THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS III 



somewhat swollen, but untouched, but we made up our 

 minds to have it weighed, coute qui coute. Harris pro- 

 posed to remain and watch it, looking for Hares mean- 

 time, but saw none. The Wolves must be migratory at 

 this season, or so starved out that they have gone else- 

 where, as we now see but few. We returned first to the 

 fort, and mustered three men and Bell, for Sprague would 

 not go, being busy drawing a plant, and finding the heat 

 almost insupportable. We carried all the necessary im- 

 plements, and found Harris quite ready to drink some 

 claret and water which we took for him. To cut up so 

 large a bull, and one now with so dreadful an odor, was 

 no joke; but with the will follows the success, and in 

 about one hour the poor beast had been measured and 

 weighed, and we were once more en route for the fort. 

 This bull measured as follows : from end of nose to root 

 of tail, 131 inches; height at shoulder, 6"] inches; at 

 rump, 57 inches; tail vertebrae, 15^ inches, hair in length 

 beyond it 11 inches. We weighed the whole animal by 

 cutting it in parts and then by addition found that this 

 Buffalo, which was an old bull, weighed 1777 lbs. avoir- 

 dupois. The flesh was all tainted, and was therefore left 

 for the beasts of prey. Our road was over high hills, and 

 presented to our searching eyes a great extent of broken 

 ground, and here and there groups of Buffaloes grazing. 

 This afternoon we are going to bring in the skeleton of 

 Mr. Culbertson's second bull. I lost the head of my first 

 bull because I forgot to tell Mrs. Culbertson that I wished 

 to save it, and the princess had its skull broken open to 

 enjoy its brains. Handsome, and really courteous and 

 refined in many ways, I cannot reconcile to myself the 

 fact that she partakes of raw animal food with such evi- 

 dent relish. Before our departure, in came six half- 

 breeds, belonging, or attached to Fort Mortimer; and 

 understanding that they were first-rate hunters, I offered 

 them ten dollars in goods for each Bighorn up to eight 



