84 
THE HISTORY OF 
his luxurious table. The fur of these creatures is very valuable, especially in 
the more northern countries, where it is longer and - finer. This the Dutch 
have lately contrived to mix with their wool, and weave into a sort of drug- 
get, that is not only warm, but wonderfully light and soft. They also make 
gloves and stockings of it, that keep out the cold almost as well as the fur it- 
self, and do not look quite so savage. 
There is a deal of rich low ground on Yapatsco creek, but I believe liable 
to be overflowed in a fresh. However, it might be proper enough for rice, 
which receives but little injury from water. We encamped on the banks of 
Massamony creek, after a journey of more than eleven miles. By the way 
we shot a fat doe and a wild turkey, which fed us all plentifully. And we 
have reason to say, by our own happy experience, that no man need to 
despair of his daily bread in the woods, whose faith is but half so large as 
his stomach. 
14th. Being at length happily arrived within twenty miles of the upper- 
most inhabitants, we despatched two men who had the ablest horses to go 
before, and get a beef killed and some bread baked to refresh their fellow 
travellers, upon their arrival. They had likewise orders to hire an express 
to carry a letter to the governor, giving an account that we were all return- 
ed in safety. This was the more necessary, because we had been so long 
absent that many now began to fear we were, by this time, scalped and bar- 
bacued by the Indians. We decamped with the rest of the people about ten 
o’clock, and marched near twelve miles. In our way we crossed Nutbush 
creek, and four miles farther we came upon a beautiful branch of Great 
creek, where we took up our quarters. The tent was pitched upon an emi- 
nence, which overlooked a wide piece of low grounds, covered with reeds 
and watered by a crystal stream, gliding through the middle of it. On the 
other side of this delightful valley, which was about half a mile wide, rose a 
hill that terminated the view, and in the figure of a semicircle closed in upon 
the opposite side of the valley. This had a most agreeable effect upon the 
eye, and wanted nothing but cattle grazing in the meadow, and sheep and 
goats feeding on the hill, to make it a complete rural landscape. 
The Indian killed a fawn, which, being upon its growth, was not fat, but 
made some amends by being tender. He also shot an otter, but our people 
were now better fed than to eat such coarse food. The truth of it is, the 
flesh of this creature has a rank fishy taste, and for that reason might be a 
proper regale for the Samoeids, who drink the czar of Muscovy’s health and 
toast their mistresses in a bumper of train oil. The Carthusians, to save 
their vow of eating no flesh, pronounce this amphibious animal to be a fish, 
and feed upon it as such, without wounding their consciences. The skin of 
the otter is very soft, and the Swedes make caps and socks of it, not only for 
warmth, but also because they fancy it strengthens the nerves, and is good 
against all distempers of the brain. The otter is a great devourer of fish, 
which are its natural food, and whenever it betakes itself to a vegetable diet, 
it is as some high-spirited wives obey their husbands, by pure necessity. 
They dive after their prey, though they cannot continue long under water, 
but thrust their noses up to the surface now and then for breath. They are 
great enemies to weirs set up in the rivers to catch fish, devouring or biting 
to pieces all they find there. Nor is it either easy to fright them from this kind of 
robbery, or to destroy theip. The best way I could ever find was to float 
an old wheel just by the weir, and so soon as the otter has taken a large fish, 
he will get upon the wheel to eat it more at his ease, which may give you an 
opportunity of firing upon him from the shore. One of our people shot a 
large gray squirrel with a very bushy tail, a singular use of which our merry 
Indian discovered to us. He said whenever this little animal has occasion to 
