Penfyfoania, Philadelphia. 215 



aflured me, that they have had their faces wetted 

 with it all over, though they flood above eigh- 

 teen feet off from the animal. The urine has fo 

 horrid a flench, that nothing can equal it : it is 

 fomething like that of the Crane/bill, or L//z- 

 xaus's Geranium robertianum, but infinitely 

 ftronger. If you come near a polecat when it 

 fpreads its flench, you cannot breathe for a 

 while, and it feems as if you were ftifled ; and 

 in cafe the urine comes into the eyes, a perfon 

 is likely to be blinded. Many dogs, that in a 

 chace purfue the polecat very eagerly, run away 

 as faft as they can when they are wetted j how- 

 ever, if they be of the true breed, they will not 

 give over the purfuit till they have caught and 

 killed the polecat; but they are obligeinow and 

 then to rub their nofes in the ground in order to 

 relieve themfelves. 



CLOTHES which have been wetted by this 

 animal retain the fmell for more than a month, 

 unlefs they be covered with freili foil, and fuffer- 

 ed to remain under it for twenty-four hours to- 

 gether, when it will, in a great meafure, be re- 

 moved. Thofe likewife who have got any of 

 this tfrine upon their face and hands, rub them 

 with loofe earth ; and fome even hold their hands 

 In the ground for an hour, as wafhing will not 

 help them fo foon. A certain man of rank, who 

 had by accident been wetted by the polecat, flunk 

 fo ill, that on going into a houfe, the people 

 either ran away, or, on his opening the door, 

 rudely denied him entrance. Dogs that have 

 hunted a polecat are fo offenfive, for fome days 

 afterwards, that th Cannot be borne in the 



P 4 houfe. 



