The musk-oxen, like the buffalo, herd together in bands and generally
frequent the barren grounds during the summer months, keeping near the
rivers, but retire to the woods in winter. They seem to be less watchful
than most other wild animals and, when grazing, are not difficult to
approach provided the hunters go against the wind; when two or three men
get so near a herd as to fire at them from different points these
animals, instead of separating or running away, huddle closer together
and several are generally killed; but if the wound is not mortal they
become enraged and dart in the most furious manner at the hunters, who
must be very dextrous to evade them. They can defend themselves by their
powerful horns against the wolves and bears which, as the Indians say,
they not unfrequently kill.
The musk-oxen feed on the same substances with the reindeer, and the
prints of the feet of these two animals are so much alike that it
requires the eye of an experienced hunter to distinguish them. The
largest killed by us did not exceed in weight three hundred pounds. The
flesh has a musky disagreeable flavour, particularly when the animal is
lean which, unfortunately for us, was the case with all that we now
killed.
During this day's march the river varied in breadth from one hundred to
two hundred feet, and except in two open spaces a very strong current
marked a deep descent the whole way. It flows over a bed of gravel, of
which also its immediate banks are composed. Near to our encampment it is
bounded by cliffs of fine sand from one hundred to two hundred feet high.
Sandy plains extend on a level with the summit of these cliffs, and at
the distance of six or seven miles are terminated by ranges of hills
eight hundred or one thousand feet high. The grass on these plains
affords excellent pasturage for the musk-oxen and they generally abound
here. The hunters added two more to our stock in the course of the night.
As we had now more meat than the party could consume fresh we delayed our
voyage next day to dry it. The hunters were supplied with more ammunition
and sent forward; but Akaitcho, his brother, and another Indian remained
with us.
It may here be proper to mention that the officers had treated Akaitcho
more distantly since our departure from Point Lake, to mark their opinion
of his misconduct. The diligence in hunting however which he had evinced
at this place induced us to receive him more familiarly when he came to
the tent this evening.
