St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-07-31
9nistellanp.
BUFFALO HUNTING.

These noble animals of the OK spe-
cies, which have been SO well desert
bed in our books on natural history,
are a subject of curious interest and
great Importance rendered peculiar
ly so at this time, like the history of
the poor savage; ana from the same
consideration, that they are rapidly
wasting away at the approach of civil
lied man, in few years, to live only
In books or on canvas.
The word buffalo is undoubtedly
most incorrectly applied to these ami
mails, and we can scarcely tell why
they have been SO called, for they
bear just about as much resemblance
to the eastern buffalo, as they do to a
zebra or to a common OK. How nearly
they may approach to the bison of Eu-
rope, which we never have had an OPP
portunity to sec, and which we are
inclined to think is now extinct, we
are unable to say; yet, if we were to
judge from the numerous engravings
we have seen of those animals, and de-
scriptions we have read Of them, we
should be inclined to think that there
was yet wide difference between the
bison of the American prairies, and
and those In the north of Europe and
Asia. The American bison, or (as we
shall hereafter call it, buffalo, is the
largest Of all the Eliminating animals
that are now living in America, and
seems to have been spread over the
plains of this vast country by the
Great Spirit for the use and subsis-
tence of the red men, who live almost
exclusively on their flesh, and clothe
themselves with their skins. Their
color is dark brown, but changing
very much as the season varies from
warm to cold their hair, or fur, from
it's great length in the winter and
spring, and exposure to the weather,
turning quite light, and almost to a jet
black when the winter coat is shed off
and new growth is shooting out.
The buffalo bull often grows to the
enormous weight Of 1000 pounds, and
shakes long and shaggy black name,
which falls in great profusion and con-
fusion off his head and shoulders, and
oftentimes falling down quite to the
ground The horns are short, but very
large, and have but one turn, Z. e., they
are simple arch, without the the least
approach to a spiral form, like those OF
the common OK or of the goat species.
The female is much smaller than the
male, and always distinguishable by
the peculiar shape Of the horns, which
are made smaller and more crooked,
turning their. points more in towards
the centre ofthe forehead.
One of the most remarkable charac-
teristics Of the buffalo is the peculiar
formation and expression Of the eye,
the ball of which is very large and
white, and the iris jet black. The lids
of the eye seem always to be strained
quite open, and the ball rolling for
part 81 4tes 1His IS that hYddsf aSasff5d the
the lower lid, while the pure white of
the eyeball glares out over it in the
arch, in the shape OF moon at the end
of it's first quarter.
The almost countless herds Of these
animals that are sometimes met with
on the Western prairies have been Of
ten spoken Of by other writer's, and
nay yet be seen by any traveller who
viii take the the pains to visit these
'egions. The running season."
yhich is in August and September, is
he time when they congregate into
uch masses in some places as literal
Y to blacken the prairies for miles to-
,ether 80 80. II
The chief hunting amusement of the
Indians in these parts consists in the
Chase Of the buffalo, which is almost i
invariably done on horseback, with !
bow and lance M this exercise,
which is highly priced by them as one
oftheir most valued alfusements. as
well as for being the principal mode
Tor procuring meat for their ssnbsis-
tence, th4H become exceedingfxe1pePt.
and ART kle to Stay these hu9 a1ii-
mails WE apparent ease.
Thet indians are all mounted Oh
small but sergfceable horses Which
are caught by them in thfl pyanaes,
where they. are often found, roaming
wild in numerous bands. The Mlian,
mounted on his little wild horse, which
has been through son4etyears ofrSE-!
ing, dashes off at full speed among
the herds Of buffaloes, elks, or even
antelopes, and deals his deadly arrows
to their hearts from his horses back.
The horse is the feetest animal Of the