426 THE BEST ROUTE TO THE BISON. 



the saddle ; and in swimming horses with men on their 

 backs, even then I recommend the stirrups being taken 

 out of the water, and the riders should sit with their knees 

 well forward, and their legs gathered up as far as the 

 firmness of the seat will permit, to prevent any collision 

 with the feet of the horse. In guiding a horse from 

 the saddle in the water, the touch to the mouth on 

 either side to direct him should be very light and en 

 tirely made by the rein on that side, and if the horse has 

 a double bit in his mouth the direction should be entirely 

 confined to the snaffle. In the swimming of different 

 horses there is even more difference in their action than 

 there is in that of dogs ; some will swim as smoothly on 

 the surface as a dog, while others will go through a river 

 by a succession of plunges to the bottom, if they can 

 touch it, and up again, and these are difficult to sit and 

 manage, for as they plunge under the water they come 

 up half blinded and shaking their heads from the water 

 in their ears, so that they are almost out of their senses. 

 With the difference as to the swimming of horses I 

 believe it is the only one between Capt. Marcy and my 

 self I now take leave of this excellent little book, reiter 

 ating my opinion that no traveller should attempt the 

 plains without first having studied the volume, or pos 

 sessed himself of it, so that he could have it at command 

 at any needful moment. 



Of all routes for seeking the bison, the following is 

 infinitely the best. On reaching New York, proceed thence 

 to Niagara, and there put up at the Monteagle Hotel. A 

 day or more can well be spent in viewing the splendid 

 Falls, and then the route which I have described, taken 

 thus the reverse way from which I travelled it, will, in 

 passing, place at the traveller's option lakes and rivers 



