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March 6, 1716

Peter Kalm (March 6, 1716 , to November 16, 1779) was, born in an area considered both Swedish and Finnish at the time of his birth. He was a disciple of Linnaeus, and worked as a botanist, and explorer. One of his major books, considered a resource not just for his comments about American animals and plants, but also people, was titled: 

Travels into North America: containing its natural history And A circumstantial Account of its Plantations and Agriculture in general; with the civil, ecclesiastical and commercial state of the country, , The Manners of the 1nhabitants, and several curious and 1mportant Remarks on vanous Subjects. (1771). 
Here is an interesting excerpt --


Beavers were formerly abundant in New Sweden, [now southern New Jersey] as all the old Swedes here
told me. At that time they saw one bank after another raised in the rivers by beavers. But after the Europeans came over in great number, and cultivated the country better, the beavers have been partly killed, and partly extirpated, and partly are removed higher into the country, where the people are not so numerous....Some persons in Philadelphia have tamed beavers, so that they go a fishing with them, and they always come back to their masters. Major Rodersert, in New York, related that he had a tame beaver above half a year in his house, where he went about quite loose, like a dog. The major gave him bread, and sometimes fish, which he was very greedy of. He got as much water in a bowl as he wanted. All the rags and soft things he could meet with he dragged into a corner, where he was used to steep, and made a bed of them. The cat in the house, having kittens, took possession of his bed, and he did not hinder her. When the cat went out, the beaver often took the kitten between his fore paws and held it to his breast to warm it, and doated upon it; as soon as the cat returned he gave her the kitten again. Sometimes he grumbled, but never did any hurt, or attempted to bite.

Alas, we have no clue about how the pet beaver satisfied his rodentine need to chew, in this story. 

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