The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1850-01-01


panied by shower of snow, sweeps over
The land, it finds our trapper snugly doml-
ciled in log shanty at the mouth OF the
river where he proposes TO spend the WIN
ter, trapping beaver.
And nov all things are ready, and the
irapper has actually entered upon his WIN
ter avocation. He has reconnoItered the
valley in which he finds himself, and hav-
ing ascertained the localities of the bea>
yer. with their houses and dams, he forth
with manages to shoot single male bea-
yer, and having obtained from his glandu-
ous pouch substance called cdstoreum,
he mixes it with number Of aromatics,
and in three or four days he is supplied
with suitable bait and proceeds to set his
traps. As the senses of the beaver are
exceedingly keen, the business ol the
trapper requires experience and great eau
ton. and he glides through the forest al
most with the silence OF a ghost, but,
when master Of his calling, ne seldom
leaves beaver village until, by his cum
ming arts, it has become depopulated. The
war of extermination, as already intlma-
ted, begins at the mouth of the river, and
with our friend will only cease when he
has reached the fountain head, or the sea-
sou of trapping comes TO an end Ihe
coolest Of winds may blow and the woods
may be completely blocked with snow, but
the trapper has mounted his snow-shoes,
and day after day does he revisit and re-
arrange his traps. Ifnight overtakes HIM
when far removed from his shanty, (which
NAV be the case more than half the tIme.l
he digs himself hole in some sheltered
snow bank and wrapped up 10 his blanket
by the side of his solitary fire spends
strangely comfortable night. When not
engaged with his traps, he spends lis time
in driving and dressing his turs, or, as fan
cy may dictate, he shoulders his gun and
starts out for tine purpose OF capturing
deer. a bear. or some of the beasts which
are wont to howl him to sleep at the mid
night hour. Wild game, as matter OF
course, constitutes his principal food, but
he is particularly partial TO the trail OF his
favorite beaver. The only human beings
with whom he has any social intercourse
during the long winter, are the poor wan>
dering Indians, who chance TO visit him IN
his cabin; and at such times many are the
wild adventures and strange legends which
they relate to each other around the huge
fire of the trspper. And he now enjoys
TO perfection the companlonshIP OF his
dogs. Companions, 1t is true, OF another
sort sometimes gather around his lonely
habtaton to relieve his solitude, for the
snowy owl boots and screams at night,
from the huge pine branch that reaches
over his cabin, or perhaps an unmolested
deer manifests his love Of companionship
by browsing the twigs in broad daylight
at his very threshold. But now fair
weather cometh ont of the north, and the
trapper begins 10 think that he has secur-
ed such supply of furs as will guarantee
him a comfortable support during the COM
ing summer, and one by one he gathers his
traps. The crack of his rifle is now heard
more frequently echoiug through the
woods, for he cares not to obtain more
beaver skins even if he could, and he
would obtain a sufficient number of mis-
cellaneous furs to render his assortment
complete. Heavy spring rains have set
in, the water courses are nearly released
from their icy fetters, and on issuing from
his cabin, after night of conflicting
dreams, he finds that the neighborlng
stream has become unusually full A sim
gle glance at lis turbid water is enough
He cuts down a suitable tree and builds
him a canoe, and in this does he stow a.
way his furs and all his other plunder, and
seizing his paddle, he jumps into his seat,
and with light heart starts for his distant
home.
The rains are over and gone, and al
though our voyager has been ten days up
on the water, he has yet at least thou
sand additional miles 10 rravel. Rapids
without number are to be passed, many
laborious portage must be made around
huge waterfalls, and at least two months
must elapse before he can moor his little
barge in the haven where he would be-
/ Day follows day, and his course is onward.
An along his route the forest trees are
bursting their buds ana decking them-
selves with the livery of the vernal season,
while the grasses and flowers of the prai>
res are striving to overreach each other
as they loom into the pleasant sunshine.
And then the heart of our voyager is
cheered by the singing of birds. When
night comes, and he has lain himself down
by his watch fire on the shore, in some lit
tie cove, he is lulled to sleep by the muir
muring music of the stream. II, on a
pleasant day when he is fatigued, he hap
pens upon an Indian encampment and
finds that an extensive ball-play or an In
dian horse-race, or any important medi>
cine ceremony is about 10 occur, he tar
ries there for a few hours, and then, if his
mind dwells upon the grotesque and lacgh-
able scenes he has witnessed, he resumes
his voyage in more cheerful mood. Day
follows day, and the stream upon which he
is now floating is broad and deep, and
sweeps onward as if rejoicing with pride
for having triumphed over the obstacles
of the wilderness, and is rapidly approach
ing the fields and the abodes of civiliza>
ton. 1t is now The close Of day in the
leafy month Of June, and our voyager is
gliding noiselessly into the quiet cove be-
side bis cabin, and uttering loud whistle
or whoop, his family hasten to the shore,
and he is at home
The summer time, in the opinion ofour
trapper friend, is the season for unalloyed
enjoyment, for il is then he gives himself