132 A SOJorBS AM05G THE HALE-BEEEDS. 



and courage, have long waged a savage war on them, in consequence 

 of which the Saulteaux do not venture to hunt in the plains, except 

 in company with the Half-breeds. Immediately on their getting 

 possession of the bodies, they commenced a scalp-dance, during 

 which they mutilated the bodies in a most horrible manner. One 

 old woman, who had lost several relations by the Sioux, rendered 

 herself particularly conspicuous by digging out their eyes and other- 

 wise dismembering them. In this ceremony the Half-breeds took no 

 part, for though a warlike people they do not practice the scalp-dance, 

 nor do they wear scalps as ornaments. 



The following afternoon we arrived at the margin of a small lake, 

 where we encamped rather earlier than usual for the sake of the 

 water. On the following day I was gratified with the sight of a 

 band of about forty buffalo cows in the distance, and our hunters in 

 full chase ; they were the first I had seen, but were too far off for me 

 to join in the sport. They succeeded in killing twenty-five, which were 

 distributed through the camp and proved most welcome to all of us, 

 as our provisions were getting rather short, and I was abundantly 

 tired of pemmikon and dried meat. The fires being lighted with the 

 wood we had brought with us in the carts, the whole party com- 

 menced feasting with a voracity which appeared perfectly astonishing 

 to me, until I tried myself and found by experience how much hunt- 

 ing in the plains stimulated the appetite. 



The upper part of the hunch of the buffalo, weighing about four or five 

 pounds, is called by the Indians the little hunch. This is of a harder 

 and more compact nature than the rest, though very tender, and is 

 usually put aside for keeping. The lower and larger part is streaked 

 with rich fat, and is very juicy and delicious. These, with the tongues, 

 are considered the delicacies of the buffalo. After the party had 

 gorged themselves with as much as they could devour, they passed 

 the rest of the evening in roasting the marrow bones and regaling 

 themselves with their contents. For the next two or three days we 

 fell in with only a few single buffalo or small herds of them, but as 

 we proceeded they became more frequent. At last our scouts brought 

 in word of an immense herd of buflalo bulls about two miles in ad- 

 vance of us. They are known in the distance from the cows by their 

 feeding singly and being scattered wider over the plain, whereas the 

 cows keep together for the protection of the calves, which are always 

 kept in the centre of the herd. A Half-breed of the name of Hallett 

 who was exceedingly attentive to me, woke me in the morning to ac- 

 company him in advance of the party, that I might have the opportu- 

 nity of examining the buffalo, whilst feeding, before the commence- 



