When this has
been accomplished they raise loud shouts and, pressing close upon the
animals, so terrify them that they rush heedlessly forward towards the
snare. When they have advanced as far as the men who are lying in ambush
they also rise and increase the consternation by violent shouting and
firing guns. The affrighted beasts having no alternative run directly to
the pound where they are quickly despatched either with an arrow or gun.
There was a tree in the centre of the pound on which the Indians had hung
strips of buffalo flesh and pieces of cloth as tributary or grateful
offerings to the Great Master of Life; and we were told that they
occasionally place a man in the tree to sing to the presiding spirit as
the buffaloes are advancing who must keep his station until the whole
that have entered are killed. This species of hunting is very similar to
that of taking elephants on the island of Ceylon but upon a smaller
scale.
The Crees complained to us of the audacity of a party of Stone Indians
who two nights before had stripped their revered tree of many of its
offerings and had injured their pound by setting their stakes out of the
proper places.
Other modes of killing the buffalo are practised by the Indians with
success; of these the hunting them on horseback requires most dexterity.
An expert hunter, when well mounted, dashes at the herd and chooses an
individual which he endeavours to separate from the rest. If he succeeds
he contrives to keep him apart by the proper management of his horse
though going at full speed. Whenever he can get sufficiently near for a
ball to penetrate the beast's hide he fires and seldom fails of bringing
the animal down; though of course he cannot rest the piece against the
shoulder nor take a deliberate aim. On this service the hunter is often
exposed to considerable danger from the fall of his horse in the numerous
holes which the badgers make in these plains, and also from the rage of
the buffalo which when closely pressed often turns suddenly and, rushing
furiously on the horse, frequently succeeds in wounding it or dismounting
the rider. Whenever the animal shows this disposition which the
experienced hunter will readily perceive he immediately pulls up his
horse and goes off in another direction.
When the buffaloes are on their guard horses cannot be used in
approaching them; but the hunter dismounts at some distance and crawls in
the snow towards the herd, pushing his gun before him. If the buffaloes
happen to look towards him he stops and keeps quite motionless until
their eyes are turned in another direction; by this cautious proceeding a
skilful person will get so near as to be able to kill two or three out of
the herd. It will easily be imagined this service cannot be very
agreeable when the thermometer stands 30 or 40 degrees below zero as
sometimes happens in this country.
As we were returning from the tents the dogs that were harnessed to three
sledges, in one of which Mr. Back was seated, set off in pursuit of a
buffalo-calf. Mr. Back was speedily thrown from his vehicle and had to
join me in my horse-cariole. Mr. Heriot, having gone to recover the dogs,
found them lying exhausted beside the calf which they had baited until it
was as exhausted as themselves. Mr. Heriot, to show us the mode of
hunting on horseback or as the traders term it, running of the buffalo,
went in chase of a cow and killed it after firing three shots.
The buffalo is a huge and shapeless animal quite devoid of grace or
beauty; particularly awkward in running but by no means slow; when put to
his speed he plunges through the deep snow very expeditiously; the hair
is dark brown, very shaggy, curling about the head, neck, and hump, and
almost covering the eye, particularly in the bull which is larger and
more unsightly than the cow. The most esteemed part of the animal is the
hump, called by the Canadians bos, by the Hudson's Bay people the wig; it
is merely a strong muscle on which nature at certain seasons forms a
considerable quantity of fat. It is attached to the long spinous
processes of the first dorsal vertebrae and seems to be destined to
support the enormous head of the animal. The meat which covers the spinal
processes themselves after the wig is removed is next in esteem for its
flavour and juiciness and is more exclusively termed the hump by the
hunters.
The party was prevented from visiting a Stone Indian encampment by a
heavy fall of snow, which made it impracticable to go and return the same
day. We were dissuaded from sleeping at their tents by the interpreter at
the North-West post who told us they considered the whooping-cough and
measles, under which they were now suffering, to have been introduced by
some white people recently arrived in the country, and that he feared
those who had lost relatives, imagining we were the persons, might vent
their revenge on us. We regretted to learn that these diseases had been
so very destructive among the tribes along the Saskatchewan as to have
carried off about three hundred persons, Crees and Asseenaboines, within
the trading circle of these establishments. The interpreter also informed
us of another bad trait peculiar to the Stone Indians. Though they
receive a visitor kindly at their tents and treat him very hospitably
during his stay yet it is very probable they will despatch some young men
to waylay and rob him in going towards the post:
