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THE AMERICAN BISONS 



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3. 



The Chase. 



An account of tbe means and methods by which the buffalo has become 

 so nearly exterminated forms an interesting chapter in its history, since they 



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have varied at different times and at different localities^ in accordance with 

 the customs of the different Indian tribes, and with the wants and imple- 



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ments of the white man. 



When the Jesuit missionaries first visited the Illinois prairies^ it seems to 



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have been a general custom with the Indians of the Mississippi Vdley to 

 hunt the buffalo by the aid of fire, accounts of which have been left us by 



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Hennepin, Du Pratz, Charlevoix, and others. Hennepin says: "When the 



Savages discover a great Number of those Beasts together^ they likewise as- 

 semble their whole Tribe to encompass the Bulls, and then set on fire the 

 dry Herbs about them, except in some places, which they leave free ; and 

 therein lay themselves in Ambuscade. The Bulls, seeing the Flame round 

 them, run away through those Passages where they see no Fire ; and there 

 fall into the Han(ls of the Savages^ who by these Means will kill sometimes 



above sixscore in a day."'^ 



Charlevoix's account .of the Indian method of hunting the buffalo is as 



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follows: "In the Southern and Western Parts of Neiv France^ on both Sides 

 the Mississi/ppi^ the most famous Hunt is that of the Buffaloe^ which is per- 



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foi-mcd in this Manner : The Hunters range themselves on four Lines, which 



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form a great Square, and begin by setting Fire to the Grass and HerbSj which 



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are dry and veiy high : Then as the Fire gets forwards, they advance, closing 



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their Lines: The Buffaloes, which are extremely afraid of Fire, keep flying 

 from it, and at last find themselves so crouded together that they are gener- 



ally every one killed. They saj^ that a Party seldom returns from hunting 

 without killing Fifteen Hundred or Two Thousand. But lest the different 



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Companies should hinder each other, they all agree before they set out about 

 the Place where they intend to hunt," etc. f 



Mr. J. G. Shea also alludes to the general custom among the Indians .of the 

 IJp]3er Mississippi of hunting buffaloes by fire, of which the buffaloes have a 



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great dread. Finding it approaching them, "they retire towards the centre 



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of the prairie, where, being pressed together in great numbers, the Indians 



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* A New Discovery of a Vast Country in Americaj p. 90^ London^ 1608. 

 f LetterSj Goaclby's Engllsli Ed., p, 68. 





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