Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-10-18
Continued from first page.

time, the + ialntau lHuidns Wc'S III 80
habit Of finding their buffalo on the
heads of Salmon river, and other
.treams of the Columbia; but now they
never meet with them farther west
than the three forks of the Missouri or
tie plains of the Yellowstone river.
sin the course Of our journey il will
he remarked that the buffalo have not
so entirely abandoned the waters ofthe
Pacific in the Rocky Mountain region
.outh of the Sweet Water, as in the
COUNTRY north of the Great Pass. This
partial distribution can only be ac-
counted for in the great PASTORAL beau
~ of that country, which bears evil
dent marks Of having long been one OF
heir favorite haunts, and by the fact
hat the white hunters have more fire.
aIcnted the northern than the southern
region--ii being north of the South
Pass that the hunters, trappers, and
traders have had their rendezvous for
many years past; and from that Sec
ton also the portion Of the beaver and
rich furs were taken, although always
the most dangerous as well as the most
profitable hunting ground.
ain that region lying between the
Green or Colorado river and the head
waters OF the Rio del Norte, over the
Yampsh, Kooy ah, White and Grant
rivers all of which are the waters OF
the Colorada-the buffalo never ex-
tended so far to the westward as they
did on the waters Of the Columbia; and
only in one or two instances have they
been known to descend as far west as
the mouth Of the White river. In
travelling through the cauntry west OF
the Rocky Mountains, observation
readily led me to the impression that
the buffalo had, for the first time,
crossed that range to the waters OF The
Pacific only few years prior to tho
period we are considering; and in this
opinion am sustained by Mr.. Fiz-
patrick, and the oldest trappers in the
country. In the region west Of the
Rocky Mountains we never meet with
any of the ancient vest:gcs which,
throughout all the county lying upon
their eastern waters, are found in the
great highways, continuous for hun
dred miles, always several inches and
sometimes several feet in depth, which
the buffalo have made in crossing from
one river to another, or ia traversing
the mountain ranges. The Snake In
dians, more particularly those low
down upon Lewis fork, have always
been very grateful TO the American
trappers, for the great kindness (as they
frequently expressed it) which they did
10 them, in driving the buffalo so low
down the Columbia river.
"The extraordinary abundance Of
the buffalo on the east side Of the
Rocky Mountains, and their extraordl-
nary diminnton, will be made clearly
evident from the following statement.
At any time between the year 1924
and sc, traveller might start from
any given point south or north in the
Rocky Mountain range, journeying by
the most direct route to the Missouri
river; and during the whole distance,
bis road would be always among large
bands Of buffalo. which would never
be out Of his view until he arrived al
most within sight Of the abodes OF civ
ilization.
AT this time the buffalo occupy but
a very limited space, principally along
the eastern base Of the Rocky Noun |
tains, sometimes extending at their
southern extremity to considerable
distance into the plains between the
Platte and Arkansas rivers, and along
the eastern frontier OF New Mexico as
far south as Texas.
"The following statement, which l
owe TO the kindness Of Mr.. Sanford, a
partner in the American Fur Company
will further illustrate the subject, by
extensive knowledge acquired during
several years travel through the region
inhabited by the buffalo:
"The total amount of robes annual
ly traded by ourselves and others will
not be found TO differ much from the
following statement:
Robes.
American Fur Company, 10000
Hudson Bay Company, 10000
All other companies, lO,oUo
Making n total of 10000
rs an average annual return for the