Part 17

Pensylvania abounds in springs, and you commonly meet with a spring of clear water on one or the other, and sometimes on several sides of a mountain. The people near such springs, use them for every purpose of a fine spring water. They also conduct the water into a little stone building near the house, where they can confine it, and bring fresh supplies at pleasure. In summer they place their milk, bottles of wine and other liquors in this building, where they keep cool and fresh. In many country houses, the kitchen or buttery was so situated, that a rivulet ran under it, and had the water near at hand.

Not only people of fortune, but even others that had some possessions, commonly had fish ponds in the country near their houses. They always took care that fresh water might run into their ponds, which is very salutary for the fish: for that purpose the ponds were placed near a spring on a hill.

November the 13th. I saw in several parts of this province a ready method of getting plenty of grass to grow in the meadows. Here must be remembered what I have before mentioned about the springs, which are sometimes found on the sides of hills and sometimes in vallies. The meadows lie commonly in the vallies between the hills: if they are too swampy and wet, the water is carried off by several ditches. But the summer in Pensylvania is very hot; and the sun often burns the grass so much, that it dries up entirely. The husbandmen therefore have been very attentive to prevent this in their meadows: to that purpose they look for all the springs in the neighbourhood of a meadow; and as the rivulets flowed before by the shortest way into the vallies, they raise the water as much as possible and necessary, to the higher part of the meadow, and make several narrow channels from the brook, down into the plain, so that it is entirely watered by it. When there are some deeper places, they frequently lay wooden gutters across them, through which the water flows to the other side; and from thence it is again by very narrow channels carried to all the places where it seems necessary. To raise the water the higher, and in order to spread it more, there are high dykes built near the springs, between which the water rises till it is so high as to run down where the people want it. Industry and ingenuity went further: when a brook runs in a wood, with a direction not towards the meadow, and it has been found by levelling, and taking an exact survey of the land between the meadow and the rivulet, that the latter can be conducted towards the former; a dyke is made, which hems the course of the brook, and the water is led round the meadow over many hills, sometimes for the space of an English mile and further, partly across vallies in wooden pipes, till at last it is brought where it is wanted, and where it can be spread as above-mentioned. One that has not seen it himself, cannot believe how great a quantity of grass there is in such meadows, especially near the little channels; whilst others, which have not been thus managed look wretchedly. The meadows commonly lie in the vallies, and one or more of their sides have a declivity. The water can therefore easily be brought to run down in them. These meadows which are so carefully watered, are commonly mowed three times every summer. But it is likewise to be observed, that summer continues seven months here. The inhabitants seldom fail to employ a brook or spring in this manner, if it is not too far from the meadows to be led to them.

The leaves were at present fallen from all the trees; both from oaks, and from all those which have deciduous leaves, and they covered the ground in the woods six inches deep. The great quantity of leaves which drop annually, would necessarily seem to encrease the upper black mould greatly. However, it is not above three or four inches thick in the woods, and under it lays a brick coloured clay, mixed with a sand of the same colour. It is remarkable, that a soil which in all probability has not been stirred, should be covered with so little black mould: but I shall speak of this in the sequel.

November the 14th. The Squirrels which run about plentifully in the woods are of different species; I here intend to describe the most common sorts, more accurately.

The grey Squirrels are very plentiful in Pensylvania and in the other provinces of North America. Their shape corresponds with that of our Swedish squirrel; but they differ from them, by keeping their grey colour all the year long, and in size being something bigger. The woods in all these provinces, and chiefly in Pensylvania, consist of trees with deciduous leaves, and in such these squirrels like to live. Ray in his Synopsis Quadrupedum, p. 215, and Catesby in his Natural History of Carolina, Vol. 2. p. 74, tab. 74, call it the Virginian greater grey Squirrel; and the latter has added a figure after life. The Swedes call it grao Ickorn, which is the same as the English grey Squirrel. Their nests are commonly in hollow trees, and are made of moss, straw, and other soft things: their food is chiefly nuts; as hazel nuts, chinquapins, chesnuts, walnuts, hiccory nuts, and the acorns of the different sorts of oak which grow here; but maize is what they are most greedy of. The ground in the woods is in autumn covered with acorns, and all kinds of nuts which drop from the numerous trees: of these the squirrels gather great stores for winter, which they lay up in holes dug by them for that purpose: they likewise carry a great quantity of them into their nests.

