382 
not always the cafe; for in the Southern parts of © 
The Porcu- 
pine. 
A JOURNEY TO THE . 
Though I have before faid, that the Mufk Bea. i 
ver generally build their houfes on the ice, it is” ® 
the country, particularly about Cumberland 9 
Houle, I have feen, in fome of the deep f{wamps 
that were over-run with rufhes and long grafs, a 
many {mall iflands that have been raifed by the” 
induftry of thofe animals; on the tops of which 7 
they had built their houfes, like the beaver, fome 
of which were very large. The tops of thofe 
hou(es are favourite breeding places for the geefe, 
which bring forth their young brood there, with. 
out the fear of being molefted by foxes, or any © 
other deftructive animal, except the Eagle. F 
~Poxcupines are fo fearce to the North of "i 
feen more than ie during almoft three years refi- o 
dence among the Northern Indians. Mr. Pen- — 
nant obferves in his Arctic Zoology, that they 
always have two at atime; one brought forth — 
alive and the other ftill-born*; but I never faw 
an initance of this kind, though in different parts 
of the country I have feen them killed in all 
* This information was givén to Mr. Pennant from the authority of Mr, 
Graham; but the before-mentioned account of fecing them killed in all. 
ftages of pregnancy, when no fymptoms of that kind appeared, will 7 
hope, be {nficient to clear up that miftake. 
