Thus He Takes Deer (Which He Cannot Catch By Running)
And Fastens His Teeth Into Their Shoulders And Sucks Them.
They Run With Him, Till They Fall Down For Want Of Strength,
And Become A Prey To The Enemy.
Hares, Birds, and all he meets,
that he can conquer, he destroys.
The Fur is approv'd to wear
as a Stomacher, for weak and cold Stomachs. They are likewise used
to line Muffs, and Coats withal, in cold Climates.
{Wolf.}
The Wolf of Carolina, is the Dog of the Woods. The Indians had
no other Curs, before the Christians came amongst them.
They are made domestick. When wild, they are neither so large, nor fierce,
as the European Wolf. They are not Man-slayers; neither is any Creature
in Carolina, unless wounded. They go in great Droves in the Night,
to hunt Deer, which they do as well as the best Pack of Hounds.
Nay, one of these will hunt down a Deer. They are often so poor,
that they can hardly run. When they catch no Prey, they go to a Swamp,
and fill their Belly full of Mud; if afterwards they chance
to get any thing of Flesh, they will disgorge the Mud, and eat the other.
When they hunt in the Night, that there is a great many together,
they make the most hideous and frightful Noise, that ever was heard.
The Fur makes good Muffs. The Skin dress'd to a Parchment
makes the best Drum-Heads, and if tann'd makes the best sort of Shooes
for the Summer-Countries.
{Tyger.}
Tygers are never met withal in the Settlement; but are more to the Westward,
and are not numerous on this Side the Chain of Mountains. I once saw one,
that was larger that a Panther, and seem'd to be a very bold Creature.
The Indians that hunt in those Quarters, say, they are seldom met withal.
It seems to differ from the Tyger of Asia and Africa.
{Polcat.}
Polcats or Skunks in America, are different from those in Europe.
They are thicker, and of a great many Colours; not all alike,
but each differing from another in the particular Colour.
They smell like a Fox, but ten times stronger. When a Dog encounters them,
they piss upon him, and he will not be sweet again in a Fortnight or more.
The Indians love to eat their Flesh, which has no manner of ill Smell,
when the Bladder is out. I know no use their Furs are put to.
They are easily brought up tame.
{Otters.}
There have been seen some Otters from the Westward of Carolina,
which were of a white Colour, a little inclining to a yellow.
They live on the same Prey here, as in Europe, and are the same
in all other Respects; so I shall insist no farther on that Creature.
Their Furs, if black, are valuable.
{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.
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