THE BISON. 391 



To the large population of Indians that were the original 

 inhabitants of the soil, and were scattered over its vast plains in 

 tribal bands, the buffalo was everything. So much so that the 

 value of the animal to these people is hardly to be fully realized 

 by the civilized inhabitants of settled countries. The Sioux, 

 the Pawnees, the Crowes, the Blackfeet, Commanches, Oheyennes, 

 Delawares, and the numerous other bands whose names used 

 to strike terror to the hearts of the pioneers of civilization 

 in their steady advance towards " the land of the setting sun," 

 relied almost entirely upon the success of their buffalo hunts 

 for all articles necessary to their existence: the fur robes, so 

 eagerly sought for by the traders at a later date, formed their 

 beds, and gave them protection in the winter against the biting 

 cold of the country, or the hide, tanned into leather, made their 

 clothing or material for their teppes or tents, also for their 

 moccasins ; cut into strips, it was laced upon their snow-shoes, or 

 made lines for their fishing-nets ; then the flesh was either eaten 

 fresh or dried into pemmican for winter use ; the horns and bones 

 were shaped into implements or weapons, in fact every part was 

 utilized. Thus, with the herds of buffalo living alongside them, 

 the Indians were comparatively well to do and independent, savages 

 it is true, but in their way, and by comparison with their present 

 condition, worthy of some respect. Without these animals, many 

 of the tribes are in a miserable, starving, and contemptible con- 

 dition, for being too lazy to work, till the soil, or even to devote 

 their time to stock-raising, which, it was thought, might be an 

 employment more natural to their taste, they become completely 

 dependent on the respective governments having jurisdiction over 

 the territories in which their reserves are situated to keep them 

 from absolute starvation. 



The restriction of their liberty and their dependent position as 

 pensioners of the State, are the sources of the Indians' perpetual 

 condition of discontent ; for they are always ready on the slightest 

 temptation or encouragement to quit their reserves, don the paint, 

 and go upon the war-path, when the fierce, treacherous, cowardly, 

 and bloodthirsty nature of their race reasserts itself, and the murder, 

 mutilation and scalping of innocent and harmless men women, and 



