LABRADOR JOURNAL 351 



any ligiit) and then hunt with their dugs, back- 

 wards and forward round the edges of the pond, 

 to discover where the}^ have hid themselves under 

 the hollow banks; taking especial care, not to go 

 near the house, until they can find them no longer 

 any where else. They then approach it very cau- 

 tiously, replace the stakes with the utmost expe- 

 dition, throw the covering off the hole, and kill 

 them with spears made for the pm^pose. ^Mien 

 they have a canoe, they will drive the pond in the 

 manner already described, without disturbing the 

 house; and, when they suppose the beavers are 

 all in, they place a strong net round it; then ma- 

 king an opening, they kill them as they strike out 

 of the house. They will also place a net across 

 a contraction in the pond, where there happens 

 to be one, and kill them there, in the course of 

 driving. But, as it is seldom that the whole crew 

 or family are killed by these means, hermit bea- 

 vers are always observed to be most numerous in 

 those parts of the country which are frequented 

 by Indians. The Mountaineers are also very dex- 

 terous in imitating the call of every bird and 

 beast, by which they decoy them close to their 

 lurking-] )laces. And as the destruction of ani- 

 mals is their whole study, there is not one, whose 

 nature and haunts they are not perfectly well 

 acquainted with: insomuch, that one man will 

 maintain liiinself, a wife, and five or six children 

 in greater plenty, and with a inore regular supply 

 than any Eur()])eaii could supi)ort himself singly, 

 although he were a better shot. 