As soon as winter comes, the snow and cold confines them to their holes for several days, especially when the weather is very rough. During this time they consume the little store, which they have brought to their nests: as soon therefore as the weather grows milder, they creep out, and dig out part of the store which they have laid up in the ground: of this they eat some on the spot, and carry the rest into their nests on the trees. We frequently observed that in winter, at the eve of a great frost, when there had been some temperate weather, the squirrels, a day or two before the frost, ran about the woods in greater numbers than common, partly in order to eat their fill, and partly to store their nests with a new provision for the ensuing great cold, during which they did not venture to come out, but stay snug in their nests: therefore seeing them run in the woods in greater numbers than ordinary, was a safe prognostic of an ensuing cold.

The hogs which are here droven into the woods, whilst there is yet no snow in them, often do considerable damage to the poor squirrels, by rooting up their store-holes, and robbing their winter provisions. Both the Indians, and the European Americans, take great pains to find out these store-holes, whether in trees or in the ground, as all the nuts they contain are choice, and not only quite ripe, but likewise not pierced by worms. The nuts and acorns which the Dormice, or Mus Cricetus, Linn. store up in autumn, are all in the same condition. The Swedes relate, that in the long winter, which happened here in the year 1741, there fell such a quantity of snow, that the squirrels could not get to their store, and many of them were starved to death.

The damage which these animals do in the maize fields, I have already described: they do the more harm, as they do not eat all the corn, but only the inner and sweet part, and as it were take off the husks. In spring towards the end of April, when the oaks were in full flower, I once observed a number of squirrels on them, sometimes five, six, or more in a tree, who bit off the flower stalks a little below the flowers, and dropt them on the ground: whether they eat any thing off them, or made use of them for some other purpose I know not: but the ground was quite covered with oak flowers, to which part of the stalk adhered. For this reason the oaks do not bear so much fruit by far, to feed hogs and other animals, as they would otherwise do.

Of all the wild animals in this country, the squirrels are some of the easiest to tame, especially when they are taken young for that purpose. I have seen them tamed so far, that they would follow the boys into the woods and run about every where, and when tired would sit on their shoulders. Sometimes they only ran a little way into the wood, and then returned home again to the little hole that had been fitted up for them. When they eat, they sit almost upright, hold their food between their forefeet and their tail bent upwards. When the tame ones got more than they could eat at a time, they carried the remainder to their habitations, and hid it amongst the wool which they lay upon. Such tame squirrels shewed no fear of strangers, and would suffer themselves to be touched by every body, without offering to bite. They sometimes would leap upon stranger’s cloaths and lie still on them, in order to sleep. In the farm houses where they were kept, they played with cats and dogs: they likewise eat bread.

The wild grey squirrels likewise hold up their tails when sitting. As soon as they perceive a man, they continually wag their tails and begin to gnash with their teeth, and make a great noise, which they do not readily give over. Those who go a shooting birds and other animals, are therefore very angry at them, as this noise discovers them, and alarms the game. Though a grey squirrel does not seem to be very shy, yet it is very difficult to kill; for when it perceives a man, it climbs upon a tree, and commonly chuses the highest about it. It then tries to hide itself behind the trunk, so that the shooter may not see it, and though he goes ever so fast round the tree, yet the squirrel changes its place as quickly, if not quicker: if two boughs bend towards each other, the squirrel lies in the middle of them, and presses itself so close, that it is hardly visible. You may then shake the tree, throw sticks and stones to the place where it lies, or shoot at it, yet it will never stir. If three branches join, it takes refuge between them, and lies as close to them as possible, and then it is sufficiently safe. Sometimes it escapes on a tree where there are old nests of squirrels, or of large birds: it slips into such, and cannot be got out, either by shooting, throwing, or any thing else; for the grey squirrels seldom leap from one tree to another, except extreme danger compels them. They commonly run directly up the trees and down the same way, with their head straight forward. Several of them which I shot in the woods, had great numbers of fleas.

