OF NATURAL HISTORY. 82^ 



frequent ; and the common republics feldom exceed ten or 

 twelve families, of which each have their own quarter of tho 

 village, their own magazine, and their feparatc habitation. 

 The fmalleft cabins contain two, four, or iix, and the largr 

 eft eighteen, twenty, and fometimes thirty beavers. As to 

 males and females, they are almoft always equally paired. 

 Upon a moderate computation, therefore, the fociety is often 

 compofed of 150 or 200, who all, at firft, labour jointly in 

 raifing the great public building, and afterwards, in felecl 

 tribes or companies, in making particular habitations. In 

 this fociety, however numerous, an univerfal peace is main- 

 tained. Their union is cemented by common labours ; and 

 it is perpetuated by mutual conveniency, and the abundance 

 of provifions which they amafs and confume together. A 

 fimple tafte, moderate appetites, and an averfion to blood 

 and carnage, render them deftitute of the ideas of rapine and 

 of war. Friends to each other, if they have any foreign 

 enemies they know how to avoid them. When danger ap- 

 proaches, they advertife one another, by ftriking their broad 

 tail on the furface of the water, the noife of which is heard 

 at a great diftance, and refounds through all the vaults of 

 their habitations. Each individual, upon thefe occafions, 

 confalts his own fafety -, fome plunge into the water ; oth- 

 ers conceal themfelves within their walls, which can be pene- 

 trated only by the fire of heaven, or the fteel of man, and 

 which no animal will attempt either to open or to overturn. 

 Thefe retreats are not only fafe, but neat and commodious. 

 The floors are fpread over with verdure : The branches of 

 the box and of the fir ferve them for carpets, upon which 

 they permit not the fmalleft dirtinefs. The window that 

 faces the water anfwers for a balcony to receive the frefh air, 

 and for the purpofe of bathing. During the greater part of 

 the day, the beavers fit on end, with their head and the an- 

 terior parts of theif body elevated, and their pofterior parts 



