■■-vi^^^ii: 



--r ^— - 



■ r -.r.1 JtrV LLTTIUJ 



T^—f-^Kf^rr^*- 



v^Cid-XT^^^ur-K I A^i r^HTtiXi-i-rp^v^^L ^ ■.\t. TTTf,.— ^ o^r^r ■ r^r^ -j 



T'- n ^ A ^-Aj _ 



\ 



/ 



i 



THE AMEEICAN BISOIS^S. 



77 



Professor Balrd^ however^ refers to the occurrence of their bones "in the 

 alluvial deposits of rivers^ bogs, and caves/' near Carlisle, in Pennsylvania.^ 

 Among the more important references to the supposed occurrence of the 



I 



k 



many of them smell exceeding strongly of Musk. Their Hares are no bigger than our Conies, and few 



them to be found. 



. ** Their Beares are very Httle in comparison of those of Muscovia and Tartaria. The Beaver is as bio- as 

 an ordinarie great Dog, but his legs exceeding short. His fore feet like a Dogs, liis hinder feet like a 

 Swans. His taile somewhat like the forme of a Eacket bare without haire, which to eate the Savao-es es- 

 teeme a great delicate. They have many Otters, Avhich as the Beavers they take with snares, and estecme 

 the skins great ornaments, and of all those beasts they use to feede when they catch them. 



*' There is also a h^d^^i Vetchunquoyes, in the forme of a wiide Cat, their Foxes are Hke our silver haired 

 Conies of a small proportion, and not smelling like those in England. Their Dogs of that Countrey are 

 like thier Wolves, and cannot barkc but howle ; and their Wolves not much bigger than our English. 

 Foxes. Martins, Powlecats, Wecssels and Minks we know they have, because we have scene many of 

 their skins, though very seldome any of them alive. But one thing is strange, that wee could never per-, 

 ceive their vermine destroy our Hens, Egges, nor Chickens, nor doe any hurt, nor their Flyes nor Serpents 

 any. way pernitious, where in the South parts of America they are alwaies dangerous and often deadly. '' 

 PuRCiiAS, YoL IV, pp. 1695, 1696. 



In Hakluyt's "Description of Florida," compiled from the French authors, he says, under the head of 

 ": The Beastes of Florida : " " The Beastes best known in this Countrey are Stagges, Ilindes, Goates, 

 Deere, Leopards [Lynxes], Ounces, Lusernes, divers sorts of Wolves, wilde Dogs, Plares, Gunnies, and a 

 certaine kinde of Beast that differeth httle from the Lyon of Africa."— Hakluyt, Vol. Ill, p. 369. 



In a " True Declaration of the estate of the Colonic in Virginia," printed in 1610, we read: "The 

 Beasts of the Countrie, as Deere, red, and fallow, do answere in multitude (people for people considered) 

 to our proportion of Oxen, which appeareth by these experiences. First the people of the Countrie are 

 apparelled in the skinnes of these beasts .; Next, hard by the fort, two hundred in one heard have been - 



r 



usually observed. Further, our mcr have seen 4000, of these skins pyled up in one wardroabe of Pow- 

 haton ; Lastly, infinite store have been presented to Captaine Newport upon sundry occurrents : such a 

 plentie of Cattell, as all the Spaniards found not in the whole kingdome of Mexico, when all thier pres- 

 ents were but hcnnes, and ginycocks, and the bread of Maize, and Gently. There are Arocouns, and 

 Apossouns, in shape like to pigges, shrouded in hollow roots of trees ; There arc Hares and Conies, and 

 other beasts proper to the Countrie in plentifull manner." — Force's Coll. Hist Tracts, Y oh 111, 'No. 1, 

 p. 13. 



.. Captain John Smith, in his *' Description of l^ew England," printed in 1616, thus enumerates the 

 "beasts": "Moos, a beast bigger than a Stagge; Deere, red, and Fallow; Bevers, Wolves, Foxes, both 

 blacke and other; Aroughconds [raccoons], Wild-cats, Beares, Otters, Martins, Fitches, Musquassus, and 

 diverse sorts of vermine, whose names I know not."— Force's Coll. Hist. Tracts, YoL II, No. 1, p. 17. 



William Strachey, in his " Historic of Travaile into Virginia Britannia," written before 1620, says: 

 " . . . . the people [about the Chesapeake Bay] breed up tame turkies about their bowses, and take apes 

 in the mountaines," on the authority of an Indian named Machumps. Again he says : "Martins, pole- 

 catts, weesells, and monkeys we knowe they have, because we have scene many of their skynns, though 

 very seldom any of them alive." — //«&?// Society's Publications^ Vol. for 1849, pp. 26, 125. 



In "New England's Plantation" (London, 1630), it is said: "For Beasts there are some Beares, and 



* Patent-Office Report, Agricultural, 1851-52, p. 124, 



LS" 



r ■ 



J ^ 





I L 



1 E 



I- 



■I 



I 





I 

 1 



J I 



i 



i 



\ 





