Here they were forced to
send out their hunters; their stock of meat was nearly exhausted. The
hunters returned empty-handed.
"After a hunt of three hours they reported that no game was to be found
in the bottoms, the grass having been laid flat by the immense number of
buffaloes which recently passed over it; and, that they saw only a few
buffalo bulls, which they did not kill, as they were quite unfit for
use. Near this place we observed, however, the first signs of the wild
turkey; not long afterward we landed in the Big Bend, and killed a fine
fat elk, on which we feasted. Toward night we heard the bellowing of
buffalo bulls on the lower island of the Big Bend. We pursued this
agreeable sound, and after killing some of the cows, camped on the
island, forty-five miles from the camp of last night." . . . . . . . . .
"Setting out at ten o'clock the next morning, at a short distance they
passed the mouth of White River, the water of which was nearly of the
color of milk. As they were much occupied with hunting, they made but
twenty miles. The buffalo," says the journal, "were now so numerous,
that from an eminence we discovered more than we had ever seen before
at one time; and though it was impossible accurately to calculate their
number, they darkened the whole plain, and could not have been, we were
convinced, less than twenty thousand. With regard to game in general,
we have observed that wild animals are usually found in the greatest
numbers in the country lying between two nations at war.
Pages:
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386