Narrative of a journey to the shores of the Polar Sea, in the years 1819, 20, 21, and 22 . o become hunters. The Stone Indians are soexpert with the bow and arrow, that they can strike a very smallobject at a considerable distance, and will shoot with sufficient forceto pierce through the body of a buffalo when near. The buffalo pound was a fenced circular space of about a hun-dred yards in diameter; the entrance was banked up with snow, toa sufficient height to prevent the retreat of the animals that mayonce have entered. For about a mile on each side of the road lead-ing to the pound, stakes
Narrative of a journey to the shores of the Polar Sea, in the years 1819, 20, 21, and 22 . o become hunters. The Stone Indians are soexpert with the bow and arrow, that they can strike a very smallobject at a considerable distance, and will shoot with sufficient forceto pierce through the body of a buffalo when near. The buffalo pound was a fenced circular space of about a hun-dred yards in diameter; the entrance was banked up with snow, toa sufficient height to prevent the retreat of the animals that mayonce have entered. For about a mile on each side of the road lead-ing to the pound, stakes were diiven into the ground at nearly equaldistances of about twenty yards; these were intended to look hkemen, and to deter the animals from attempting to break out on eitherside. Within fifty or sixty yards from the pound, branches of treeswere placed between these stakes to screen the Indians, who hedown behind them to await the approach of the buffalo. The principal dexterity in this species of chase is shewn by thehorsemen, who have to manoeuvre round the herd in the plains so as. OF THE POLAR SELV. 113 to nrjjc them to enter tlie roadway, whieh is about a (juarter of amile broad. When tliis lias been uccomplislied, they raise loud shouts,and, ])ressing elose upon the animals, so terrify them that theyrush heedlessly forward towards the snare. ANhcn they have ad-vanced as far as the men who are lyinj; in ambush, they also ris-e, andincrease the consternation by violent shcmting and firing guns. Theaffriglited beasts, having no alternative, run directly into the pound,where tliey are (juickly despatched, either with an arrow or gun. There was a tree in the centre of the pound, on which the Indianshad hung strips of buffalo flesh and pieces of cloth as tributary orgrateful orteriiigs to the Great INIaster of Life; and we were toldthat they occasionally place a man in the tree to sing to the ])re-siding s])irit as the buffaloes are advancing, who must keep his stationuntil t
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectscientificexpeditions, bookyear1823
