BISON. 141 



caused immense confusion, a whirlwind of bison hurtled 

 past one almost knocking me down and crashed madly 

 away through the forest. It was a close shave, and my 

 safety was undoubtedly due to the barricade formed by the 

 body of the cow I had knocked over. Bison have the 

 reputation of charging at the smoke of a shot, and they 

 probably did so in this case, as my body would have been 

 hidden by it at the beginning of their charge. Following 

 up the herd, I got a shot at another bull, standing in a 

 similar position to the first, and struck him in the shoulder, 

 knocking him over ; but he got up again and went clean 

 away, so this shot cannot be depended upon the amount of 

 flesh, bone, and sinew to be traversed being enormous. 

 The first bull did not go far, but we did not get him that 

 night, as it became too dark to track ; he was, however, 

 found dead two days after, within a short distance of the 

 glade where the big charge took place. The Carders 

 would not touch the body, and as I was starting that day 

 on a trip towards Michael's Valley, which lasted a 

 week, taking with me all available hands, the beheading 

 operations were deferred till my return. The carcase was 

 then too far gone, and had to be left where it fell, for 

 several months before the head could be removed. On the 

 23rd July I marched from Toonacudavoo to Perrincudavoo 

 (Fruit Town), an old encampment of the Carders, where 

 two very comfortable huts still existed in good preserva- 

 tion ; we were short of meat, as the village of Annamullay 

 had been able to yield but two fowls. Next day I shot a 

 bison within a few miles of camp, and severely wounded 

 another in the act of charging us, but he was conducted by 

 two of his zenana across the Eiver Periar, which I forgot to 

 mention ran past our camp, and in the absence of a raft we 

 were left lamenting on the bank. We also saw three-day- 



