BISON. 
for its reception, which has been previously heated 
by a strong fire in and over it the evening pre- 
vious to the day on which it is to be eaten. It 
is then covered with cinders and earth about a 
foot deep, and a strong fire made over it. By 
the next day at noon, it is fit for use. The 
tongues and marrow bones are also highly es- 
teemed by the hunters. ‘To preserve the flesh 
for future use, the hunters and Indians cut it 
into thin slices and dry it in the open air, which 
is called jerking; this process is speedily finished, 
and a large stock of meat may thus be kept for a 
considerable length of time. From the dried 
flesh of the bison the fur-traders of the American 
north-west prepare a food which is very valuable 
on account of the time it may be preserved with- 
out spoiling, though it will not appear very allur- 
ing to those who reside where proliions are 
obtained without difficulty. The dried bison’s 
flesh is placed on skins and pounded with stones 
until sufficiently pulverized. It is then separated 
as much as possible from impurities, and one- 
third of its weight of melted tallow of the animal 
is poured over it. This substance is called pem- 
mican, and being packed firmly in bags of skin 
of a convenient size for transportation, may be 
kept for one year without much difficulty, and 
with great care, perhaps two years. During the 
months of August and September the flesh of the 
bison bull is poor and disagreeably flavoured ; 
they are, however, much more easily killed, as 
they are not so vigilant as the cows, and some- 
times allow the hunter to come up with them 
without much difficulty. Lewis and Clarke relate 
that once approaching a large herd, the bulls 
would scarcely move out of their way, and as 
they came near, the animals would merely look 
at them for a moment, as at something new, and 
then quietly resume their grazing. 
The general appearance of the bison is by no 
means attractive or prepossessing, his huge and 
shapeless form being altogether devoid of grace 
and beauty. His gait is awkward and cumbrous, 
although his great strength enables him to run 
with very considerable speed over plains in sum- 
mer, or in winter to plunge expeditiously through 
the snow. The sense of smelling is remarkably 
acute in this animal, and it is remarked by 
hunters that the odour of the white man is far 
more terrifying to them than that of the Indian. 
From the neighbourhood of white settlements 
they speedily disappear: this, however, is very 
justly accounted for by Mr. Say, who attributes 
it to the impolitic and exterminating warfare 
which the white man wages against all unsub- 
dued animals within his reach. To the Indians 
and visitors of the western regions the bison is 
almost invaluable; we have mentioned that they 
supply a large part of the food used by the na- 
tives, and covering to their tents and persons, 
while in many parts of the country there is no 
fuel to be obtained but the dried dung of this 
qe The Indians always associate ideas of 
433 
enjoyment with plenty of bison, and they fre- 
quently constitute the skull of one of them their 
‘Great Medicine” They have dances and cere- 
monies that are observed previous to the com- 
mencement of their hunting. 
The herds of bison wander over the country in 
search of food, usually led by abullmost remarkable 
for strength and fierceness. While feeding, they 
are often scattered over a great extent of country, 
but when they move in mass they form a dense, 
almost impenetrable column, which, once in mo- 
tion is scarcely to be impeded. Their line of 
march is seldom interrupted even by considerable 
rivers, across which they swim without fear or 
hesitation, nearly in the order that they traverse 
the plains. When flying before their pursuers, 
it would be in vain for the foremost to halt or 
attempt to obstruct the progress of the main 
body, as the throng in the rear still rushing on- 
ward, the leaders must advance, although de- 
struction awaits the movement. The Indians 
take advantage of this circumstance to destroy 
great quantities of this favourite game, and, cer- 
tainly, no mode could be resorted to more effec- 
tually destructive, nor could a more terrible 
devastation be produced, than that of forcing a 
numerous herd of these large animals to leap 
together from the brink of a dreadful precipice, 
upon a rocky and broken surface, a hundred feet 
below. When the Indians determine to destroy 
bison in this way, one of their swiftest footed and 
most active young men is selected, who is dis- 
guised in a bison skin, having the head, ears, 
and horns adjusted on his own head, so as to 
make the deception very complete, and thus ac- 
coutred, he stations himself between the bison 
herd and some of the precipices, that often extend 
for several miles along the rivers. The Indians 
surround the herd as nearly as possible, when, at 
a given signal, they show themselves and rush 
forward with loud yells. The animals being 
alarmed, and seeing no way open but in the 
direction of the disguised Indian, run towards 
him, and he, taking to flight, dashes on to the 
precipice, where he suddenly secures himself in 
some previously ascertained crevice. The fore- 
most of the herd arrives at the brink—there is 
no possibility of retreat, no chance of escape: the 
foremost may for an instant shrink with terror, 
but the crowd behind, who are terrified by the 
approaching hunters, rush forward with increas- 
ing impetuosity, and the aggregated force hurls 
them successively into the gulf, where certain 
death awaits them. It is extremely fortunate 
that this sanguinary and wasteful method of kill- 
ing bisons is not very frequently resorted to by 
the savages, or we might expect these animals ina 
few years to become almost entirely extinct. The 
waste is not the only unpleasant circumstance 
consequent on it; the air for a long time after 
is filled with the horrible stench arising from the 
putrefying carcases not consumed by the In- 
dians after such an extensive and indiscriminate 
25 