I have already mentioned that these squirrels are among the animals, which at present are more plentiful than they formerly were, and that the infinitely greater cultivation of maize, which is their favourite food, is the cause of their multiplication. However it is peculiar, that in some years a greater number of squirrels come down from the higher countries into Pensylvania, and other English colonies. They commonly come in autumn, and are then very busy in the woods gathering nuts and acorns, which they carry into hollow trees or their store-holes, in order to be sufficiently provided with food for winter. They are so diligent in storing up of provisions, that though the nuts have been extremely plentiful that year, yet it is difficult to get a considerable quantity of them. The people here pretended from their own experience to know, that when the squirrels came down in such numbers from the higher parts of the country, the winter ensuing was uncommonly rigorous and cold, and for that reason they always look upon their coming down, as a sure sign of such a winter. Yet this does not always prove true, as I experienced in the autumn of the year 1749: at that time a great number of squirrels came down into the colonies, yet the winter was very mild and no colder than common. But it appeared that their migration was occasioned by the scarcity of nuts and acorns, which happened that year in the higher parts of the country, and obliged them to come hither for their food. Therefore they generally return the next year to the place from which they came.

Some people reckon squirrel flesh a great dainty, but the generality make no account of it. The skin is good for little, yet small straps are sometimes made of it, as it is very tough: others use it as a furr lining, for want of a better. Ladies shoes are likewise sometimes made of it.

The Rattle snake often devours the squirrels, notwithstanding all their agility. This unwieldy creature, is said to catch so agile an one, merely by fascination. I have never had an opportunity of seeing how it is done: but so many credible people assured me of the truth of the fact, and asserted that they were present, and paid peculiar attention to it, that I am almost forced to believe their unanimous accounts. The fascination is effected in the following manner: the snake lies at the bottom of the tree upon which the squirrel sits; its eyes are fixed upon the little animal, and from that moment it cannot escape; it begins a doleful outcry, which is so well known, that a person passing by, on hearing it, immediately knows that it is charmed by a snake. The squirrel runs up the tree a little way, comes downwards again, then goes up, and now comes lower again. On that occasion it has been observed, that the squirrel always goes down more than it goes up. The snake still continues at the root of the tree, with its eyes fixed on the squirrel, with which its attention is so entirely taken up, that a person accidentally approaching, may make a considerable noise, without the snake’s so much as turning about. The squirrel as before-mentioned comes always lower, and at last leaps down to the snake, whose mouth is already wide open for its reception. The poor little animal then with a piteous cry runs into the snake’s jaws, and is swallowed at once, if it be not too big; but if its size will not allow it to be swallowed at once, the snake licks it several times with its tongue, and smoothens it, and by that means makes it fit for swallowing. Every thing else remarkable at this enchantment, I have described in a treatise inserted in the Memoirs of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, in the Volume for the year 1753, I therefore am not so circumstantial here. The same power of enchanting is ascribed to that kind of snake, which is commonly called the black snake in America, and it is said to catch and devour squirrels in the same manner as the former. [49]

But these little animals do considerable damage to the maize, not only whilst it is upon the stalk, as I have before observed, but even when it is brought home into the barns: for if they can come at it without any obstacle, they can in a few nights bring a whole bushel away into their lurking holes. The government in most of the North American colonies, has therefore been obliged to offer a certain premium, to be paid out of the common treasury, for the head of a squirrel. It seems inconceivable what a sum of money has been paid for grey and black squirrel’s heads, in the province of Pensylvania only, from the first of January 1749, to the first of January 1750; for when the deputies from the several districts of the province met, in order to deliberate upon the affairs of the province, each of them complained that their treasuries were exhausted by paying so much for squirrels: for at that time the law had appointed a reward of three-pence for each squirrel’s head. So far extended the vengeance taken upon these little creatures, i.e. upon the grey and black squirrels. It was found, by calling up accounts, that in that one year eight thousand pounds of Pensylvania currency, had been expended in paying these rewards: this I was assured of by a man who had looked over the accounts himself.

Many people, especially young men, left all other employment, and went into the woods to shoot squirrels: but the government having experienced how much three-pence per head took out of the treasury, settled half that sum upon each squirrel’s head.

Flying Squirrels are a peculiar kind, which seem to be the same with those which inhabit Finland, and which Dr. Linnæus in his Fauna Svecica, No. 38. calls Sciurus volans. The American flying squirrel at the utmost is only a variety of that which we have in Finland. Catesby in his Natural History of Carolina, Vol. 2, p. 76, 77, has described it, and tab. 76, 77, drawn it after life. He likewise calls it Sciurus volans. Edwards in his Natural History of Birds represents it, t. 191. They are met with in the woods, but not very frequently. They are scarce ever seen in the day time, unless they are forced out by men who have discovered their nests: for they sleep in the day time, but as soon as it grows dark, they come out and run about almost all night. They live in hollow trees, and by cutting one down, seven or more flying squirrels are frequently found in it. By the additional skin with which Providence has provided them on both sides, they can fly from one tree to another. They expand their skins like wings, and contract them again as soon as they can get hold of the opposite tree. Some people say that they fly in a horizontal line; but others asserted that they first went a little downwards, and then rose up again, when they approached the tree to which they would fly: they cannot fly further than four or five fathoms. Among all the squirrels in this country, these are the most easily tamed. The boys carry them to school, or wherever they go, without their ever attempting to escape: if even they put their squirrel aside, it leaps upon them again immediately, creeps either into their bosom, or their sleeve, or any fold of the clothes, and lies down to sleep: its food is the same with that of the grey squirrel.

