238 
oly ae 
December, 
A JOURNEY TO THE 
or vaults; and as this is a conftant rule, each per- 9 
fon takes care to mark fuch as he difcovers, by | 
flicking up the branch of a tree, or fome other | 
diftinguifhing poft, by which he may know them. — 
All that are caught in the houfe alfo are the pro- — 
perty of the perfon who finds it. | 
The fame regulations are obferved, and the | 
fame procefs ufed in taking beaver that are found | 
in lakes and other ftanding waters, except it be 
that of ftaking the lake acrofs, which would be | 
both unneceflary andimpoffible. ‘faking beaver- 
houfes in thefe fituations is generally attended — 
with lefs trouble and more fuccefs than in the — 
former. | 
The beaver is an animal which cannot keep 
under water long at a time; fo that when their — 
houfes are broke open, and all their places of re- — 
treat difcovered, they have but one choice left, as — 
it may be called, either to be taken in their houf- — 
es or their vaults: in general they prefer the lat- — 
ter; for where there is one beaver caught in the — 
houfe, many thoufands are taken in their vaults 
inthe banks. Sometimes they are caught in nets, — 
and in the Summer very frequently in traps. In 
Winter they are very fat and delicious; but the 
trouble of rearing their young, the thinnefs of — 
their hair, and their conftantly roving from place 
to place, with the trouble they have in providing _ 
againft the approach of Winter, generally keep — 
them very poor during the fummer feafon, at | 
which time their ficfh is but indifferent eating, 
and 
