50 
BUFFALO. 
times occurs, that after the Bisons are in the pen, which is often so fill- 
ed that they touch each other, the terrified crowd swaying to and 
fro, their weight against the fence breaks it down, and if the smallest 
gap is made, it is immediately widened, when they dash through and 
scamper off, leaving the Indians in dismay and disappointment. The side 
fences for the purpose of leading the Buffaloes to the pens extend at 
times nearly half a mile, and some of the pens cover two or three hun- 
dred yards of ground. It takes much time and labour to construct one 
of these great traps or snares, as the Indians sometimes have to bring 
timber from a considerable distance to make the fences and render 
them strong and efficient. 
The Bison has several enemies : the worst is, of course, man; then comes 
the grizzly bear ; and next, the wolf. The hear follows them and succeeds 
in destroying a good many ; the wolf hunts them in packs, and commits 
great havoc among them, especially among the calves and the cows 
when calving. Many Buffaloes are killed when they are struggling in the 
mire on the shores of rivers where they sometimes stick fast, so that the 
wolves or bears can attack them to advantage ; eating out their eyes and 
devouring the unresisting animals by piecemeal. 
When we were ascending the Missouri river, the first Buffaloes were 
heard of near Fort Leavenworth, some having a short time before been 
killed within forty miles of that place. We did not, however, see any of 
these animals until we had passed Fort Croghan, but above this point we 
met with them almost daily, either floating dead on the river, or gazing at 
our steamboat from the shore. 
Every part of the Bison is useful to the Indians, and their method of 
maldng boats, by stretching the rawhide over a sort of bowl-shaped frame 
work, is well known. These boats are generally made by the wo- 
men, and we saw some of them at the Mandan village. The horns are 
made into drinking vessels, ladles, and spoons. The skins form a good 
bed, or admirable covering from the cold, and the flesh is excellent food, 
whether fresh or dried or made into pemmican ; the fat is reduced and 
put up in bladders, and in some cases used for frying fish, &c. 
The hide of the Buffalo is tanned or dressed altogether by the women, 
or squaws, and the children ; the process is as follows : The skin is first 
hung on a post, and all the adhering flesh taken off with a bone, toothed 
somewhat like a saw; this is performed by scraping the skin down- 
wards, and requires considerable labour. The hide is then stretched on 
the ground and fastened down with pegs ; it is then allowed to remain 
till dry, which is usually the case in a day or two. After it is dry- 
the flesh side is pared down with the blade of a knife fa.stened in a 
