fly: Twenty-Five years ago, in return for piece of red worsted binding which l gave to an Arkansas squaw, she presented me with a young beaver about the size of a cat I was pleased with the acquisition, intending eventually to present it to my old ] friend Peale, of the Philadelphia Museum it had been strictly secured from it's birth, but, on all occasions, it showed the strongest inclination to approach the water and make its escape it was not mischiev- ous, and fed kindly on Indian corn, dried pumpkins and green twigs. carried it with me for considerable time while nav igating on several ofthe western rivers, and it became with me favorite, and source of frequent amusement. At all times guarding against an escape into running or deep water, was in the habit of indulging it with bath whenever I encamped at night or stopped by day, and convenient stream or pool presented on the sand beach. I carried it in barrel in my ca noe, and to guard it from the intense heat ofthe sun, covered it with green branches, but these would not exclude the mosqui- toes, which tormented it necessarily, and to such an extent that could not resistils plaintive moans, and at length, most reluc- tautly, determined to release it; I accor- dingly removed the leash by which it was held, and threw the beaver from me into the Mississippi, without the slightest ex- pectation of ever seeing it again judge then of my astonishment and delight, when, in about ten minutes, having proba- bly, foa,ed an half mile, I heard it whine at my elbow; l extended my hand and a. gain restored it to the barrel; and subse- quently, during thousand miles of navi- gation, perhaps twenty miles day, l threw it into the river, when after it be- came tired its gambols, in swimming, and diving, sometimes to great depths, and threshing the water with it's tail, it would again come to my hand with an imploring look, to be again taken into the canoe.- For near month, after my arrival at New Orleans, was confined to my bed by ex- treme illness, aud did not see the Beaver 1;

 when coEvalescent, friend carried me to l his country house many miles from New

 Orleans, and one day, when asleep, sus-

 pended in hammock across the gallery,

 I was aroused by tho well known whine

 of my poor pet; it had that day been

 brought from the city by some of the plant ation negroes, and turned loose, and in half

 an hour had singled out its emaciated mas

 ter, and appeared to show evident symp-

 toms of pleasure and excitement on the oc-

 casion. This animal always appeared sensible to kindness, and exhibited an in- ] stinct SO acute as indeed seemed like more than half reasoning-but not sufficiently acute, however, 10 escape death from the rife of a Kentucky boatman, who took it to be straggler from some colony in the far distant west.