78 NATURAL HISTORY. 
lake, not liable to inundation, they feve 
themfelves this trouble. To form this dam 
or pier, they drive Hakes of -about five or 
fix feet in length, wattling each row with 
twigs, and filling the interftices with clay, 
That fide next the water is floped, and the 
other perpendicular. The bottom is from 
ten to tw’elve feet thick, gradually diminifli- 
ing to the top, which is but two or three 
feet at moft. This dam is generally from 
eighty to an hundred feet in length. The 
greatnefs of the work, compared, with the 
Imallnefs of the architeft, however aftonilh- 
ing, is not more wonderful than its. firmnefs. 
and folidity.. 
The honfes are erefted, near the fliore, ia 
the water collefted by the dams. They ai-e 
cither round or oval, and are built on piles. 
The tops being^aulted, the inlide refembles: 
an oven, and the outfide a dome. The walls^ 
which are two feet thick, are i>i«tle of earth, 
ftones, and fticks, and plaiftcred, with all the 
Ikill and excellence of the moft expert mafoii.. 
■fivery houfe has two openings, one into the 
water, and the other towards' the land.— ^ 
Their height is about eight feet. From two 
to thirty beavers inhabit each dwelling ; and, 
in each pond', there are from ten to twenty- 
five houfes. They have each a bed of mol’s; 
and are fuch perfeft epicures, that they dai- 
ly rfgile on the choiceft plants and fruits, 
which the country affords. 
