travels in North America. 47 



at a good Diftance, becaufe in blowing they give a conficlerable 

 Motion to the Water ; fo that it is eafy to take their Meafures 

 to kill them as foon as they appear above Water: But for the 

 greater Certainty, and not to be feen by the Beavers, they throw 

 upon the Hole which they make in the Ice fome broken Reeds 

 or Stalks of Indian Wheat, and when they lind that the Ani- 

 mal is within Reach, they feize him by one of his Paws, and 

 throw him upon the Ice, where they knock him on the Head 

 before he has recovered of his Surprize. 



If the Cabin is near fome Rivulet, they are taken with lefs 

 Trouble, they make a Cut acrofs the Ice to let down their Nets, 

 then they go and break down the Cabin. The Beavers that are 

 in it never fail to run into the Rivulet, and are caught in the Net, 

 but they muft not be left there long, for they wdald foon make 

 their Way out by gnawing it. Thofe which have their Cabins 

 in the Lakes have, at three or four hundred Paces from the 

 Shore, a Kind of Country-houfe, where they may breathe a bet- 

 ter Air : Then the Hunters divide themfelves in two Parties, 

 one goes to break down the Country Cabin, and the other Party 

 falls upon that of the Lake ; the Beavers which are in the latter 

 (and the Hunters take the Time when they are all there) fly for 

 Refuge to the other; but they find nothing there but Dull:, 

 which has been thown in on Purpofe, and which blinds them 

 fo that they are eafily taken. Laftly, in fome Places, they 

 make a Breach in the Caufey ; by this Means the Beavers 

 foon find themfelves aground, and v/ithout Defence, or elfe they 

 immediately run to remedy the Evil of which they do not know 

 the Authors, and as they are well prepared to receive them, 

 the Beavers feldom efcape, or at leail fome of them are taken. 



There are fome other Particularities of the Beavers which 



o n • 7 I find in fome Memoirs, the Truth of which 

 oome r articula- ^ ^ ^mi ^j^-l^i. 



rlti''s of this Créa cannot warrant, i hey pretend, that when 

 ^ J ^ ' thefe Animals have difcovered any Hunters, 



or any of thofe Beafls that prey upon them, 

 they dive, llriking the Water with their Tail, with fuch a great 

 Noife, that they may be heard half a League off : This is pro- 

 bably to give Notice to the reft to be. upon their Guard. They 

 fay alfo that they have the Senfe of fmelling fo exquifite, that 

 being in the Water they fmell a Canoe at a great Diitance. But 

 they add, that they only fee Side- way s like a Hare, and that 

 through this Defeat they often fall into the Hands of the Hun- 

 ter whom they feek to fliun. And laftly they affirm^ that when a 

 Beaver has loll his Mate, they never couple again with another, as 

 is reported of the Turtle Dove. The Savages take great Care to 

 uinder their Dogs from touching the Bones of the Beaver, becaufe 

 thev are fo hard they would fpoii their Teeth ; they fay the fame 



ThiDE 



