SOURCE OP ST. Peter's river. 15 



dictates of humanity, for all who are not hunters, callous to 

 the sight of a tortured animal, must regret the very indiscri- 

 minate slaughter which is usually made of the buffalo ; yet it 

 must be acknowledged that the sport has something digni- 

 fied and highly interesting, and that it requires no small 

 share of self-control to remain a passive observer of it. 

 Notwithstanding the general orders issued to that eflfect, 

 about fifteen buffaloes were killed in one day. 



After having dried our meat, we continued our journey, 

 and soon discovered, at a distance, a herd of elk, (Cervus ma- 

 jor,) to which three of the gentlemen immediately gave 

 chase. This herd consisted of about fifty or sixty elks. After 

 having approached on horseback as near as they could, with- 

 out alarming them, the gentlemen dismounted, and crept for 

 about a quarter of a mile on their hands and knees, lead- 

 ing their horses, until they came within eighty yards, when 

 they all fired, and one of the herd fell. Mr. Colhoun, who 

 Was one of the party, then mounted his horse and pursued 

 the herd for more than a mile. His horse being the best 

 in the company, he got up with them in half that distance, 

 hut the horse was so much alarmed by the appearance of 

 the elks, having probably never seen the animal before, 

 that no spurring on the part of the rider, could urge him 

 on near enough to give effect to the pistol shots which he 

 fired. While Mr. Colhoun was chasing them, he observed 

 that the elks in the rear would frequently stop to look at 

 him. When in herds, elks are easily overtaken, but when 

 they are alone it is much more difficult. This animal is 

 however represented as being short-winded. The elk are 

 generally approached in a creeping posture ; this mode is also 

 used in hunting buffaloes, by those whose horses are not very 

 fleet. In order to protect their guns from the moisture of 

 the grass, as well as to prevent them from being accidentally 



