uffaloes. The buffalo is
somewhat like an enormous ox, but its hind-quarters are smaller and its
fore-quarters much larger than those of the ox. Its hair is long and
shaggy, particularly about the neck and shoulders, where it becomes
almost a mane. Its horns are thick and short, and its look is very
ferocious, but it is in reality a timid creature, and will only turn to
attack a man when it is hard pressed and cannot escape. Its flesh is
first-rate for food, even better than beef, and there is a large hump on
its shoulder, which is considered the best part of the animal.

Such is the bison, or buffalo, from which pemmican is made.

When a man wishes to make a bag of pemmican, he first of all kills the
buffalo--not an easy thing to do by any means, for the buffalo runs
well. Having killed him, he skins him and cuts up the meat--also a
difficult thing to do, especially if one is not used to that sort of
work. Then he cuts the meat into thin layers, and hangs it up to dry.
Dried meat will keep for a long time. It is packed up in bales and sent
about that country to be used as food. The next thing to be done is to
make a bag of the raw hide of the buffalo. This is done with a glover's
needle, the raw sinews of the animal being used instead of thread. The
bag is usually about three feet long, and eighteen inches broad, and the
hair is left on the outside of it. A huge pot is now put on the fire,
and the fat of the buffalo is melted down. Then the dried meat is
pounded between two stones, until it is torn and broken up into shreds,
after which it is put into the bag, the melted fat is poured over it,
and the whole is well mixed. The last operation is to sew up the mouth
of the bag and leave it to cool, after which the pemmican is ready for
use.

In this state a bag of pemmican will keep fresh and good for years.
When the search was going on in the polar regions for the lost ships of
Sir John Franklin, one of the parties hid some pemmican in the ground,
intending to return and take it up. They returned home, however,
another way. Five years later some travellers discovered this pemmican,
and it was found, at that time, to be fit for food. Pemmican is
extensively used throughout Rupert's Land, especially during summer, for
at that season the brigades of boats start from hundreds of inland
trading-posts to take the furs to the coast for shipment to England, and
pemmican is found to be not only the best of food