202 A CAT-CLOCK. 



A CAT-CLOCK. 



The following curious incident is to be found in Hue's 

 "Chinese Empire" : 



" One day, when we went to pay a visit to some families 

 of Chinese Christian peasants, we met, near a farm, a young 

 lad, who was taking a buffalo to graze along our path. We 

 asked him carelessly as we passed whether it was yet noon. 

 The child raised his head to look at the sun, but it was 

 hidden behind thick clouds, and he could read no answer 

 there. ' The sky is so cloudy,' said he ; ' but wait a 

 moment ; ' and with these words he ran towards the farm, 

 and came back a few minutes afterwards with a cat in his 

 arms. ' Look here,' said he, ' it is not noon yet ;' and he 

 showed us the cat's eyes by pushing up the lids with his 

 hands. We looked at the child with surprise ; but he was 

 evidently in earnest, and the cat, though astonished, and 

 not much pleased at the experiment made on her eyes, 

 behaved with most exemplary complaisance. ' Very well,' 

 said we, 'thank you;' and he then let go the cat, w^ho 

 made her escape pretty quickly, and we continued our 

 route. To say the truth, we had not at all understood 

 the proceeding, but did not wish to question the little 

 pagan, lest he should find out that we were Europeans by 

 our ignorance. As soon as we reached the farm, how- 

 ever, we made haste to ask our Christians whether they 

 could tell the clock by looking into the cat's eyes. They 

 seemed surprised at the question, but as there was no danger 

 in confessing to them our ignorance of the properties of the 

 cat's eyes, we related what had just taken place. That was 

 all that was necessary ; our complaisant neophytes imme- 

 diately gave chase to all the cats in the neighbourhood. 

 They brought us three or four, and explained in what 

 manner they might be made use of for watches. They 



