Rocky Mountains. 211 



If they are much pressed by hunger, they in the first place 

 open the flank, in order to obtain the kidneys, which are then 

 eaten without waiting for the tardy process of culinary pre- 

 paration. 



A hunter, who has been unsuccessful, assists some one in 

 skinning and cutting up, after which he thrusts his knife in 

 the part he wishes for his own share, and it is given to him. 



If the squaws should arrive, the knife is resigned to them, 

 whilst the men retire a short distance from the scene, to 

 smoke, and rest themselves. 



The slaughtered animals are chiefly and almost exclusive- 

 ly cows, selected from the herd ; the bulls being eatable only 

 in the months of May and June. 



Every eatable part of the animal is carried to the camp, 

 and preserved, excepting the feet and the head ; but the brains 

 are taken from the skull for the purpose of dressing the skin, 

 or converting it into Indian leather. Those skins which are 

 obtained during this season are known by the name Summer 

 skins, and are used in the construction of their skin lodges, 

 and for their personal cloathing for summer wear. 



Three squaws will transport all the peices of the carcase 

 of a bison, excepting the skin, to the camp, if the latter is at 

 any moderate distance. And it is their province to prepare 

 the meat, &c. for keeping. 



The vertebrae are comminuted, by means of stone axes, si- 

 milar to those which are not unfrequently ploughed up out 

 of the earth in the Atlantic states; the fragments are then 

 boiled, and the rich fat, or medulla, which rises, is carefully 

 skimmed off and put up in bladders for future use. The 

 muscular coating of the stomach is dried; the smaller intes- 

 tines are cleaned and inverted so as to include the fat, that 

 had covered their exterior surface, and then dried; the 

 larger intestines, after being cleaned, are stuffed with meat-, 

 and cooked for present eating. 



