The Extermination of the American BisonHornaday, William T. (William Temple)
History
The Extermination of the American Bison
Hornaday, William T. (William Temple)
American bison; Wildlife conservation -- United States -- Sources
NEW YORK.--In regard to the presence of the bison in any portion of the
State of New York, Professor Allen considers the evidence as fairly
conclusive that it once existed in western New York, not only in the
vicinity of the eastern end of Lake Erie, where now stands the city of
Buffalo, at the mouth of a large creek of the same name, but also on the
shore of Lake Ontario, probably in Orleans County. In his monograph of
"The American Bisons," page 107, he gives the following testimony and
conclusions on this point:
"The occurrence of a stream in western New York, called Buffalo Creek,
which empties into the eastern end of Lake Erie, is commonly viewed as
traditional evidence of its occurrence at this point, but positive
testimony to this effect has thus far escaped me.
"This locality, if it actually came so far eastward, must have formed
the eastern limit of its range along the lakes. I have found only highly
questionable allusions to the occurrence of buffaloes along the southern
shore of Lake Ontario. Keating, on the authority of Colhoun, however,
has cited a passage from Morton's "New English Canaan" as proof of their
former existence in the neighborhood of this lake. Morton's statement is
based on Indian reports, and the context gives sufficient evidence of
the general vagueness of his knowledge of the region of which he was
speaking. The passage, printed in 1637 is as follows: They [the Indians]
have also made descriptions of great heards of well growne beasts that
live about the parts of this lake [Erocoise] such as the Christian world
(untill this discovery) hath not bin made acquainted with. These Beasts
are of the bignesse of a Cowe, their flesh being very good foode, their
hides good lether, their fleeces very usefull, being a kinde of wolle as
fine almost as the wolle of the Beaver, and the Salvages doe make
garments thereof. It is tenne yeares since first the relation of these
things came to the eares of the English.' The 'beast' to which allusion
is here made [says Professor Allen] is unquestionably the buffalo, but
the locality of Lake 'Erocoise' is not so easily settled. Colhoun
regards it, and probably correctly, as identical with Lake Ontario. * *
* The extreme northeastern limit of the former range of the buffalo
seems to have been, as above stated, in western New York, near the
eastern end of Lake Erie. That it probably ranged thus far there is fair
evidence."
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