114 THE BEAVER. 



however, is erroneous ; for the Beaver which was men- 

 tioned in a preceding paragraph, having been taken when 

 quite young in Canada, and always reared in the house, 

 did not know the water when he was brought to it, was 

 afraid of it, and refused to go into it. Even when first 

 plunged into a basin, there was a necessity for keeping him 

 in it by force. A few minutes after, nevertheless, he be- 

 came so well reconciled to it, that he no longer showed an 

 aversion to his new situation ; and, when afterwards left to 

 his liberty, he frequently returned to it of himself, and 

 would even roll about in the dirt, and upon the wet pave- 

 ment. One day he made his escape, and descended by a 

 cellar staircase into the quarries under the Royal Garden. 

 There he swam to a considerable distance on the stagnated 

 waters which are at the bottom of those quarries; yet no 

 sooner did he see the light of the torches which were ordered 

 down for the purpose of finding him, than he returned, and 

 allowed himself to be taken without making the smallest 

 resistance. 



He is an animal familiar without being fawning ; and 

 when he sees people at table, he is sure to ask for some- 

 thing to eat. This he does by a little plaintive cry, and 

 by a few gestures of his fore paws. When he has ob- 

 tained a morsel, he carries it away, and conceals himself, 

 in order to eat it at his ease. In several instances he has 

 been completely domesticated, and become as docile as a 

 dog. When he sleeps, which he does very often, he lies 

 upon his belly. No food comes amiss to him, meat ex- 

 cepted ; and this he constantly refuses, either raw or boil- 

 ed. He knaws every thing he comes near ; and it was 

 found necessary to line with tin the tun in which he was 

 brought over. 



Independently of the fur, which is indeed the most val- 

 uable article furnished by the Beaver, this animal furnishes 

 a substance that has been considerably used in medicine. 

 This substance, which is known by the name of castor, is 



