ox. 
299 
ike during the sultry parts of the day to rest 
near shady rivulets and streams of water,. frequent- 
ly leaving so deep an impression of their feet in 
the moist land, from the great weight of their bo- 
dies, as to be thus traced and shot by the artful 
Indians. In this undertaking it is necessary that 
the men should be particularly careful ; since, 
when only wounded, the animals become exces- 
sively furious. The hunters go against the wind, 
as the faculty of smell in the bisons is so exquisite, 
that the moment they get scent of their enemy, they 
retire with the utmost precipitation. With a fa- 
vourable wind the men approach very near, since 
the animals are frequently almost blinded by the 
hair that covers their eyes. In taking aim they 
direct their piece to the hollow of the shoul- 
der, by which means they generally bring them 
down at one shot. If they do not fall, they im- 
mediately run upon their enemy, and, with their 
horns and hoofs, as offensive weapons, tear him 
in pieces, and trample him into the earth. 
They are so amazingly strong, that when they 
fly through the woods from a pursuer, they fre- 
quently brush down trees as thick as a man's arm ; 
and, be the snow ever so deep, such is their strength 
and agility, that they are able to plunge through 
it much faster than the swiftest Indian can run 
in snow-shoes. cf To this/' says Mr. Hearne, f<r I 
have been an eye witness many times, and once 
had the vanity to think that I could have kept 
pace with them ; but though I was at that time 
celebrated for being particularly fleet in snow 
shoes, I soon found that I was no match for the 
bisons, notwithstanding they were then plunging 
through such deep snow, that their bellies made 
a trench in it as large as if many heavy sacks had 
been hauled through it.” 
In Canada the hunting of the bison is a very 
