SOURCE OP ST. Peter's river. 31 



time that our party saw them. We had no opportunity of 

 killing cows, and as the bulls were lean, we ate principally 

 the tongue and liver of those that we killed. These, toge- 

 ther with the hump, hump ribs, marrow bones, heart, ten- 

 der loin, and hunter's roast, (fillet near the shoulder blade,) 

 constitute the choice pieces, and when buffaloes are plenty, 

 are the only parts that are eaten. At Lake Travers, it is 

 estimated that cows generally yield from two hundred and 

 fifty to three hundred pounds of good meat. This is ex- 

 clusive of the head and other parts. There are eight bones, 

 (viz. those from the four legs and thighs,) which are enume- 

 rated as marrowbones. It is difficult to conjecture the quan- 

 tity of marrow which they afford, either singly or collec- 

 tively, but the marrow of one bone is frequently sufficient 

 for a meal. To obtain it, the flesh is scraped off from the 

 bones, and they are thrown into the fire; after remaining 

 a few minutes, they are withdrawn, the bones broken, 

 and the marrow, taken out with a sharp stick, is eaten 

 without any accompaniment. It is a very rich, delicate 

 food, resembling in colour and consistence a custard. It is 

 by some persoi1is>pi'eferred raw, but did not appear to us in 

 that state to be so palatable. 



In pursuing a herd of buffalo, particularly if it consist of 

 bulls, a strong odour of musk is emitted, which imparts 

 the scent very distinctly to the prairie, and their feet make 

 the grass crackle as if on fire. \Ye nientioned that the buf- 

 falo bulls frequently approached" very near to our line, 

 which, by some of our fellow travellers, was attributed to 

 the imperfect vision of the animal, whose eyes are obscur- 

 ed <j3y the great quantity of hair which covers its face ; 

 this is probably, however, incorrect; it either arises from 

 the greater fearlessness of the bulls during the rutting sea- 

 son, or perhaps from the circumstance that though they 



