50 CAPTAIN C.VRT WRIGHT'S 



Monday^ November 19, 1770. I set off home- 

 ward by myself this morning at day-light; and 

 upon a small island in Island Brook, I had the 

 satisfaction of finding a large new beaverhouse; 

 which appeared to be inhabited by a numerous 

 crew. There was a magazine of provisions de- 

 posited in the water, a few yards before the front 

 of it, sufficient to have loaded a waggon; and the 

 tops of the sticks appeared a foot above the ice. 

 On each side of the house, I observed, they had 

 kept a hole open through the ice, for some days 

 after the pond was frozen over; that they might 

 work upon it. The sight of this house, convinced 

 me, that all those which I had hitherto seen, were 

 old ones, and uninhabited by the beavers. 



Arriving at the head of Long Pool, I met with 

 the sliding of an otter; which was so fresh, that 

 my greyhound challenged it; and I soon discov- 

 ered him fishing in the disemboguing of the brook, 

 where it was yet open. I sat watching for an hour ; 

 in which time he caught plenty of small trouts: 

 he then got upon a small rock, which was at least 

 one hundred yards from my station; and, while 

 he was making room for some more fish, I sent a 

 ball through him, and killed him upon the spot. 

 I fixed him upon my back and hastened home, 

 where I arrived at noon; and found his weight 

 to be thirty-three pounds. The two men, whom 

 I left behind me to examine some small ponds, 

 returned at one o'clock, and brought a brace of 

 spruce-game. 



Monday, November 26, 1770. Charles and Ned 



