THE RAT. 239 



you go the right way to work. My own house, than which none in 

 Great Britain can have suffered more from the plundering propensities 

 of the Hanoverian rats, is now completely free from their unwelcome 

 presence. On my return to it in 1813, they absolutely seemed to 

 consider it their own property. They had gnawed through thirty-two 

 doors ; and many of the oaken window frames were irreparably in- 

 jured by them. While I was in Guiana, a Dutch lady, named 

 Vandenheuvil, had given me a young tiger-cat, which one of her 

 negroes had taken that day in a coffee-field. It was the marjay, 

 which, by the bye, Buffon considers untamable. I raised it with 

 great care ; and it grew so fond of me, that it would follow my steps 

 like a dog. Nothing could surpass the dexterity with which this 

 little feline favourite destroyed the rats on our reaching home. To- 

 wards the close of day it would ascend the staircase ; and no sooner 

 did a rat make its appearance from the casements, than it would 

 spring at it with the velocity of an arrow, and never fail to seize it. 

 In 1828, having got, by long experience, a tolerably good insight 

 into the habits of this tormenting quadruped, and having found that 

 it spoiled or pilfered everything within its reach, I finally resolved 

 that it should look out for another place of residence. Wherefore I 

 carefully searched for all its various entrance holes. These I 

 effectually closed with stone and mortar. I then filled up all useless 

 sewers, and paid great attention to the paving and renewing of those 

 which were absolutely required j fixing at the same time, in either 

 end of them, a cast-iron grate, movable at pleasure. The bottoms 

 of all the outer doors were done with hoop-iron, and the pavement 

 which goes round the house was relaid with particular care. By 

 these precautions, I barred all access to these greedy intruders ; and, 

 as no rubbish or lumber is now allowed to remain in the different 

 nooks and crannies commonly found near ancient dwellings, there is 

 no place of shelter left to conceal any stray individual whose bowels 

 may chance to yearn for one more repast on cheese or bacon. In 

 the meantime, the cat and the owl meet with no obstructions while 

 prowling for those which may still linger in the environs. The mice, 

 too, seem to have taken the alarm. In a word, not a single mouse 

 or rat is to be found in any part of the house, from the cellars to the 

 attic stories. In case it were not convenient or practicable to adopt 



