American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1823-03-07
Ertract from Major Longs Expedition.

E.NHuCt JToHt SunJoT Lung GIPedltt0a.
NEIeHBoRHooD OF THE Rocky MouNrA,ys
The mode of rallying now prescribed to our ma,
Ity was the following: Immediately after an alarm
should be given, the party should seize their arm,
and form in front OF the tents, In the rear of The
line oil packs, and await any orders that might bs
given. The centnels giving the nm, should pro.
coed to the tent of The officers, in order 10 acouan
them with the cause. Major Long and Captain
Bell should reconnotre about the encampment, and
if practicable, ascertain the real occasion Of N,
alarm. Farther movements to be regulated as tbs
emergency might require.
This alarm was the occasion OF our starting m
the morning OF the Goth at an earlier hour than usual
We rode on through the same uninieresline and
dreary country as before, but we're constantly ann
sed at observing the motions oil the countless ,bou.
sands OF bisons, by which they were all the lima
surrounded. The wind happened to blow fresh
from the south, the scent oil our party was borna
directly across the Platte, and we could dlsuOclv
note every step Of its progress by the consternaon
and terror it excited among the butialoes The mo.
ment the tainted gale infected the atmosphere tbey
ran with as much violence as 1t pursued by Dart,
lof mounted hunters, and instead OF running from
the danger, turned their heads towards the wind
eager TO escape the terrifying scent-they pushed
forward in an oblique direction towards our psrtv,
and ran with the utmost violence, in several inssu.
ces breaking thro' our line of march, which was
along the left bank OF the Platte One
OF the party perceivlng from the direction taken bV
the bull that preceded the extended column of bp
companions that he intended 10 EN- rye from the
low river bottom, at particular point, where The
precptous bank was worn by much travelling INTO
a deep notch, urged his horse rapidly forward 10
gain this station, that he might have near view Of
the interesting animals; he had no sooner arrived
at this point than the formidable leader, bounding
up the steep, gained the summit of the bank with
his iorefeet, and in that position abruptly halted
from his full career and stared fercely at the horse
which now occupied his path.
The horse, trembling violently from fear Of The
sudden apparilun, would have wheeled and exerlct
his utmost speed, had he not been restrained by
the greatest strength of his rider; he recoiled how
ever, few feet, and sunk down upon his hams -.
The bull halted but a moment, then being urged
forward by the irresistible impulse OF the moving
column behind, rushed onward by the halt sitting
horse. The multitude came swiftly on, crowdng
up the narrow defe The party had now arrived,
and extending along a considerable distance the
oiSons ran IN confused manner in various dlrec-
lions to gain the distant bluffs, numbers were COM
PEELED TO pass through our line OF march, between
the horses. This scene, added to the ungiDg and
roaring in the river OF those that yet crossing,
produced grand effect, which was sill heightened
by the FIRE opened upon them by our hunters. As
they assembled the bank, nnumerahe opportunities
offered OF selecting and killing the latest and was
with difficulty We restrained our hunters from
Strengthening many more than we needed.
1t is remarked by hunters, and appears to be an
established fact that the odour OF a white man IS
more terrifying to wild animals, particularly The
bison, than that of an Indian-This animal, In the
course of its periodical mgrations, comes into the
immediate neighborhood of the permanent Indian
villages, on the Missouri and the Platte. One was
seen by our hunters within six miles of the Grand
Pawnee village, and Immediately about the towns,
we saw many heads and skeletons, Of such as had
been killed there the preceding spring. They had
come in while the Pawnees were absent on their
winters hunt and at their return, we were inicr'
med they found the bisons Immediately about their
villages They disappeared invariably from the
neighborhood OF The white settlements within few
years. We are aware that another cause may DO
ound for this, than the frightiul scene oil the white
man, which is the mpotic extermlnaiing war
which he wages against all unsubdued animals with
IN his reach.