38 Jn Hijîorical Journal of 



When the King took Canada out of the Hands of the Comp*^ 

 nies, his Majeily fpent much more for fome Years than he has 

 done fmce ; and the Colony, during this Time, fent to France 

 near the Value of a Million of Livres in Beaver Skins every Year, 

 the' it was lefs peopled than it is now : But it has always had 

 more from France than it could pay, and has aéled like a private 

 Perion, who has thirty thoufand Livres a Year Eftate, and who 

 fpends forty thoufand or more. By this Means its Credit is 

 fallen, and in falling, has brought on the Ruin of its Trade ^ 

 which, fince the Year 1706, has confifted in nothing more than 

 fmall Peltry. All the Dealers fought for them, and this was their 

 lluin, becaofe they often bought them dearer of the Savages^ 

 than tl ey fold them in France, 



I amy 8cc. 



LETTER IV. 



0/ the Beavers (^/Canada, ho'-jj they differ from the Beavers of 

 Europe; Of their Manner of Building: The Manner ofhuntirig the 

 Beaters : Of the Advantage tohèmadeof the?n. Of the Musk Rat^ 



M a d a u , Qu E B E c, March i . 



Was to go from hence a Day or two after I had clofed my lail 



Letter, but I muir ftill Hop for Want of Carriage. The beft 



I can do in the mean Time, is to entertain you with the Curioii- 

 ties of this Country ; and I begin with what is moil lingular^ 

 that is, the Beaver. The Spoils of this Animal has hitherto 

 furniihed Nc^j: France with the principal Obje6l of its Trade. It 

 is of itfeif one of the Wonders of Nature, and it may be to Man 

 a great Example of Forefight, of Induicry, Skilly and Conilancy 

 in Labour. 



The Beaver was not unknown in France before the Difcovery 

 9"^ Difference America, and we find in fome ancient Writ- 

 ^^h B'^î^er^^of ^^^^ ^^"^ Hatters of Paris, fome P^egula- 

 pj e easver oj ^-^^^3 makinp; Beaver Hats: The Beaver or 



/e i'"'" ^""-^'y ^^"'^ Creature ; but 



^ ■ either that the European Beaver is become ex- 



treamly fcarce, or its Fur v/as not fo good as that of the Ameri-^ 

 can Caftor, \VQ hear little Mention now but of the lail, unlefs it 

 be with Refped to Caftoreum, of which I lhall fay a few "W ords 

 at the End of this Letter. I do not know that any Author has 

 fpoken of this A^nimal as being any Thing curious ; perhaps it 

 was for Want of obferving it attentively ; perhaps alfo that the 



Caftors 



