Montreal. * 297 



taft numbers of them are annually killed, 

 and that the Indians arc obliged at prefent 

 to undertake diftant journies, in order to 

 catch or fhoot them. Their decreafing in 

 number is very eafily accounted for ; becaufe 

 the Indians, before the arrival of th^ Euro~ 

 peans, only caught as many as they found 

 neceffary to clothe themfclves with, there 

 being then no trade with the flcins. At 

 prefent a number of (hips go annually to 

 Europe, laden chiefly with beavers (kins; 

 the Englifh and French endeavour to outdo 

 each other, by paying the Indians well for 

 them, and this encourages the latter to ex- 

 tirpate thefe animals. All the people in 

 Canada told me, that when they were young, 

 all the rivers in the neighbournood of Mont- 

 real, the river St. Lawrence not excepted, 

 were full of beavers and their dykes 5 but 

 at prefent they are fo far extirpated, that one 

 is obliged to go feveral miles up the country 

 before one can meet with one. I have al- 

 ready remarked above, that the beaver (kins 

 from the north, are better than thofe from 

 the ibuth. 



rnBcAVEit-FLBSH is eaten not only by the 

 Indian^ bat like wife by the Europeans 9 

 and efpecially the French, on their tailing 

 days ; for his holineft, in his f> ftem, has 

 ranged the beaver among the fifh. The 



flcfli 