There is a small species of squirrels abounding in the woods, which the English call ground Squirrels. Catesby has described and drawn them from life, in the 2d. Vol. of his Natural History of Carolina, p. 75, tab. 75, and Edwards in his Natural History of Birds, t. 181. [50] He and Dr. Linnæus call it Sciurus striatus, or the streaked Squirrel. These do not properly live in trees, as others of this genus, but dig holes in the ground (much in the same manner as rabbets) in which they live, and whither they take refuge when they perceive any danger. Their holes go deep, and commonly further inwards divide into many branches. They are also cunning enough to make sometimes an opening or hole to the surface of the ground from one of these branches. The advantage they have from hence, is that when they stroll about for food, and the hole is stopt up through which they went out, they may not expose themselves to be caught, but presently find the other hole, into which they may retreat: but in autumn, when the leaves fall from the trees, or sometime after, it is diversion to see the consternation they are sometimes in when pursued; for their holes being easily covered with the great fall of leaves, or by the wind, they have a great deal to do, to find them on a sudden: they then run backwards and forwards, as if they had lost their way: they seem to know the places where they have made their subterraneous walks, but cannot conceive where the entrances are. If they be then pursued, and one claps his hands, they know no other refuge than that of climbing upon a tree; for it is to be observed that these squirrels always live under ground, and never climb upon trees unless pursued, and unable in the hurry to find their holes. This kind of squirrels is much more numerous in Pensylvania, than in any other province of North America through which I have travelled. Its length is commonly six inches, without the curved tail; and it is very narrow. The skin is ferruginous, or of a reddish brown, and marked with five black streaks, one of which runs along the back, and two on each side. Their food consists of all sorts of corn, as rye, barley, wheat, maize, and of acorns, nuts, &c. They gather their winter provisions in autumn, like the common grey squirrels, and keep them in their holes under ground. If they get into a granary, they do as much mischief as mice and rats. It has often been observed that if, after eating rye, they come to some wheat, they throw up the former, which they do not like so well as the wheat, in order to fill their belly with the latter. When the maize is reaped in the fields, they are very busy in biting off the ears, and filling the pouches in their mouth with corn, so that their cheeks are quite blown up. With this booty they hasten into the holes which they have made in the ground.

As a Swede was making a mill-dyke, pretty late in autumn, he employed for that purpose the soil of a neighbouring hill, and met with a hole on a subterraneous walk belonging to these squirrels; he followed it for some time, and discovered a walk on one side like a branch, parting from the chief stem: it was near two feet long, and at its end was a quantity of choice acorns of the white oak, which the little careful animal had stored up for winter. Soon after he found another walk on the side like the former, but containing a fine store of maize: the next had hiccory nuts, and the last and most hidden one contained some excellent chesnuts, which might have filled two hats.

In winter these squirrels are seldom seen, for during that season they live in their subterraneous holes upon the provisions, which they have stored up there. However on a very fine and clear day they sometimes come out. They frequently dig through the ground, into cellars in which the country people lay up their apples, which they partly eat, and partly spoil, so that the master has little or nothing left. They handle the maize stores full as roughly as the apples. But the cats are their great enemies, who devour them and bring them home to their young ones: their flesh is not eaten by men, and their skin is not made use of.

Of all the squirrels in the country, these are the most difficult to be tamed; for, though they be caught very young, yet it is dangerous to touch them with naked hands, as they bite very sharp when one is not aware of them. Many boys, who had lost a deal of time in trying to tame these squirrels, owned that they knew of no art to make them quite tame; at least they are never so far tamed as the other species. In order to do any thing towards taming them they must be caught when they are very small. Some people kept them in that state in a cage, because they looked very pretty.

I shall take an other opportunity of speaking of the black and ferruginous squirrels, which likewise inhabit this country.