300 TRAVELS through 



kill them ^ their flrength and their horns are 

 rendered ufelefs by this treachery. 



The zvood rat or Indian-rat is of the fize of an 

 European cat ; its head is like the head of a fox, 

 it has feet like a monkey, and the tail of a rat.* 

 This animal is very curious ; I once killed a fe- 

 male that had fcven young ones ; what is moil 

 furpriTing is to fee them airftick fait to the teats, 

 where they grow, and continue till they are able 

 to run about •, then they drop into a membrane 

 that forms a pouch : thofe young ones which I 

 faw were as big as new-born mice •, nature has 

 furnifhed the female with this pouch under the 

 belly, which is covered with hair, as a retreat fot 

 her young ones, when they are purfued, by 

 means of which the mother can fave them and 

 carry them off. Their Sefh taftes like that of a 

 fucking pig-, their hair is whitifh, and they have 

 likewife a down or v/ool like the beaver. This 

 pretended rat, lives in the woods upon the feeds 

 of beech-trees, upon chefnuts, walnuts, and 

 acorns. I have often eaten of them on my 

 voyages : their fat is very white and fine ; a fine 

 pomatum or unguent is made of it for the He- 

 morrhoids. 



Here 



.^ , . — ■ ■ - ■ ■ ■ — — ■ • ■ ■ 1 1 «:» 



* This is the Virginian Opojfum, Penus Syn, cuad. p, 

 204. and Didelphh marfupialis. Linn. 



