22 ROMANCE OF THE BEAVER 



frequently happens, that some of the large houses 

 are found to have one or more partitions, if they 

 deserve that appellation ; but that is no more than 

 a part of the main building, left by the sagacity of 

 the beaver to support the roof. On such occasions, 

 it is common for those different apartments, as 

 some are pleased to call them, to have no com- 

 munication with each other but by water ; so that 

 in fact they may be called double or treble houses, 

 rather than different apartments of the same house. 

 I have seen a large beaver house built in a small 

 island, that had near a dozen apartments under one 

 roof; and, two or three of these only excepted, 

 none of them had any communication with each 

 other but by water. As there were beaver enough 

 to inhabit each apartment it is more than probable 

 that each family knew its own, and always entered 

 at their own door." 



He goes on to say that his Indians took thirty- 

 seven beavers out of this house, while many others 

 escaped. It is very doubtful whether houses of 

 this type exist at the present day, nor indeed for 

 many years past. 



The ground floor or lowest level is only three or 

 four inches above the surface of the water. This 

 is used as the " dining-room " and for drying their 

 coats. About half of the space is thus occupied, 

 the other half is raised six or eight inches, and is 

 the sleeping apartment. It is well covered with 

 bedding made of dry grass, which is cut while 



