while it is known to propagate with the bison, to which it bears, in point of form, a much more distant fimilitude.

Mr. Umphreville, who ftates this animal to be a native of Hud fon's bay, gives the following account of the manner in which the Indians take it: "The Indians have various ways of killing the buffalo; one of which is by cautiously approaching them when feeding. The hunter, upon this occafion, lies on his belly, and will sometimes fire his gun forty or fifty times without raising the herd. They also pursue them on horfeback, and fhoot them with arrows and guns. But the means by which the greatest numbers are taken is by making a pound, which is constructed in the following manner : "They are either of a circular or square form, and differ according to the manner of the nation by whom they are made. The fquare ones are compofed of trees laid on one another, to the height of about five feet, and about fifty on each fide of the square. On that fide at which the animals are intended to enter a quantity of earth is laid, to the height of the conftruction, fo as to form a hill of an easy ascent of about twenty feet. This done, a number of branches of trees are placed, from each fide of the front, in a ftrait line from the raised hill, for about one hundred feet in length, continually increafing in width, fo that though the inward ends of thefe lines of branches are no more than fifty feet asunder, the exterior end will exceed two hundred feet. After this, a number of poles, nearly fifteen feet long each, are placed at about twelve feet diftance from each other, with a piece of buffalo dung on the top, and in a strait line from the boughs above mentioned. At the foot of each pole a man lies concealed in a buffalo skin, to keep the animals in a strait direction to the pound. Thefe poles are placed alike on each fide, always increafing in breadth from one fide to the other, and decreasing in the fame proportion as the animals approach the pound. Every preparation being now made, three or four men fet off on foot to find a herd of cows, for the bulls they think not worth their trouble: these they drive eafily along, till they arrive within the vicinity of the pound, when one man is dispatched to give notice to the other Indians, who immediately affemble on horfeback on each fide the herd, keeping a proper distance, for fear of frightening the animals. By this means they are conducted within the exterior line of poles. It frequently happens that they will endeavour to go out; to prevent which, the men who are placed at the foot of each pole fhake their fkins, which drives the herd to the oppofite fide, where the

others

others do the fame; so that at last they arrive at the pound, and fall in headlong one upon another, fome breaking their necks, backs, &c. And now the confufion becomes fo great within, that though the height of the building fhall not exceed five feet, none will make their efcape. To elucidate this description of the buffalo pound, we have annexed a reprefentation.

Mufk.-The mufk bull inhabits the interior parts of North-America, on the weft fide of Hudfon's bay, between Churchill and Seal rivers. They are very numerous in those parts, and live in herds of twenty or thirty. The Indians eat their flesh, and make coverings of their fkins. They are brought down in fledges to fupply the forts during the winter. Notwithstanding the flesh is faid to have a strong flavour of mufk, it is reckoned very good and wholefome.

It is fomewhat lower than a deer, but more bulky; its legs are fort, and it has a small hump on its fhoulder; its hair is of a dufty red colour, very fine, and fo long as to reach to the ground: beneath the hair its body is covered with wool of an ash colour, which is exquifitely fine, and might be converted into various articles of ufeful manufacture-Mr. Jeremie fays, that ftockings made of it are finer than filk; its tail is only three inches long, and is covered with long hairs, of which the Efquimaux Indians make caps, which are fo contrived, that the long hair, falling round their faces, defends them from the bites of the mufquitoes. Its horns are close at the bafe, and bend downwards, turning out at the points; they are two feet long, and two feet round at the bafe; some of them will weigh fixty pounds.

Thefe animals delight chiefly in rocky and mountainous countries they run nimbly, and are very active in climbing steep afcents.

Bison. This animal, often called, though improperly, the buffalo, is by fome fuppofed to be the fame fpecies as the common domefticated animal. Compared with the neat cattle, however, the bifon is confiderably larger, especially about the fore parts of his body. On his houlders arifes a large fleshy or grifly fubftance, which extends. along the back. The hair on his head, neck and fhoulders, is long and woolly, and all of it is fit to be fpun or wrought into hats, Calves from the domeftic cow and wild bull are fometimes raised; but when they grow up, they become fo wild that no common fence will confine them.

Thefe animals were once exceedingly numerous in the western parts of Virginia and Pennfylvania; and fo late as the year 1766,

herds