Montreal. 'Z()y 



vail numbers of them are annually killed, 

 and that the Indians are obliged at prefent 

 to undertake diftant journies, in order to 

 catch or (hoot them. Their decreafing ia 

 number is very eafily accounted for ; becaufe 

 the Indians, before the arrival of the Eiiro^ 

 peansy only caught as many as they found 

 neceffary to clothe themfelves with, there 

 being then no trade with the fkins. At 

 prefent a number of fliips go annually to 

 Europe, laden chiefly with beavers ikins; 

 the Englijlo 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 \ eople in 

 Canada told me, that when they were young, 

 all the rivers in the neighbourhood oi Mont- 

 real, the river St. Lawrence not excepted, 

 were full of beavers and their d kes ; 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 fkins 

 from the north, are better than thofe fr«^m 

 the fouth. 



Beaver-flesh is eaten not only by the 

 Indians, but like wife by the Europeans, 

 and efpecially the French, on their talting 

 days ; for his holinef?, in his fyftem, h.^s 

 ranged the beaver among the fifh. The 



flelh 



