104 RANGE OF THE BUFFALO. 



and from the shores of Lake Champlain to the Rocky mountains. As 

 it is important to collect and preserve all facts connected with the his- 

 tory of this interesting and useful animal before the species becomes 

 extinct, I trust I shall be pardoned for introducing a few quotations 

 from authors, touching their early history, which to me appear highly 

 interesting. In a work published at Amsterdam in 1637, called "New 

 English Canaan," by Thomas Morton, one of the first settlers of New 

 England, he says : " The Indians have also made description of great 

 heards of well-growne beasts that live about the parts of this lake 

 (Erocoise,) now Lake Champlain, such as the Christian world (until this 

 discovery) hath not bin made acquainted with. These beasts are of the 

 bigness of a cowe, their flesh being very good foode, their hides good 

 leather ; their fleeces very useful, being a kind of woole, as fine almost as 

 the woole of the beaver ; and the salvages do make garments thereof. 

 It is tenne yeares since first the relation of these things came to the eares 

 of the English." 



It is stated by another author, (Purchas,) that as early as in 1613 

 the adventurers in Virginia discovered a " slow Mnde of cattell as bigge 

 as kine, which were good meate." 



The limit of the buffalo range on the north has been given differently 

 by different writers. In a work published in London in 1589, by 

 Hukluyt, it is stated, that in the island of New Foundland were found 

 "mightie beastes, like to camels in greatness, and their feete were cloven." 

 He then says : " I did see them farre off, not able to discerne them 

 perfectly, but their steps showed that their feete were cloven, and bigger 

 than the feete of camels. I suppose them to be a kind of buffes, 

 which I read to bee in the countreys adjacent, and very many in the 

 firme land." 



It is supposed by some that these animals may have been the musk- 

 ox. They were found by Captain Franklin as high as 60° north latitude. 

 Although it is doubtful whether the buffalo ever ranged beyond the 

 Rocky mountains, yet they have been found as far west as the western 

 slope. They formerly ranged free and uninterrupted over the boundless 

 plains of the West, only guided in their course by that faithful instinct 

 which invariably led them to the freshest and sweetest pastures. Their 

 only enemy then was the Indian, who supplied himself with food and 

 clothing from the immense herds around his door ; but would have 

 looked upon it as sacrilege to destroy more than barely sufficient to 

 supply the wants of his family. Thus this monarch of the plains was 

 allowed free range from one end of the continent to the other. But 

 this happy state of things was not destined to continue; an enemy 





