BRADY'S ISLAND. 43 



twice subjected it to its duty, and as often its delicious contents found am- 

 ple store-house ; and even yet my longing apj)etite seemed loth to cry 

 "hold, enough !" 



The agreeable odor exhaled from the drippings of the frying flesh, con- 

 tained in the pan, invited the taste, — a temptation claiming me for its sub- 

 ject. Catching up the vessel, a testing sip made way for the whole of its 

 coTitents, at a single draught, — full six gills ! Strange as it may seem, I 

 did not experience tlie least unpleasant feeling as the result of my extraor- 

 dinary potation. 



The stomach never rebels against buffalo-fat. Persons, subsisting en- 

 tirely upon the flesh of these animals, prefer an assortment of at least one 

 third solid depouille. 



The voyageur is never more satisfied than when he has a good supply 

 of bnflililo-beef at his command. It is then his greasy visage bespeaks 

 content, and his jocund voice and merry laugh evince the deep-felt pleasure 

 and gratification that reign within. 



Talk not to him of the delicacies of civilized life, — of pies, puddings, 

 soups, fricasees, roast-beef, pound-cake, and desert, — he cares for none of 

 these things, and will laugh at your verdancy ! 



He knows his own preference, and will tell you your boasted excellencies 

 are not to be compared with it. If you object to the sameness of his sim- 

 ple fare, he will recount the several varieties of its parts, and descant 

 upon each of their peculiar merits. He will illustrate the numerous and 

 dissimilar modes of so preparing them, that they cannot fail to excite by 

 their presence and appease by their taste the appetite of the most fasti- 

 dious. And then, in point of liealih, there is nothing equal to buffalo-meat. 

 It, alone, will cure dyspepsy, prevent consumption, amend a broken consti- 

 tution, put flesh upon the bones of a skeleton, and restore a dead man again 

 to life ! — if you will give credence to one half of the manifold virtues he 

 carefully names in your hearing. 



Oct. l-ith. We were early en route, and made some twenty miles. 

 Our hunter, during the day, rejoined the caravan, laden with the best por- 

 tions of three other fat cows, to add to the fund of life and good humor en- 

 joyed by each. 



Late in the afternoon, we made camp opposite a heavily wooded island, 

 called Brady's Island, in memory of a man, so named, who was murdered 

 upon it by his companion seme eight years ago. 



The two were connected with a boat, laden with furs, on its passage to 

 the States. They had frequently quarrelled, and were generally upon 

 otherwise bad terms. On the day of the fatal occurrence, they were left 

 alone in camp by the rest of the boat's crew, who went in quest of 

 bufllilo. At their return, Brady was found lying in his blood, — kill- 

 ed, as his companion affirmed, by the accidental discharge of his own 

 rifle. 



The tale was received quite doubtingly, and its listeners were only de- 

 terred from the execution of summary vengeance upon the murderer by 

 thought of the bare possibility of its truth. 



The body of the unfortunate man was buried near the spot, — but being 

 subsequently disinterred by the wolves, his bones were left to bleach and 



