THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 59 



course then lay over an undulating prairie, quite rough, 

 and steep hills with small ravines between, and over dry 

 beds of streams that are made by the spring and fall 

 freshets. Occasionally we were favored with a level prairie 

 never exceeding two miles in extent. When the carts over- 

 took us, we exchanged our horses for them, and sat on 

 Buffalo robes on the bottom, our horses following on 

 behind us. As we neared the place where the Buffaloes had 

 been killed on the previous hunt, Bonaventure rode alone 

 to the top of a hill to discover, if possible, their where- 

 abouts ; but to our disappointment nothing living was to 

 be seen. We continued on our way watching closely, 

 ahead, right and left. Three o'clock came and as yet 

 nothing had been killed ; as none of us had eaten anything 

 since the night before, our appetites admonished us that it 

 was time to pay attention to them. McKenzie and Bona- 

 venture began to look about for Antelopes; but before 

 any were ' comeatable,' I fell asleep, and was awakened 

 by the report of a gun. Before we, in the carts, arrived at 

 the spot from whence this report proceeded, the hunters 

 had killed, skinned, and nearly cleaned the game, which 

 was a fine male Antelope. I regretted exceedingly I was 

 not awake when it was killed, as I might have saved the 

 skin for Mr. Audubon, as well as the head, but I was too 

 late. It was now about five o'clock, and one may well 

 imagine I was somewhat hungry. Owen McKenzie com- 

 menced eating the raw liver, and offered me a piece. 

 What others can eat, I felt assured I could at least taste. 

 I accordingly took it and ate quite a piece of it ; to my 

 utter astonishment, I found it not only palatable but very 

 good ; this experience goes far to convince me that our 

 prejudices make things appear more disgusting than fact 

 proves them to be. Our Antelope cut up and in the cart, 

 we proceeded on our ' winding way,' and scarcely had we 

 left the spot where the entrails of the animal remained, 

 before the Wolves and Ravens commenced coming from all 



