THE BEAVER. Ill 



all a common right ; nor do they offer to plunder their 

 neighbors. 



Hamlets, so to express them, have been seen, composed 

 of twenty and even twenty-five dwellings. Such large 

 settlements, however, are rare. In general, they do not 

 contain more than ten or a dozen families, each of which 

 has its own separate district, magazine, and habitation ; 

 nor will it allow any strangers to settle within its enclosure. 

 The smallest dwellings contain two, four, and six ; the 

 largest, eighteen, twenty, and it is even said thirty beavers ; 

 and it seldom or never happens that the number of males 

 and females is not upon a par. Moderately speaking, 

 therefore, their society may be said to consist frequently of 

 one hundred and fifty or two hundred workmen, who, 

 having first exerted their united industry and diligence in 

 rearing a grand public work, afterwards form themselves 

 into different bodies, in order to construct private habi- 

 tations. 



However numerous 'the republic of Beavers may be, 

 peace and good order are uniformly maintained in it. A 

 common series of toil has strengthened their union; the 

 conveniences which they have procured for each other, 

 and the abundance of provisions which, after having 

 amassed, they continue to consume together, render them 

 happy within themselves ; and, having moderate appetites, 

 entertaining even an aversion to blood and carnage, they 

 have not the smallest propensity to hostility or rapine, but 

 actually enjoy all the blessings which man is only born to 

 desire. Friends to each other, if threatened by any ene- 

 mies from abroad, they know how to avoid them ; and for 

 this purpose, on the first alarm, they give notice of their 

 mutual danger, by striding the water with their tails, which 

 sends forth a sound that is heard in their most distant 

 dwellings. On this occasion, each Beaver, as he thinks 

 most expedient, plunges into the water, or conceals himself 

 within the walls of his own habitation, which is in no dan- 



