head and ears, without any appearance of a tail, render its form very awkward. The hair of the male (which far exceeds the female in size), is black at the points, cinereous in the middle, and at the roots perfectly white. That of the female is of a sandy-brown, but whitish under the throat, belly, and flank. The upper-lip is square, very broad, deeply furrowed, and hangs much over the mouth; the nose is broad, and the nostrils extremely large and wide. The horns, which are found only on the males, have no browantlers, and the palms are extremely broad.. They are shed annually, and some have been seen that weighed upwards of sixty pounds.

The legs of the Elks are so long, and their necks so short, that they cannot graze on level ground, like other animals, but are obliged to brouze the tops of large plants, and the leaves or branches of

trees.

In all their actions and attitudes they appear very uncouth, and when disturbed never run, but only make off in a kind of trot, which the length of their legs enables them to do with great swiftness, and apparently with much ease. In their common walk they lift their feet very high, and they are able, without any difficulty, to step over a gate five feet in height.

Their faculty of hearing is supposed to be more

more acute than either their sight or scent, which renders it very difficult to kill them in the summer time, as the Indians have then no other method of doing it but by creeping after them among the trees and bushes, till they get within gun-shot. In winter, when the snow is so hard frozen that the natives can go upon it in their snow-shoes, they are able frequently to run them down, for their slender legs break through the snow at every step, and plunge them up to the belly. They are so tender-footed, and so shortwinded, that a good runner will generally tire them in less than a day; there have been some, however, that have kept the hunters in chace for two days. On these occasions the Indians, in general, take with them nothing more than a knife or bayonet, and a little bag containing implements for lighting a fire. 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 generally 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

* They will kill a Dog, and sometimes even a Wolf, by a single blow with one of their fore-feet.

† Hearne, 255.

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 Muskettoes 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 opposition; the poor harmless animal seeming, at the same time, as contented along-side the canoe, as if swimming 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-foot almost every instant to clear its eyes of Muskettoes, which at the time were remarkably numerous.†

Sometimes the Indians assemble in multitudes in their canoes, and form with them a vast crescent towards the shore. Large parties then go into the woods, surround an extensive tract, let loose their Dogs, and press, with loud hallooings, towards the water. The alarmed animals fly before

* Charlevoix, i. p. 199.

+ Hearne, 256.

the hunters, and plunge into the lake, where they are killed with lances or clubs by the persons prepared for their reception in the canoes.

The Indians also sometimes inclose a large piece of ground with stakes, woven with branches of trees, which form two sides of a triangle, the bottom opening into a second inclosure completely triangular. In the opening are hung snares made of slips of raw hides. The Deer are driven by a party in the woods, into the first inclosure, and some endeavouring to force their way into the farthest triangle, are caught in the snares by their neck or horns: and those which escape the snares, and pass the opening, meet their fate from the arrows of the hunters directed at them from all quarters.

The Elks are the easiest to tame and domesticate of any of the Deer kind. They will follow their keeper to any distance from home, and at his call return with him, without the least trouble, and without ever attempting to deviate from the path.

An Indian had, at the Factory at Hudson's Bay, in the year 1777, two of them so tame, that when he was on his passage to Prince of Wales's Fort, in a canoe, they always followed him along the bank of the river; and at night, or on any other occasion, when he landed, they generally came and fondled on him, in the same manner as the most domestic animal would have done, and never

Penn. Arct. Zool. i. 19.

offered to stray from the tents. He did not, however, possess these animals long, for he one day crossed a deep bay in one of the lakes, in order to save a very circuitous rout along its bank, and expected the creatures would, as usual, follow him round, but unfortunately at night they did not arrive; and as the howling of Wolves was heard in the quarter where they were, it is supposed they had been devoured by them, for they were never afterwards seen.*

M. D'Obsonville mentions his having in his possession, while in the East Indies, an animal which he calls a Moose-deer. From the warmth of that climate it seems very doubtful whether this was not some other species, but as we have no satisfactory proof of its being such, we shall recite his account. "I procured it (he says) when only ten or twelve days old, and had it for about two years, without ever tying it up. I even let it run abroad, and sometimes amused myself with making it draw in the yard, or carry little burthens. It always came when called, and I found few signs of impatience, except when it was not allowed to remain near me. When I departed for the island of Sumatra, I gave it to Mr. Law of Lauriston, the governor-general, an intimate friend. This gentleman, not having an opportunity of keeping it about his person, as I had done, sent it to his country house. Here, being kept alone, and chained in a confined corner, it presently became so furious as not to be approached.

*Hearne, 260.