THE BISON. 
519 
over tlie head and shoulders, actually reaching the ground, and the entire aspect of the 
animal more lowering. 
This creature is only found in Northern America, never appearing north of lat. 33°. It 
gathers together in enormous herds, consisting of many thousands in number, and in spite of 
the continual persecution to which it is subjected by man ajid beast, its multitudes are even 
now hardly diminished. The Bison is one of the most valuable of animals to the white hunter, 
as well as to the aboriginal Red Indian, as its body supplies him with almost every neces- 
sary of life. 
The flesh of the fat cow Bison is in great repute, being juicy, tender, and well-savored, 
and possesses the invaluable quality of not cloying the appetite, even though it be eaten 
with the fierce hunger that is generated by a day’s hunting. The fat is peculiarly excel- 
lent, and is said to bear some resemblance to the celebrated green fat of the turtle. The 
most delicate portion of the Bison is the flesh that composes the “hump,” which gives to 
the animal’ s back so strange an aspect ; and the hunters are so fond of this delicacy that 
they will often slay a magnificent Bison merely for the sake of the hump, the tongue, and 
the marrow-bones, leaving the remainder of the body to the wolves and birds. The pieces 
of bump-flesh that are stripped from the shoulders are technically called “fleeces,” and 
sometimes weigh as much as a hundred pounds.* The flesh of the Bison is also made of 
exceeding value to voyagers and travellers by being converted into “pemmican,” a curious 
kind of preparation, which to the eye closely resembles tarred oakum, but which is com- 
posed of the dried fibres of Bison beef. “Jerked” beef is also made from this animal, 
the meat being cut into long thin strips, and hung in the sunshine until black, dry, and 
almost as hard as leather. 
The hide is greatly valued both by Indians and civilized men, for the many purposes 
which it fulfils. From this hide the Indian makes his tents, many parts of his dress, his 
bed, and his shield. For nearly the whole of these uses the skin is deprived of hair, and is 
so dressed as to be impervious to water, and yet soft and pliable. The shield is very ingeni- 
ously made by pegging out the hide upon the ground with a multitude of little wooden 
skewers round its edge, imbuing it with a kind of glue, and gradually removing the pegs in 
proportion to the consequent shrinking and thickening of the skin. One of these shields, 
although still pliable, is sufficiently strong to resist an arrow, and will often turn a bullet 
that does not strike it fairly. 
Sometimes the Bison is the means of saving the hunter from the terrible death of thirst, 
for it oftentimes happens that the prairie-men find themselves parched with thirst in the 
midst of vast plains, without a drop of water in their vessels, and no stream within a long 
day’s journey. Under these circumstances, they would inevitably die, were it not that they 
know how to have recourse to certain natural fountains which are never entirely empty. 
The Bison has the power of taking a large amount of water into its body, and depositing 
it in the “reticulum,” or cells of the honey-comb department of the stomach, until it shall be 
needed for use. The hunters, therefore, are not long at a loss for materials wherewith to 
quench their thirst as long as a Bison is in sight, but slay the animal at once for the sake 
of the water which they know will be found in the usual situation. 
Yast quantities of Bisons are killed annually, whole herds being sometimes destroyed by 
the cunning of their human foes. The hunters, having discovered a herd of Bisons at no very 
great distance from one of the precipices which abound in the prairie-lands, quietly surround 
the doomed animals, and drive them ever nearer and nearer to the precipice. When they have 
come within half a mile or so of the edge, they suddenly dash towards the Bisons, shouting, 
firing, waving hats in the air, and using every means to terrify the intended victims. The 
Bisons are timid creatures, and easily take alarm, so that on being startled by the unexpected 
sights and sounds, they dash off, panic-struck, in the only direction left open to them, and 
which leads directly to the precipice. When the leaders arrive at the edge, they attempt to 
recoil, but they are so closely pressed upon by those behind them that they are carried low 
ward and forced into the gulf below. Many hundreds of Bisons are thus destroyed in the 
space of a few minutes. 
