MUSK-RAT. 117 



that it is not possible to prevent their escape, the hunters resolve to drive 

 them ail from the little islet. A hole is dug in the centre of the place, 

 and the dog encouraged to go in ; the few remaining Musk-Rats, at this 

 last and worst alarm, scamper out of the burrows with all haste, and the 

 island is left in possession of the allied forces. All this time, the hunters 

 have been sharply looking out, to observe to what spot the greatest num- 

 ber of ]Musk-Rats have retired. They have marked the places in front of 

 w^hich they were seen to dive, well knowing that the)' are closely con- 

 cealed in some of the holes along the bank. The animals have now re- 

 treated far up into their burrows, and are not very apt to make for the wa- 

 ter. The ground is struck with a stick, in different places, and ^vhere a 

 hollovi' sound is heard, the hunters know there is an excavation, and at 

 once dig down to it. In this way, several holes are found, and are suc- 

 cessively stopped, to prevent the return of the Musk-Rats to the water. 

 The digging is then continued till the hunters reach the nest, which be- 

 ing laid open, is entered by the dog, in order that the sagacious animal 

 may ascertain the gallery into which the Musk-Rats have retired, as a 

 last resort. The digging is seldom fatiguing, as the holes run very near 

 the surface. A net to catch them, is now placed at the hole, or in lieu of 

 it, a man stands with a spear touching the mouth of it, placing his foot im- 

 mediately behind the spear. As the Rat attempts to rush out the weapon is 

 driven into its neck. Thus, these animals are killed one after another, until 

 the whole colony is destroyed ; sometimes they are knocked on the head 

 with a club, instead of being speared. In some places, we have seen more 

 than a dozen killed in one hole, and we have known upwards of fifty to 

 be taken in this manner in a single day. 



When the Musk-Rats have gone to their winter huts among the marsh- 

 es, there is another way of procuring them. The party go to the marshes, 

 when the ice is sufficiently strong to support a man. They proceed cau- 

 tiously to their nests (the manner of building which, we have already de- 

 scribed,) where the Rats are snugly ensconced in their warm beds, within 

 seven or eight inches of the top. A spear with four prongs, about as long 

 as those of a pitch-fork, is used upon the occasion. One of the men strikes 

 the spear into the nest, with all the force he is capable of exerting, and 

 if he understands his business, and knows where to strike, he is almost 

 sure to pin one, if not two or three, of the animals to the earth with one 

 blow. Another hunter stands by with an axe to demolish the little mud 

 habitation, and aid in securing the Musk-Rats, which have been speared 

 by his companion. It often occurs that the water under the ice is shal- 

 low, and the ice transparent, in which case the animals may be seen mak- 

 ing their way through the A\ater, almost touching the ice, and we have 



