lOO AUDUBON 



cine Horn,' which contains the bait; this consists of 

 castoreum mixed with spices ; a quantity is collected on 

 the chewed end of the twig, the stick is then placed or 

 stuck in the mud on the edge of the water, leaving the 

 part with the bait about two inches above the surface and 

 in front of the trap; on each side the bait and about six 

 inches from it, two dried twigs are placed in the ground; 

 this done, all 's done, and we are ready for the visit of 

 Monsieur Castor. We set two traps, and returned to our 

 camp, where we had supper, then pitched our tent and 

 soon were sound asleep, but before we were asleep we 

 heard a Beaver dive, and slap his tail, which sounded like 

 the falling of a round stone in the water; here was en- 

 couragement again. In the morning (Monday) we exam- 

 ined our traps and found — nothing. We did not therefore 

 disturb the traps, but examined farther up the river, where 

 we discovered other tracks and resolved to set our traps 

 there, as Provost concluded that there was but one Beaver, 

 and that a male. We returned to camp and made a good 

 breakfast on Buffalo meat and coffee, sans salt, sans pep- 

 per, sans sugar, sans anything else of any kind. After 

 breakfast Provost shot a doe. In the afternoon we re- 

 moved one trap, Basil and I gathered some wild-goose- 

 berries which I stewed for supper, and made a sauce, 

 which, though rather acid, was very good with our meat. 

 The next morning, after again examining our traps and 

 finding nothing, we decided to raise camp, which was 

 accordingly done; everything was packed in the skiff, and 

 we proceeded to the mouth of the river. The water had 

 fallen so much since we had entered, as to oblige us to 

 strip, jump in the mud, and haul the skiff over; rich and 

 rare was the job; the mud was about half thigh deep, and 

 a kind of greasy, sticky, black stuff, with a something 

 about it so very peculiar as to be rather unpleasant ; how- 

 ever, we did not mind much, and at last got into the Yel- 

 lowstone, scraped and washed the mud off, and encamped 



