278 The Book of Cats. 



" A squall came on one night, and I gave the 

 order to let go the main-top-gallant halyard. The 

 Cat was in the coil of rope, and in whizzing through 

 the leading block the rope cut off its tail. She 

 remembered the place which she had found so 

 dangerous, and could never afterwards be induced 

 to venture abaft the foremast. 



" In Sydney we had hauled out from Campbell's 

 Wharf to the stream, previous to sailing next day 

 for England, and found, when the men had gone to 

 bed, that the tailless black Cat was missing. It 

 could not be below, as the hatches were battened 

 down. About 3 A.M. next morning, the two men 

 who kept anchor watch heard a piteous cry at the 

 bows, and looking over saw a black object clinging 

 to the chain cable, trying to get in at the hawse- 

 pipe. One of them lowered himself down by a 

 bowline, and handed up poor Pussy in an awful 

 plight. She had swum off to the ship, — about three 

 hundred yards. It took three or four days of 

 nursing before she recovered, but she got round at 

 last, and remained in the ship for more than five 

 years afterwards. 



'' Sailors have the greatest objection to a Cat 

 being thrown overboard. The captain one day 

 found a Cat sitting on his chronometer in his 



