THE BISON. 519 



over the head and shoulders, actually reaching the ground, and the entire aspect of the 

 animal more lowering. 



This creature is only found in Northern America, never appearing north of lat. 33°. It 

 gathers together in enormous herds, consisting of many thousands in number, and in spite of 

 the continual persecution to which it is subjected by man and beast, its multitudes are even 

 now hardly diminished. The Bison is one of the most valuable of animals to the white hunter, 

 as well as to the aboriginal Red Indian, as its body supplies him with almost every neces- 

 sary of life. 



The flesh of the fat cow Bison is in great repute, being juicy, tender, and well-savored, 

 and possesses the invaluable quality of not cloying the appetite, even though it be eaten 

 with the fierce hunger that is generated by a day's hunting. The fat is peculiarly excel- 

 lent, and is said to bear some resemblance to the celebrated green fat of the turtle. The 

 most delicate portion of the Bison is the flesh that composes the "hump," which gives to 

 the animal's back so strange an aspect; and the hunters are so fond of this delicacy that 

 they will often slay a magnificent Bison merely for the sake of the hump, the tongue, and 

 the marrow-bones, leaving the remainder of the body to the wolves and birds. The pieces 

 of hump-flesh that are stripped from the shoulders are technically called "fleeces," and 

 sometimes weigh as much as a hundred pounds. The flesh of the Bison is also made of 

 exceeding value to voyagers and travellers by being converted into "pemmican," a curious 

 kind of preparation, which to the eye closely resembles tarred oakum, but which is com- 

 posed of the dried fibres of Bison beef. "Jerked" beef is also made from this animal, 

 the meat being cut into long thin strips, and hung in the sunshine until black, dry, and 

 almost as hard as leather. 



The hide is greatly valued both by Indians and civilized men, for the many purposes 

 which it fulfils. From this hide the Indian makes his tents, many parts of his dress, his 

 bed, and his shield. For nearly the whole of these uses the skin is deprived of hair, and is 

 so dressed as to be impervious to water, and yet soft and pliable. The shield is very ingeni- 

 ously made by pegging out the hide upon the ground with a multitude of little wooden 

 skewers round its edge, imbuing it with a kind of glue, and gradually removing the pegs in 

 proportion to the consequent shrinking and thickening of the skin. One of these shields, 

 although still pliable, is sufficiently strong to resist an arrow, and will often turn a bullet 

 that does not strike it fairly. 



Sometimes the Bison is the means of saving the hunter from the terrible death of thirst, 

 for it oftentimes happens that the prairie-men find themselves parched with thirst in the 

 midst of vast plains, without a drop of water in their vessels, and no stream within a long 

 day' s journey. Under these circumstances, they would inevitably die, were it not that they 

 know how to have recourse to certain natural fountains which are never entirely empty. 

 The Bison has the power of taking a large amount of water into its body, and depositing 

 it in the "reticulum," or cells of the honey-comb department of the stomach, until it shall be 

 needed for use. The hunters, therefore, are not long at a loss for materials wherewith to 

 quench their thirst as long as a Bison is in sight, but slay the animal at once for the sake 

 of the water which they know will be found in the usual situation. 



Vast quantities of Bisons are killed annually, whole herds being sometimes destroyed by 

 the cunning of their human foes. The hunters, having discovered a herd of Bisons at no very 

 great distance from one of the precipices which abound in the prairie-lands, quietly surround 

 the doomed animals, and drive them ever nearer and nearer to the precipice. When they have 

 come within half a mile or so of the edge, they suddenly dash towards the Bisons, shouting, 

 ' firing, waving hats in the air, and using every means to terrify the intended victims. The 

 - Bisons are timid creatures, and easily take alarm, so that on being startled by the unexpected 

 sights and sounds, they dash off, panic-struck, in the only direction left open to them, and 

 which leads directly to the precipice. When the leaders arrive at the edge, they attempt to 

 recoil, but they are so closely pressed upon by those behind them that "they are carried for- 

 ward and forced into the gulf below. Many hundreds of Bisons are thus destroyed in the 

 space of a few minutes. 



