158 LECTURE XII. 



man's leg, forming them into stakes. These 

 stakes they sink down, and interweave the 

 branches with the large stakes. Earth is then 

 brought, which they plash with their feet and 

 beat with their tails. Such quantities of earth 

 are brought, that they fill with it all the spaces 

 between the piles. These piles consist of several 

 rows of stakes, all placed opposite to each other, 

 and extend from one bank of the river to the 

 other. 



These operations are performed by the whole 

 community. They then separate into smaller 

 societies and build houses. Some of them con- 

 sist of three or four stories. They are built 

 very solid, and have two openings, one for the 

 animals going to the land, and the other for 

 throwing themselves into the water in case of 

 alarm. The wood they use is generally that of 

 poplars and willows, which grow near the 

 stream, and which are light and tender, and 

 each cabin has its own magazine of food. The 

 floors are covered with box and fir branches, 

 thus always looking green, and are kept per- 

 fectly clean. 



This account of the society and operations of 



