THE FORMER RANGE OF THE BUFFALO. 91 
the bluffs and the banks of the Mississippi, or as he called it, in 
his journal, the river Colbert. The voyage of Hennepin down 
the Illinois and up the Mississippi River, was in the year 1680.* 
Of the scenery upon the Illinois River, called by him, the Seigne- 
lay, he says “ it is lined with hills, whose sides are covered with 
fine large trees. Some of these hills are half a league apart, 
leaving between them a marshy strip often inundated, especially 
in the spring and fall, but producing, nevertheless, quite large 
trees. On ascending these hills, you discover prairies further than 
the eye can reach, studded at intervals with groves of tall trees, 
apparently planted there intentionally.” 
ather Membre, in his narrative of the voyage of La Salle 
(1682) gives a glowing and poetical account of the beauty of the 
country He speaks of the Illinois River as “ edged with hills, 
covered with beautiful trees of all kinds, whence you discern vast 
prairies on which herds of wild-cattle pasture in confusion.” . . 
‘“ The fields are full of all kinds of game, wild-cattle, sins, 
does, deer, bears, turkeys, partridges, parrots, quails, woodcock, 
wild-pigeons and ring-doves. There are also beavers, otters, 
martens, till a hundred leagues below the Maroa, especially in 
the river of the Missouri, the Ovabache (Ohio) that of the Che- 
pousseau (the Cumberland?) which is opposite it, and on all the 
emallcrones in this part.” oi. a sas 5 ee Oe 
“ The cattle of this country surpass ours in size; their head 
is monstrous, and their look frightful, on account of the long, 
black hair with which it is surmounted, and which hangs below 
the chin, and along the houghs of the animal. It has on the back 
a kind of crest, of which that nearest the neck is longest, the oth- 
ers diminish gradually to the middle of the back. The hair is fine 
and scarce inferior to wool. The Indians wear their skins, which 
they dress very neatly with earth, which serves them for paint. 
These animals are easily approached; they could be easily domes- 
ticated.” + 
Charlevoix, who passed through the Mississippi Valley in 1721, 
gives a fine and detailed description of the buffalo, as seen by him 
on the prairies, and the Indian method of hunting it. As his work is 
very scarce I transcribe the whole of his remarks upon the buffalo. 
* Dis. and Ex. of the Miss. J. G. Shea, p. 108, 109. 
t The Tamaroas, + af th +h af i} e Ti 
t Dis. and Ex. of the Miss. J. G. Shea, p. 179, 180. 
