THE BEAVER. 53 



animals, I can assure you, had a pretty hard time of it. 

 However, after a few days' rest, having viewed the 

 situation, they set vigorously to work to make them- 

 selves comfortable, and began to construct a dam by 

 forming a dyke or embankment across a small moor- 

 land stream running through the enclosure ; at the 

 same time they commenced to build a house to live in. 

 " The materials of which the dyke is constructed 

 are wood, grass, mud, and a few stones which are 

 used for the purpose of keeping the grass and 

 smaller pieces of wood in their place until more is 

 built on the top of them. They have continued rais- 

 ing this embankment to a certain extent every year, 

 until it has now attained the following dimensions, 

 viz. :— length, seventy feet ; height in the deepest 

 part, fully eight feet ; breadth of base at deepest 

 part, from fifteen to twenty feet, sloped inside, not 

 straight across, but finely arched against the stream, 

 so that it may the more easily resist the great pres- 

 sure of water which it has to bear ; — perfectly level, 

 so that when a spate of water comes down it may 

 run evenly over the top from side to side. So sub- 

 stantially have they built it, that no material damage 

 has occurred to it from all the floods that have passed 

 over it. They use a number of the larger pieces of wood 

 as props, by fixing the thick end into the ground 

 and the small end on the top, then build on the top 

 of these, so as to fix them firmly. It would require 

 to be seen to appreciate the great skill displayed in 

 its construction ; as I think it would tax the energies 

 of a Bateman or a Gale to make a better with the 



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