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New England Rarities, Of Beasts (part 5)
May. 3rd, 2005 09:27 amMy apologies for missing several days of my postings, I took some days off from work and this text is living on that computer.
The Ounce.
The Ounce or Wild Cat, is about the bigness of two lusty Ram Cats, preys upon Deer and our English Poultrey: I once found six whole Ducks in the belly of one I killed by a Pond side: Their Flesh roasted is as good as Lamb, and as white.
For Aches and shrunk Sinews.
Their Grease is soveraign for all manner of Aches and shrunk Sinews: Their Skins are accounted good Fur, but somewhat course.
The Raccoon.The Raccoon liveth in hollow trees, and is about the size of a Gib Cat; they feed upon Moss, and do infest our Indian Corn very much; they will be exceeding fat in Autumn; their flesh is somewhat dark, but good food roasted.
For Bruises and Aches.Their Fat is excellent for Bruises and Aches. Their Skins are esteemed a good deep Fur, but yet as the Wild Cats somewhat coarse.
The Porcupine.The Porcupine in some parts of the Countrey Eastward, towards the French, are as big as an ordinary Mungrel Cur; a very angry Creature and dangerous, shooting a whole shower of Quills with a rowse at their enemies, which are of that nature, that wherever they stick in the flesh, they will work through in a short time if not prevented by pulling of them out. The Indians make use of their Quills, which are hardly a handful long, to adorn the edges of their birchen dishes, and weave (dying some of them red, others yellow and blew) curious bags or pouches, in works like Turkie-work.
The Beaver, Canis Ponticus, Amphybious.
The Beaver, whose old ones are as big as an Otter, or rather bigger, a Creature of a rare instinct, as may apparently be seen in their artificial Dam-heads to raise the water in the Ponds where they keep, and their houses having three stories, which would be too large to discourse: They have all of them four Cods hanging outwardly between their hinder legs, two of them are soft or oyly, and two solid or hard· the Indians say they are Hermaphrodites.
For Wind in the Stomach.Their solid Cods are much used in Physick: Our Englishwomen in this Country use the powder grated, as much as will lye upon a shilling in a draught of Fiol Wine, for Wind in the Stomach and Belly, and venture many times in such cases to give it to Women with Child: Their Tails are flat, and covered with Scales without hair, which being flead off, and the Tail boiled, proves exceeding good meat, being all Fat, and as sweet as Marrow.
The Ounce.
The Ounce or Wild Cat, is about the bigness of two lusty Ram Cats, preys upon Deer and our English Poultrey: I once found six whole Ducks in the belly of one I killed by a Pond side: Their Flesh roasted is as good as Lamb, and as white.
For Aches and shrunk Sinews.
Their Grease is soveraign for all manner of Aches and shrunk Sinews: Their Skins are accounted good Fur, but somewhat course.
The Raccoon.The Raccoon liveth in hollow trees, and is about the size of a Gib Cat; they feed upon Moss, and do infest our Indian Corn very much; they will be exceeding fat in Autumn; their flesh is somewhat dark, but good food roasted.
For Bruises and Aches.Their Fat is excellent for Bruises and Aches. Their Skins are esteemed a good deep Fur, but yet as the Wild Cats somewhat coarse.
The Porcupine.The Porcupine in some parts of the Countrey Eastward, towards the French, are as big as an ordinary Mungrel Cur; a very angry Creature and dangerous, shooting a whole shower of Quills with a rowse at their enemies, which are of that nature, that wherever they stick in the flesh, they will work through in a short time if not prevented by pulling of them out. The Indians make use of their Quills, which are hardly a handful long, to adorn the edges of their birchen dishes, and weave (dying some of them red, others yellow and blew) curious bags or pouches, in works like Turkie-work.
The Beaver, Canis Ponticus, Amphybious.
The Beaver, whose old ones are as big as an Otter, or rather bigger, a Creature of a rare instinct, as may apparently be seen in their artificial Dam-heads to raise the water in the Ponds where they keep, and their houses having three stories, which would be too large to discourse: They have all of them four Cods hanging outwardly between their hinder legs, two of them are soft or oyly, and two solid or hard· the Indians say they are Hermaphrodites.
For Wind in the Stomach.Their solid Cods are much used in Physick: Our Englishwomen in this Country use the powder grated, as much as will lye upon a shilling in a draught of Fiol Wine, for Wind in the Stomach and Belly, and venture many times in such cases to give it to Women with Child: Their Tails are flat, and covered with Scales without hair, which being flead off, and the Tail boiled, proves exceeding good meat, being all Fat, and as sweet as Marrow.
