University of Virginia Library

26. Beavers and Bears[114]
BY COLONEL WILLIAM BYRD (1728)

WE had difficulty in passing a water called Yapatsco or Beaver Creek. Those industrious animals, the beavers, had dammed up the water so high that we had much ado to get over. It is hardly credible how much work of this kind they will do in the space of one night.

They bite young saplings into proper lengths with their fore-teeth, which are exceedingly strong and sharp. Afterwards they drag them to the place where they intend to stop the water. Then they know how to join timber and earth together with so much skill that their work is able to resist the most violent flood that can happen.

In this they are qualified to instruct their betters. It is certain their dams will stand firm when the strongest that are made by men will be carried down the stream.

On our return journey we again had difficulty in crossing the Yapatsco. The beavers had dammed up the water much higher than we found it at our going up. So we were obliged to lay a bridge over a part that was shallower than the rest, to facilitate our passage.

Beavers have more of instinct—that half brother of reason—than any other animal, especially in matters of self-preservation. In their houses they always contrive a sally-port,[115] both towards the land and towards the water. This enables them to escape by one, if their retreat should happen to be cut off by the other.

They perform all their works in the dead of night to avoid discovery. They are kept diligently to it by the master beaver which by his age or strength has gained to himself an authority over the rest.

If any of the gang happen to be lazy, or will not exert himself to the utmost in felling of trees, or dragging them to the place where they are to be made use of, this superintendent will not fail to chastise him. This he does with the flat of the tail, with which he is able to give unmerciful strokes.

The beavers lie snug in their houses all day, unless some unneighborly miller chance to disturb their repose, by demolishing their dams to supply his mill with water. It is rare to see one of them. The Indians, for that reason, have hardly any way to take them, except by laying snares near the place where they dam up the water.

Both beavers and wolves, we know, when one of their legs is caught in a trap, will bite it off, that

they may escape with the rest. The fur of the beaver is very valuable, especially in the more northern countries, where it is longer and finer.

BEAVER.

[Description: Black and white illustration of a beaver.]

Our Indian killed a bear that was feasting upon the wild grapes. In the fall, the flesh of this animal has a very high relish, different from that of other creatures; but in its taste it inclines nearest to that of pork. This beast is in truth a very clean feeder, living, while the season lasts, upon acorns, chestnuts and chinquapins, wild honey and wild grapes.[116] About January, when there is nothing to be got in the woods, they retire into some cave or hollow tree. There they sleep away two or three month very comfortably.

One of the young fellows who we sent to bring up the tired horses entertained us in the evening with a remarkable adventure of that day. He had strayed, it seems, from his company in a bog, and made a bear cub a year old betake itself to a tree. While he was new-priming his gun with intent to fetch the cub down, the old gentle-woman appeared. Perceiving her son in distress, she advanced open mouthed to his relief. The man was so intent on his game that she had approached very near before he saw her.

But finding his danger, he faced about upon the enemy. She immediately reared upon her hind legs and put herself in battle array. The man, wondering at the bear's assurance, endeavored to fire upon her. But owing to the dampness of the priming, his gun did not go off.

He cocked it a second time, and had the same misfortune. After missing fire twice he had the folly to punch the beast with the muzzle of his gun. But mother Bruin was on her guard, seized the weapon with her paws, and by main force wrenched it out of the fellow's hands.

The man being thus fairly disarmed, thought himself no longer a match for the enemy. Therefore he retreated as fast as his legs could carry him. The brute naturally grew bolder upon the flight of her adversary, and pursued him with all her heavy speed.

For some time it was doubtful whether fear made one run faster or fury the other. But after an even run, the man had the mishap to stumble over a stump and fell down at his full length. He now would have sold his life a pennyworth.

But the bear fearing there might be some trick in the fall, instantly halted, and looked with much attention on her prostrate foe. In the meanwhile, the man had with great presence of mind resolved to make the bear believe he was dead. So he lay breathless on the ground, in hopes that the beast would be too generous to kill him over again.

To carry on the farce, he lay motionless for some time without daring to raise his head to see how near the monster was to him. But in about two minutes, to his remarkable comfort, he was raised from the dead by the barking of a dog. The

dog belonged to one of his companions who came seasonably to his rescue and drove the bear from pursuing the man to take care of her cub. For she feared it might now fall into a second distress.