come to the southwestern end of that lake, although they exist in numbers on its
north-eastern arm. They range over the islands which lie to the north of the
American continent as far as -Melville island, in latitude 75°, but they do not, like
the rein-deer, extend to Greenland, Spitzbergeu, or Lapland. From Indian
information, we learn that to the westward of the Rocky Mountains, which skirt
the Mackenzie, there is an extensive tract of barren country, which is also
inhabited by the musk-ox and rein-deer. It is to the Russian traders that we
must look for information on this head; but it is probable that, owing to the
greater mildness of the climate to the westward of the Rocky Mountains, the
musk-ox, which affects a cold barren district, where grass is replaced by lichens,
does not range so far to the southward on the Pacific coast as it does on the
shores of Hudson’s Bay. It is not known in New Caledonia, nor on the banks of
the Columbia, nor is it found on the Rocky Mountain ridge at the usual crossing-
plac'es near the sources of the Peace, Elk, and Saskatchewan rivers. It is,
therefore, fair to conclude that the animal described by Fathers Marco tie Niga
and Gomara, as an inhabitant of New Mexico, and which Pennant refers to the
musk-ox, is of a different species*. The musk-ox has not crossed over to the
Asiatic shore, and does not exist in Siberia, although fossil sculls have been
found there of a species nearly allied, which has been enumerated in the systematic
works under the name of Ooibos Pallantis. The appearance of musk-oxen on
Melville Island, in the month of May, as ascertained on Captain Parry’s first
voyage, is interesting, not merely as a part of their natural history, but as giving
us reason to infer that a chain of islands lies between Melville Island and Cape
Lyon, or that Wollaston and Banks’ Lands form one large island, over which
the migrations of the animals must have been performed.
The districts inhabited by the musk-ox are the proper lands of the Esquimaux*;
and neither the Northern Indians nor the Crees have an original name for it,- both
terming it bison, with an additional epithet. The country frequented by the
musk-ox is mostly rocky and destitute of wood, except on the banks of the larger
rivers, which are generally more or less thickly clothed with spruce trees. Their
food is similar to that of the Caribou, grass at one season and lichens at another;
and the contents of its paunch are eaten by the natives with the same relish that
they devour thé “ nerrooks ” of the caribou. The dung of the musk-ox takes
the form of round pellets, differing from those of the caribou only in their greater
* The Mexican animal is said to be a sheep, as large as a horse, with long hair, short tails, and enormous hornö»
The only horse which the musk-óx can be said to resemble in size, is a Shetland pony,
*|* The northern Indian appellation for an Esquimaux, is “ Inhabitant of the Barren Land,”
size. When this animal is fat, its flesh is well tasted, and resembles that of the
caribou, but has a coarser grain. The flesh of the bulls is high flavoured, and
both bulls and cows, when lean, smell strongly of musk, their flesh at the same
time being very dark and tough, and certainly far inferior to that of any other
ruminating animal existing in North America. The carcase of a musk-ox weighs,
exclusive of the offal, about three hundred weight, or nearly three times as much
as a Barren-ground caribou, and twice as much as one of the Woodland caribou.
Notwithstanding the shortness of the legs of the musk-ox, it runs fast, and it
climbs hills and rocks with great ease. One, pursued on the banks of the Copper-
mine, scaled a lofty sand cliff, having so great a declivity that we were obliged to
crawl on hands and knees to follow it. Its foot-marks are very similar to those of
the caribou, but are rather longer and narrower. These oxen assemble in herds
of from twenty to thirty, rut about the end of August and beginning of September,
and bring forth one calf about the latter end of May or beginning of June.
Hearne, from the circumstance of few bulls being seen, supposes that they kill
each other in their contests for the cows. If the hunters keep themselves concealed
when they fire upon a herd of musk-oxen, the poor animals mistake the
noise for thunder, and, forming themselves into a group, crowd nearer and nearer
together as their companions fall around them; but should they discover their
enemies by sight or by their sense of smell, which is very acute, the whole herd
seek for safety by instant flight. The bulls, however, are very irascible, and,
particularly when wounded, will often attack the hunter and endanger his life,
unless he possesses both activity and presence of mind. The Esquimaux, who
are well accustomed to the pursuit of this animal, sometimes turn its irritable
disposition to good account; for an expert hunter having provoked a bull to
attack him, wheels round it more quickly than it can turn, and by repeated
stabs in the belly, puts an end to its life. The wool of the musk-ox resembles
that of the bison, but is perhaps finer, and would no doubt be highly useful in
the arts if it could be procured in sufficient quantity.
D E S C R I P T IO N .
In size, the full-grown musk-ox nearly equals the small breed of cattle peculiar to the
highland districts of Scotland. The horns are very broad at their origin, covering the brow
and whole crown of the head, and touching each other for their entire breadth from before
backwards. As each horn rises from its flatly convex base, it becomes round and tapering,
and curves directly downwards between the eye and the ear, until it reaches the angle of the
mouth, when it turns upwards in the segment of a circle to above the level of the eye. The