' 743 [Assembly 



vast numbers, in the mere wanton and brutal instincts of slaugh- 

 ter. Sometimes expelled from their retreats by the attacks of 

 wolves, their ferocious foe, they appear in the older settlements, 

 and in their extreme terror, occasionally dash into a village ; but 

 only to find man as merciless as the savage beast. Thus, torn and 

 devoured by wolves ; chased by dogs, and overtaken ^hen their 

 sharp and tiny hoofs penetrate the crust of ^nows, and Ihey help- 

 lessly flounder in their depths; hunted by torch light, and pur- 

 sued in the lakes and ponds of their native wilds, this beautiful, 

 timid and gentle creature; now affording so much beauty and an-' 

 imation to these forests, and such luxury to the table of even our 

 metropolitan epicures, must soon be totally extirpated. 



The beaver was found in great abundance throughout the re- 

 gion, by the first occupants. They no longer exist, it is believed, 

 in the territory of Essex county. The skeleton of probably the 

 last patriarch of the race is still preserved. Numerous vestiges 

 exist of their former habitations. The evidences remain through- 

 out the county, of their wonderful architectural works, and of the 

 amazing sagacity that approached human intelligence. The skill 

 with which the beaver selected the position of his dam, the untir- 

 ing industry and great vigor exhibited in prosecuting his work, 

 the exactness of its capacity to the required object, and the great 

 beauty of its structure, excite the deepest admiration and wonder. 

 The water obstructed by these dams flowed over extensive flats, de- 

 stroying the trees and vegetation which had flourished upon them. 

 These were carefully removed by the beaver, as they decayed, leav- 

 ing the surface as clear and unobstructed as if the work had been 

 accomplished by the nicest labor of human industry. These clear- 

 ings were ultimately occupied by a spontaneous growth of natural 

 grasses. The '' Beaver Meadows" of the county, formed by this 

 process, were of incalculable benefit to the early settlers, prepar- 

 ing for many of them, in advance, an abundant supply of excel- 

 lent fodder. 



The hunter who penetrates deeply into the solitudes, beyond 

 the western limits of this county, still finds the moose in consider- 

 able abundance.* Individuals occasionally appear among the 



•A. Kalph. 



