THE BEAVERS OF NORTH AMERICA 19 
One of the earliest sane descriptions which I have 
been able to find of a beaver’s house appears in the 
Relations of the Jesuits in Canada. Father 
Joseph Jouvency, S.J., writes (between the years 
1610 and 1613): “They locate them (the houses) 
on the banks of lakes and rivers ; they build walls 
of logs, placing between them wet and sticky sods 
in the place of mortar, so that the work can, even 
with great violence, scarcely be torn apart and 
destroyed. The entire house is divided into several 
stories.* (Levels would probably be a better word) ; 
the lowest is composed of thicker crossbeams, with 
branches strewn upon them, and provided with a 
hole or small door through which they can pass 
into the river whenever they wish ; this story 
extends somewhat above the water of the river, 
while the others rise higher, into which they retire 
if the swelling stream submerges the lowest floor. 
They sleep in one of the upper stories ; a soft bed 
is furnished by dry sea-weed,f and the moss with 
which they protect themselves from the cold; on 
another floor they have their store-room and food 
provided for winter. The building is covered with 
a dome-shaped roof. Thus they pass the winter, 
for in summer they enjoy the shady coolness upon 
the shores or escape the summer heat by plunging 
* This translation may be questioned ; following is the original 
version : “ Tota casae fabrica varus contignationibus distinguatur.” 
+ Alga siccior is the name given, so the translation is open to 
question. 
c 2 
