222 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



buffaloes are advancing, who must keep his 

 station until the whole that have entered 

 are killed. This species of hunting is very 

 similar to that of taking elephants on the 

 island of Ceylon, but upon a smaller scale. 



The Crees complained to us of the auda- 

 city of a party of Stone Indians, who, two 

 nights before, had stripped their revered 

 tree of many of its offerings, and had in- 

 jured their pound by setting the stakes out 

 of their proper places. 



Other modes of killing the buffalo are 

 practised by the Indians with success ; of 

 these the hunting them on horseback re- 

 quires most dexterity. An expert hunter, 

 when well mounted, dashes at the herd, and 

 chooses an individual which he endeavours 

 to separate from the rest. If he succeeds, 

 he contrives to keep him apart by the pro- 

 per management of his horse, though going 

 at full speed. Whenever he can get suffi- 

 ciently near for a ball to penetrate the 

 beast's hide, he fires, and seldom fails of 

 bringing the animal down ; though of course 

 he cannot rest the piece against the shoulder, 



