148 THE AMERICAN BISONS. 



Kansas as far easterly as longitude 98 ', the western boundary of Kansas 

 being I".!'. In a few years I think they will nut range north of the Arkansas 

 River." 



Nunc of the government expeditions sent across the plains since 1S40 

 seem to have met with the buffalo east of the longitude of Fort Iiiley, or 

 easl of the 97th meridian, from the Platte southward to Texas. In the In- 

 dian Territory they have not for a number of years ranged to the eastward 

 of Fort Sill.* It thus appears that the buffaloes were exterminated in East- 

 ern Kansas and in the eastern part of the Indian Territory over a breadth 

 of about four degrees of longitude between 1835 and 1870. 



The extermination along the western border of the southern herd has also 

 extended over a considerable area. In 1806 Tike found them throughout his 

 march across the plains from the western v(]^q of Arkansas to the eastern 

 base of the Rocky Mountains, meeting with them in the greatest abundance 

 between the Smoky Hill Fork and the Arkansas.! In 1845 Lieutenant Tur- 

 ner found buffaloes abundant in the valley of the Arkansas from Bent's Fort 

 thence eastward for over two hundred miles. $ The following year (1846 J 

 Dr. Wislizenus reports that on Colonel Doniphan's march across the plains 

 all signs of the buffalo, even including the bois de vache, disappeared near the 

 meridian of 1 01 , between the Arkansas and Cimarron. § 



Fremont states that in 1842, at 103 30', between the two forks of the 

 Platte, they absolutely covered the plains, and were abundant thence west- 

 ward to St. Vrain's Fort, situated a little to the southward of the present 

 town of Cheyenne. Between the forks of the Platte and along the North 

 Platte to Fort Laramie but few were found, but recent signs of them were 

 abundant. On the Laramie plains westward as far as Laramie River, large 

 herds were constantly met with, but this year none were seen on the North 

 Platte above the junction of Laramie River, the grasshoppers and the dry 

 weather bavin- destroyed every blade of gin 



* Captain J. W. Powell, of the Bth United States fnfantry, Informs me thai in 1872 the buffalo iliil not 

 range :i» far easl as Fori Sill, bul occurred fiftj miles iresl of ilii> poinl in considerable numbers. Lien* 

 tenant Godfrey (7th Cavalry) abo Btates thai during isti and 1872 In- mel with them throughout that 

 I'.n i of the Indian Territory wed "i Fori sill. 



■f Pike ( '/.. M ), Expedition i" the 8 <.•■. of the Mississippi, and to the Sources of the Arkansas, Kan- 



Platte, and Pierre i tc. in the years 1805, 1806, and I 



• K. p . 29tfa I 1 1 ■" No, -'. p, '.'17. 



^ Wislizenus (\'i \ i. Metnoit of ■> Tour i" Northern Mexico in company "iil> Colonel Doniphan's 



Expcditl n Rep., 80th ' on ion, Misct I. Doi No 



I rtimont's Explonttioni during 1842, 1843, and 1844, etc 



