19 
party of Sioux Indians encamped near a Fur Companies Fort, on 
the Upper IMissouri, pursued an immense herd of Luflalos which had 
showed itself, and in a few hours returned to the fort witli 1400 
tongues, these tliey threw down in a mj'^s, demanding for them 
only a few gallons of whiskey. From all that he could learn 
not a skin nor a pound of meat, save oidy the tongues, was brought 
in. Gatlin points out the sin incurred by the white men, who not 
only induce the natives recklessly to destroy the food supply 
absolutely noce.s.sary for their existence, but in return cultivate in 
them a taste for alcohol most degrading in its ellects, and concludes 
a pathetic reverie Avith the following words : “ Oh ! miserable man, 
is thy avarice such ! Avouldst thou tear the skin from the back of 
the last animal of this noble race, and roh thy fellow-man of his 
moat, and for it give him poison ! ” Ala-s, the present state of the 
aboriginal population of !N'orth-West America but too fully rei)lics 
to his ejaculation. Degraded by contact Avith civilization, hunted 
from reservation to reservation, their food supply destroyed, the 
only resource left them is to obtain the necessaries to support life 
from Government supplies. 
But if the destruction of these animals Avas so great in Gatlin’s 
time, Avhen fire-arms Avere rare and transit so difficult, Avhat must 
bo the state of affairs at the iiresent moment ? A\’hen not only the 
native armed Avith his boAv and spear, but the Avhite hunter Avith his 
revolving rifle is let loose upon these herds of stupid and still unsus- 
pecting beasts, in addition to Avhich a railroad runs through the 
most prolific hunting-grounds, ready to convey the spoils to market 
in any cpiantities. I Avill not trouble you Avith a long extract as time 
Avill not permit of it, but I should just like to quote a few statistics 
from an article published in the ‘ Standard ’ newspaper of the 1 2th 
September, 1879. The AA’riter says, founding his remarks upon a 
report recently draAvn up by Dr. Joel Allen for the United States 
Gongress : “ In the United States territor}* also the decrease of the 
great Avild oxen has been rapid, and OAving to A’ery similar causes, 
the chief of AA'hich is the reckless manner in Avhich they have been 
slaughtered for the sake of their tongues, ‘robes,’ and perhaps, though 
not ahvays, their talloAv. The Bed Biver half-breed, Avhen he gets into 
