1 62 The Bison 



give some idea of their numbers on the Red 

 River. He says, under date of September i8, 

 1800: " I took my usual morning view from the 

 top of my oak, and saw more buffalo than ever. 

 They formed one body, commencing about half a 

 mile from camp, whence the plain was covered 

 on the west side of the river as far as the eye 

 could reach. They were moving slowly south- 

 ward, and the meadow seemed as if in motion. 

 This afternoon I rode a few miles up Park River. 

 The few spots of wood along it have been rav- 

 aged by buffalo ; none but the large trees are 

 standing, the barks of which are rubbed perfectly 

 smooth, and heaps of wool and hair lie at the 

 foot of the trees. The small wood and brush 

 are entirely destroyed, and even the grass is not 

 permitted to grow in the points of the wood. 

 The bare ground is more trampled by these cat- 

 tle than the gate of the farm yard." 



Even in recent times one might journey for 

 days at a time through herds, which to the eye 

 seemed absolutely to cover a blackened prairie, 

 and I myself have travelled for weeks through the 

 Northwest without, at any time during the day, 

 being out of sight of buffalo. How many millions 

 there were in the great herds through which we 



