{Bevers.}
Bevers Are Very Numerous In Carolina, Their Being Abundance Of Their Dams
In All Parts Of The Country, Where I Have Travel'd. They Are The Most
Industrious And Greatest Artificers (In Building Their Dams And Houses)
Of Any Four-Footed Creatures In The World.
Their Food is chiefly
the Barks of Trees and Shrubs, viz.
Sassafras, Ash, Sweet-Gum,
and several others. If you take them young, they become
very tame and domestick, but are very mischievous in spoiling Orchards,
by breaking the Trees, and blocking up your Doors in the Night,
with the Sticks and Wood they bring thither. If they eat any thing
that is salt, it kills them. Their Flesh is a sweet Food;
especially, their Tail, which is held very dainty. Their Fore-Feet are open,
like a Dog's; their Hind-Feet webb'd like a Water-Fowl's.
The Skins are good Furs for several Uses, which every one knows.
The Leather is very thick; I have known Shooes made thereof in Carolina,
which lasted well. It makes the best Hedgers Mittens that can be used.
{Musk Rat.}
Musk Rats frequent fresh Streams and no other; as the Bever does.
He has a Cod of Musk, which is valuable, as is likewise his Fur.
{Possum.}
The Possum is found no where but in America. He is the Wonder
of all the Land Animals, being the size of a Badger, and near that Colour.
The Male's Pizzle is placed retrograde; and in time of Coition,
they differ from all other Animals, turning Tail to Tail,
as Dog and Bitch when ty'd. The Female, doubtless, breeds her Young
at her Teats; for I have seen them stick fast thereto, when they have been
no bigger than a small Rasberry, and seemingly inanimate.
She has a Paunch, or false Belly, wherein she carries her Young,
after they are from those Teats, till they can shift for themselves.
Their Food is Roots, Poultry, or wild Fruits. They have no Hair
on their Tails, but a sort of a Scale, or hard Crust, as the Bevers have.
If a Cat has nine Lives, this Creature surely has nineteen;
for if you break every Bone in their Skin, and mash their Skull,
leaving them for Dead, you may come an hour after, and they will be
gone quite away, or perhaps you meet them creeping away.
They are a very stupid Creature, utterly neglecting their Safety.
They are most like Rats of any thing. I have, for Necessity
in the Wilderness, eaten of them. Their Flesh is very white,
and well tasted; but their ugly Tails put me out of Conceit with that Fare.
They climb Trees, as the Raccoons do. Their Fur is not esteem'd nor used,
save that the Indians spin it into Girdles and Garters.
{Raccoon.}
The Raccoon is of a dark-gray Colour; if taken young, is easily made tame,
but is the drunkenest Creature living, if he can get any Liquor
that is sweet and strong. They are rather more unlucky than a Monkey.
When wild, they are very subtle in catching their Prey.
Those that live in the Salt-Water, feed much on Oysters which they love.
They watch the Oyster when it opens, and nimbly put in their Paw,
and pluck out the Fish. Sometimes the Oyster shuts, and holds fast their Paw
till the Tide comes in, that they are drown'd, tho' they swim very well.
The way that this Animal catches Crabs, which he greatly admires,
and which are plenty in Carolina, is worthy of Remark.
When he intends to make a Prey of these Fish, he goes to a Marsh,
where standing on the Land, he lets his Tail hang in the Water.
This the Crab takes for a Bait, and fastens his Claws therein,
which as soon as the Raccoon perceives, he, of a sudden, springs forward,
a considerable way, on the Land, and brings the Crab along with him.
As soon as the Fish finds himself out of his Element, he presently
lets go his hold; and then the Raccoon encounters him, by getting him
cross-wise in his Mouth, and devours him. There is a sort of small Land-Crab,
which we call a Fiddler, that runs into a Hole when any thing pursues him.
This Crab the Raccoon takes by putting his Fore-Foot in the Hole,
and pulling him out. With a tame Raccoon, this Sport is very diverting.
The Chief of his other Food is all sorts of wild Fruits, green Corn,
and such as the Bear delights in. This and the Possum
are much of a Bigness. The Fur makes good Hats and Linings.
The Skin dress'd makes fine Womens Shooes.
{Minx.}
The Minx is an Animal much like the English Fillimart or Polcat.
He is long, slender, and every way shap'd like him. His Haunts are chiefly
in the Marshes, by the Sea-side and Salt-Waters, where he lives on Fish, Fowl,
Mice, and Insects. They are bold Thieves, and will steal any thing from you
in the Night, when asleep, as I can tell by Experience; for one Winter,
by Misfortune, I ran my Vessel a-ground, and went often to the Banks,
to kill wild Fowl, which we did a great many. One Night, we had a mind
to sleep on the Banks (the Weather being fair) and wrapt up the Geese
which we had kill'd, and not eaten, very carefully, in the Sail of a Canoe,
and folded it several Doubles, and for their better Security,
laid 'em all Night under my Head. In the Morning when I wak'd,
a Minx had eaten thro' every Fold of the Canoe's Sail,
and thro' one of the Geese, most part of which was gone.
These are likewise found high up in the Rivers, in whose sides they live;
which is known by the abundance of Fresh-Water Muscle-Shells
(such as you have in England) that lie at the Mouth of their Holes.
This is an Enemy to the Tortois, whose Holes in the Sand,
where they hide their Eggs, the Minx finds out, and scratches up and eats.
The Raccoons and Crows do the same.
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