BEAVERS. 327 



much overrated animal ; for it has neither the 

 sagacity and intelligence of the dog or horse, the 

 forethought of the squirrel, nor the perseverance of 

 the domestic rat ; in reality he is a very lazy fellow, 

 fond of gadding about, and much given to gossiping. 



These conclusions I arrive at from having 

 watched them in an undisturbed state of nature, 

 where their life was free from molestation, and where 

 climate and locality were both suited to their re- 

 quirements. 



This evening I lay in a bed of osier watching the 

 castors, as the French Canadians still term them, 

 going through the usual routine of life. Although 

 the stream is abundantly peopled with these inter- 

 esting beasts, not one put in an appearance till I was 

 nearly exhausted. Obtaining food seemed to be their 

 first object after coming forth. Appetite satisfied, a 

 general pow-wow takes place, terminating with flirta- 

 tions, in which it appears to be a matter of indiffer- 

 ence whose partner becomes the object of each 

 gallant's attention. Possibly they may have de- 

 generated since the advent of Mormonism into the 

 Western wilds. 



At our halting-place for this evening, we have 

 discovered unmistakable evidence that human beings 

 and those white men have been here lately ; for 

 the ashes of a camp-fire are fresh, the grass around 

 it still broken with the pressure of traffic, chips of 

 wood unsoiled by exposure lie around, and tracks of 

 feet in the sand, with the sharp edges not obliterated 



