INDIAN METHOD OF MAKING BOATS. 245 
the Indians in dismay and disappointment. The 
side fences for the purpose of leading the buffa- 
loes to the pens extend at times nearly half a 
mile, and some of the pens cover two or three 
hundred yards of ground. It takes much timo 
and labour to construct one of these great traps 
or snares, as the Indians sometimes have to bring 
timber from a considerable distance to make the 
fences and render them strong and efficient. 
The bison has several enemies: the worst is, 
of course, man; then comes the grizzly bear; 
and next, the wolf. The bear follows them and 
succeeds in destroying a good many; the wolf 
hunts them in packs, and commits great havoc 
among them, especially among the calves and 
the cows when calving. Many buffaloes are 
killed when they are struggling in the mire on 
the shores of rivers where they sometimes stick 
fast, so that the wolves or bears can attack them 
to advantage ; eating out their eyes and devour- 
ing the unresisting animals by piecemeal. 
Every part of the bison is useful to the Indians, 
and their method of making boats, by stretching 
the raw hide over a-sort of bowl-shaped frame 
work, is well known. These boats are generally 
made by the women, and we saw one of them at 
the Mandan village. The horns are made into 
drinking vessels, ladles, and spoons. The skins 
form a good bed, or admirable covering from the 
21* 
