2.32 
A JOURNEY TO THE 
1771. fuch marvellous tales, however fmoothly they 
December, 
may be told, or however boldly they may be af 
ferted, by the romancing traveller. 
To deny that the beaver is poflefled of a very 
confiderable degree of fagacity, would be as ab- 
furdin me, as it is in thofe Authors who think 
they cannot allow them too much. I fhall willing- 
ly grant them their full fhare; but it is impof 
fible for any one to conceive how, or by what 
means, a beaver, whofe full height when ftand- 
ing erect does not exceed two feet and a half, or 
three feet at moft, and whofe fore-paws are not 
much larger than a half-crown piece, can “drive 
“ flakes as thick as a man’s leg into the ground 
“three or four feet deep.” ‘Their “ wattling 
“‘thofe ftakes with twigs,” is equally abfurd ; 
** and their “‘plaiftering the infide of their houfes 
“‘ with a compofition of mud and itraw, and 
“ fwimming with mud and {tones on their tails,” 
are ftill more incredible. The form and fize of 
the animal, notwithftanding all its fagacity, will 
not admit of its performing fuch feats; and it 
would be as impoffible for a beaver to ufe its tail 
as a trowel, except on the furface of the ground © 
on which it walks, as it would have been for Sir 
James Thornhill to have painted the dome of St. 
Paul’s cathedral without the afliftance of fcaffold- 
ing. The joints of their tail will not admit of 
their turning it over their backs on any occafion 
whatever, as it has a natural inclination to bend 
downwards; and it is not without fome confide- 
rable 
