472 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



supposed did not exceed seven or 

 eig'htj and they had themselves 

 lost two, so that this engagement 

 had not been a very bloody one. 

 As the body approached the town, 

 the squawr> and old men began to 

 meet them, and excepting the la- 

 mentations of those whose relatives 

 had been killed or wounded, the 

 expressions of joy became general, 

 but without disturbing in the least 

 the order of the procession. I 

 walked into the village, which 

 assumed a busy air. On the en- 

 trance of the party the warriors 

 ■were conducted to the different 

 lodges, that they might refresh 

 themselves, and the old men went 

 about shaking hands with some, 

 and seemingly bestowing praises 

 on others, who had conducted 

 themselves well in the battle." 



Buffaloes. — " On my return to 

 the boats, as tlie wind had in some 

 degree abated, we proceeded, and 

 had not gone more than five or 

 six miles before we were surprised 

 by a dull hollow sound, the cause 

 of which we could not possibly 

 imagine. It seemed to be one or 

 two miles below us ; but as our 

 descent was very rapid, it in- 

 creased every moment in loudness, 

 and before we had proceeded far, 

 our ears were able to catch some 

 distinct tones, indicating the bel- 

 lowing of buffaloes. When oppo- 

 site to the place from whence it 

 proceeded, we landed, ascended 

 the bank, and entered a small 

 skirting of trees and shrubs, that 

 separated the river from an exten- 

 sive plain. On gaining a view of 

 it, such a scene op< ned to us as 

 will fall to the lot of few travellers 

 to witness. This plain was lite- 

 rally covered with buffaloes as far 

 as we could see, and we soon dis- 



covered that it consisted in part of 

 females. The males were fight- 

 ing in every direction, with a fury 

 which I have never seen paralleled, 

 each having singled out his anta- 

 gonist. We judged that the num- 

 ber must have amounted to some 

 thousands, and that tliere weie 

 many hundreds of these battles 

 going on at the same time, some 

 not eighty yards from us. It will 

 be recollected that at this season 

 the females would naturally admit 

 the society of the males. From 

 attentively observing some of the 

 combats nearest to us, I am per- 

 suaded that our domestic bull 

 would almost invariably be worsted 

 in a contest with this animal, as 

 he is inferior to him both in 

 strength and ferocity. A shot was 

 fired amongst them, which they 

 seemed not to notice. Mr. Brac- 

 kenridge joined me in preventing 

 a volley being lired, as it Avould 

 have been useless, and therefore 

 wanton ; for if we had killed one, 

 1 am certain the weight of his 

 caicass in gold would not have 

 bribed us to fetch him. I shall 

 only observe farther, that the noise 

 occasioned by the trampling and 

 bellowing was far beyond descrip- 

 tion. In the evening, before we 

 encamped, another immense herd 

 made its appearance, running 

 along the bluffs at full speed, and 

 although at least a mile from us, 

 we could distinctly hear the sound 

 of their .'^eet, which resembled dis- 

 tant thunder." 



The Grand Saline. — " The 

 Grand Saline is situated about 

 two hundred and eighty miles 

 soutli-west of Fort Osage, between 

 two foi'ks of a small branch of the 

 Aikansas, one of whicii washes 

 its southern extremity 5 and the 



other 



