176 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 
a mile broad. When this has been accomplished, 
they raise loud shouts, and, pressing close upon 
the animals, so terrify them that they rush heed- 
lessly forward towards the snare. When they 
have advanced as far as the men who are lying 
in ambush, they also rise, and increase the con- 
sternation by violent shouting and firing guns. 
The affrighted beasts having no alternative, run 
directly into the pound, where they are quickly 
despatched, either with an arrow or gun. 
There was a tree in the centre of the pound, on 
which the Indians had hung strips of buffalo 
flesh and pieces of cloth as tributary or grateful 
offerings to the Great Master of Life; and we 
were told that they occasionally place a man in 
the tree to sing to the presiding spirit as the buf- 
faloes are advancing, who must keep his station 
until the whole that have entered are killed. This 
species of hunting is very similar to that of taking 
elephants on the Island of Ceylon, but upona ~ 
smaller scale. 
The Crees complained to us of the audacity of 
a party of Stone Indians, who, two nights before, 
had stripped their revered tree of many of its 
offerings, and had injured their pound by setting 
their stakes out of the proper places. 
_ Other modes of killing the buffalo are practised 
- 
