AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
31 
AUTHENTIC HISTORY. — Cotinnued. 
sure that he has eaten a great deal more fish, than all the 
Beavers in the world put together. Beavers will neither 
eat fish, nor any other animal food; but live upon the leaves 
and bark of such trees and shrubs as have not a resinous 
juice, and the root of the water-lilly. I have known them 
eat black spruce; and they will sometimes cut down 
silver-fur; but I believe that is only to build with when 
other trees are scarce. When they eat, they hold their 
food in their fore-paws, and sit up like monkeys. In the 
summer time they ramble about very much, paying little 
regard to their houses, and will make a bed of sticks shred 
fine, under a bush near the water-side, and there sleep: 
the first bed of this kind which I found, I took to be the 
nest of a goose. If the pond which they lived in the last 
winter, has plenty of such food as they like, growing by 
the side of it, and they have not been disturbed by man, 
they will seldom quit it; but if there be a scarcity of food, 
they will wander about in search of another, where they 
can be more plentifully supplied: and it has been long ob- 
served, that of all the trees which grow in Newfoundland 
or Labrador, they like the aspen best, and next to that the 
birch. Having found a place convenient for the purpose, 
they commonly begin early in August to erect their 
house. The sticks which they make use of on this occa- 
sion, are of all sizes, from the thickness of a man’s ancle 
to his little finger, but very seldom of larger dimensions. 
They pile up these materials in the form of a dome, some- 
times to the height of six or seven feet above the level of 
the ground, but commonly not more than four. The base 
is generally of an oval form; the height ten or twelve 
feet, and eight or nine in width. As they raise this pile 
above, they hollow it out below, taking care that their bed, 
or lodging-place, shall be above the reach of floods, and 
sufficiently roomy to contain the whole family. From the 
fore part of the house, they build a projection into the 
pond, sloping downwards all the way, and under this they 
enter into their house. This entrance is called by the 
furriers, the angle ; nor do they always content themselves 
with one, but more commonly will have two, and some- 
times three. They have but one apartment, which is 
termed the lodging, and which is shaped in the inside 
like an oven, the bottom of which is covered with the 
shreds of sticks, resembling fine narrow shavings. At a 
little distance from the angle, is their magazine of provi- 
sions, which consists of the roots of water-lilly, and the 
branches of trees; the hut-ends of the latter they stick into 
the mud where there is any. The whole is termed writh, 
and I have seen as much as a cart would hold; great part 
appearing above water. They are very industrious crea- 
tures, for even amidst a superabundance of provisions, 
they will continue to add to the store; and though their 
house be completely built, they will still carry on fresh 
works, until the pond is frozen firm over; they will even 
keep a hole open to work on the house for some nights 
after; provided the frost is not very severe; and as they 
will enter every old house and do a little work upon it, 
young furriers are frequently deceived thereby, supposing 
those houses to be inhabited. Although they will some- 
times continue in the same pond for three or four years or 
more, yet they will frequently build themselves a new 
house every year; at other times they will repair an old 
one, and live in that, and they often build a new 
house upon or close adjoining to an old one, making 
the two tops into one, and cut a communication be- 
tween the lodgings: hence, I presume, arose the idea 
of their having several apartments. When the pond 
is not deep enough for them, they will throw a dam across 
the mouth of the brook by which it discharges its water, 
to raise it to a sufficient height; making use of sticks, stones, 
mud, and sand, for this purpose. Some of these I have 
seen of great length and strength, insomuch that 1 have 
walked over them with the greatest safety, though not 
quite dry-shod, if they be new, as the water always sheds 
over them, being on an exact level from end to end. But 
if, notwithstanding the stint, they cannot raise the water 
to a proper depth, near the bank, they build their house 
in the pond, at a few yards distance from the shore, be- 
ginning at the bottom and hollowing it out as they go on, 
for they must have about three feet depth over the end of 
the angle, or the water would freeze in it, and they could 
go neither in nor out. If there be an island in the pond, they 
generally make their house on that, being the safest place, 
and by far the greatest number of houses are on the north 
shore, for the advantage of the sun. They have no opening 
from their house, on the land side, and for these reasons; 
because the frosty air would enter at that hole, and freeze 
up the water in the angle, whereby they would be cut oil' 
from their magazine; the wolves likewise, and other ene- 
mies, might enter thereat, and kill them; and the cold 
would be greater than they could bear. 
“Beavers generally bring forth two young ones at a 
time, which are most commonly male and female; yet 
they will often have but one, especially the first time of 
breeding; and sometimes three or four. The first year, 
they are called pappooses — the second, small medlers — 
the third, large medlers — the fourth, Beaver — and, after 
that, old or great Beaver. They copulate in May, and 
bring forth towards the end of June. The young ones 
