396 BISON. 



the rich savannas which border the river Misis- 

 sipi, and the great rivers which fall into it from 

 the west, in the upper Louisiana, where they are 

 seen in herds innumerable, intermixed with those 

 of Stags and Deer ; feeding chiefly in the morn- 

 ing and evening, and retiring into the shade of 

 the tall reeds which border the rivers, during the 

 heat of the day. They are extremtly wild, and 

 fly from the face of mankind ; but if wounded, 

 become furious, and pursue their enemy. Their 

 chace is a favourite diversion with the Indians, 

 and the animals are killed either by shooting, or 

 by gradually driving them into a small space, by 

 firing the grass round the place where a herd is 

 feeding. The animals are extremely terrified by 

 fire, and thus crowd together in order to avoid it ; 

 when the bands of Indians close, and kill them 

 thus pressed together without any hazard. On 

 such occasions it is pretended that not less than 

 fifteen hundred or two thousand have sometimes 

 been killed at a time'^. The flesh is used as a 

 food, and the skins and hair as commercial ar- 

 ticles : the latter, being of a woolly nature, may 

 be spun into cloths, gloves, &c. which are said to 

 be ver}^ strong, and to have the appearance of 

 those manufactured from the best wool. The 

 fleece or hair of one of these Bisons has been 

 known to weigh eight pounds. 



These were the only animals which bore any 

 affinity to the European cattle, on the first disco- 



* Arct. Zool. 



