Illustrations of the manners, customs, & condition of the North American Indians, Vol. 1 (of 2): With letters and notes, written during eight years of travel and adventure among the wildest and most remarkable tribes now existingCatlin, George
History
Illustrations of the manners, customs, & condition of the North American Indians, Vol. 1 (of 2): With letters and notes, written during eight years of travel and adventure among the wildest and most remarkable tribes now existing
Catlin, George
Indians of North America
After I had had the requisite time and opportunity for using my pencil,
M‘Kenzie and his companions came walking their exhausted horses back
from the chase, and in our rear came four or five carts to carry home
the meat. The party met from all quarters around me and my buffalo
bull, whom I then shot in the head and finished. And being seated
together for a few minutes, each one took a smoke of the pipe, and
recited his exploits, and his “coups” or deaths; when all parties had
a hearty laugh at me, as a novice, for having aimed at an old bull,
whose flesh was not suitable for food, and the carts were escorted on
the trail, to bring away the meat. I rode back with Mr. M‘Kenzie, who
pointed out five cows which he had killed, and all of them selected
as the fattest and slickest of the herd. This astonishing feat was
all performed within the distance of one mile—all were killed at full
speed, and every one shot through the heart. In the short space of time
required for a horse under “full whip,” to run the distance of one
mile, he had discharged his gun five, and loaded it four times—selected
his animals, and killed at every shot! There were six or eight others
killed at the same time, which altogether furnished, as will be seen,
abundance of freight for the carts; which returned, as well as several
packhorses, loaded with the choicest parts which were cut from the
animals, and the remainder of the carcasses left a prey for the wolves.
Such is the mode by which white men live in this country—such the way
in which they get their food, and such is one of their delightful
amusements—at the hazard of every bone in one’s body, to feel the fine
and thrilling exhilaration of the chase for a moment, and then as often
to upbraid and blame himself for his folly and imprudence.
From this scene we commenced leisurely wending our way back; and
dismounting at the place where we had stripped, each man dressed
himself again, or slung his extra articles of dress, &c. across
his saddle, astride of which he sat; and we rode back to the Fort,
reciting as we rode, and for twenty-four hours afterwards, deeds of
chivalry and chase, and hair’s-breadth escapes which each and either
had fought and run on former occasions. M‘Kenzie, with all the true
character and dignity of a leader, was silent on these subjects; but
smiled, while those in his train were reciting for him the astonishing
and almost incredible deeds of his sinewy arms, which they had
witnessed in similar scenes; from which I learned (as well as from
my own observations), that he was reputed (and actually _was_) the
most distinguished of all the white men who have flourished in these
regions, in the pursuit and death of the buffalo.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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