SAMUEL HEARNE's ARTICLE ON THE BEAVER. 315 



tbcin altog-ether. In the first place, the assertion that they have 

 two doors to their houses, one on the land side and the other 

 next the water, is as I have before observed, (juite contrary to 

 fact and common sense, as it would render their houses of no use 

 to them, either as places of shelter from the inclemency of the 

 extreme cold in winter, or as a retreat from their common enemy 

 the qui(juehatch. The only thing- that could have made M. Da 

 Pratz, and other French writers, conjecture that such a thing did 

 exist, must have been from having seen some old beaver houses, 

 which had been taken by the Indians; for they are always obliged 

 to make a hole on one side of the house before they can drive 

 them out ; and it is more than probable that in so mild a climate 

 as Canada the Indians do generally make these holes on the land 

 side, which without doubt gave rise to the suggestion. 



In respect to the beaver dunging in their houses, as some per- 

 sons assert, it is quite wrong, as they always plunge into the 

 water to do it. I am the better enabled to make the assertion 

 from having kept several of them till they became so domesti- 

 cated as to answer to their name, and follow those to whom they 

 were accustomed, in the same manner as a dog would do ; and 

 they were as much pleased at being fondled as any animal I ever 

 saw; I had a house built for them, and a small piece of water be- 

 fore the door, into which they always plunged when they wanted 

 to ease nature ; and their dung being of a light substance, imme- 

 diately rises and floats on the surface, then separates, and sub- 

 sides to the bottom. When the winter sets in so as to freeze the 

 water solid, they still continue their custom of coming out of 

 their houses and dunging and making water on the ice ; and when 

 the weather was so cold that I was obliged to fake them into my 

 house, they always went into a large tub of water which I set for 

 that purpose, so that they made not the least dirt, though they 

 are kept in my own sitting room, where they were the constant 

 companions of the Indian women and children, and were so fond 

 of their company, that when the Indians were absent for any 

 considerable time, the beaver discovered great sig-ns of uneasi- 

 ness, and on their return showed equal marks of pleasure, by 

 fondling on them, crawling into their laps, laying on their backs, 

 sitting erect like a squirrel, and behaving to them like children 

 who see their parents but seldom. In general during the winter 

 they lived on the same food as the vv^omen did, and were remark- 



