BEAVER SETTLEMEXTS. 273 



centre' of the entire beaver population of Oregon ; 

 in some of the patches of open water, there cer- 

 tainly was not room to jam in even a tiny beaver 

 cottage of the humblest pretensions, although 

 the open space occupied by the town was many 

 acres in extent. The trees, although a good half- 



c o 



mile from the water, were felled in all directions, 

 as if busy emigrants had been making a clearing. 

 The branches, lopped from the fallen trees, had 

 been dragged by these busy animals along the 

 well-beaten roads, that led in all directions, from 

 the timber to the rushes, through which roads 

 were also cut, to gain an easy access to the 

 water. 



The branches, many of them large and heavy, 

 are dragged by the beavers backing along the 

 roads, two or three often assisting in tugging a 

 single branch until the water is reached ; then 

 they seize it with their chisel-like teeth, and 

 using their powerful tails, both as rudders and 

 screw-propellers, float it out, to be employed in 

 building their dome-shaped residences. But of 

 this more at length, when referring to the habits 

 of the beaver. 



Wildfowl too are here, in great variety and 

 abundance. For the first time I see the breeding- 

 ground of the Rough-billed Pelican (Pdicanus 



VOL. I. T 



