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.
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