54 A N T I E N T METAPHYSICS. Book IL 



that of the Chikefiiws, both adjoining to the River MifTifippl. In 

 this journey he came to a Beaver Pond, with many huts of Bea- 

 vers upon it, and having pitched his tent near the Pond, but out of 

 fight of the Beavers, he, with the afTiftance of an okl Indian that he 

 had with him, made a breach in the dam, and cut a gutter or trench 

 about a foot wide, by which he let off the water of the dam ; and 

 tlien he laid himfelf in ambufli, to obferve what the beavers would do 

 upon the occafion : * As foon,' fays he, ' as the water began to run, I 

 ' obferved a Beaver come out of his hut, and get upon the top of 



* the dam, v^^here, after taking a furvey of the gutter, he gave four 

 ' blows of his tail with all his force. He had fcarce ftruck the 



* fourth, but all the beavers threw themfelves pell mell into the wa- 



* ter, and came upon the dam. When they were all come thither, 

 ' one of them muttered or mumbled to the reft, (who all ftood very 



* attentive), I know not what orders, but which they undoubtedly 

 ' underftood well, becaufe they inftantly departed, and went out on 



* the banks of the pond, one party one way, another another. Thofe 



* next us were between us and the dam, and we at the pro- 

 ' per diftance not to be feen, and to obferve them. Some of them 



* made mortar, others carried it on their tails, which ferved for 



* fledges. I obferved they put themfelves two and two, fide by fide, 



* the one with his head to the other's tail, and thus mutually loaded 

 ' each other. One trailed the mortar, which was pretty ftiff, quite 



* to the dam, where others remained to take it, put it into the gut- 

 ' ter, and rammed it with blows of their tails. The noife, which the 



* water made before by its fall, foon ceafed,and the breach was clofed 

 ^ in a fhort time ; upon which one of the Beavers ftruck two great 



* blows with his tall, and inftantly they all took to the water, and 



* without any noife difappeared *.' After this, as he appears to have 

 been a man of great curiofity, he made a pretty large and deep 

 breach in the dam, in order to obferve its conftrudion. This made the 



water 



* Hid ory of Louifiana, p. 143. 



