HABITS OF THE MUSANG. 263 



or favourable. I may, however, mention a few peculiari- 

 ties in the economy of some whose acquaintance I culti- 

 vated, which may, perhaps, serve to amuse the reader. 

 A Musang, as the Malays term it, (Viverra musangd) 

 during the time it was in my possession, afforded much 

 amusement, and deserves honourable mention at my 

 hands. In many of his manners he resembled the Man- 

 gusta, or Indian Ichneumon, placing his nose low, and 

 trailing his tail along the ground. When annoyed, how- 

 ever, he arched his back, bristled his hairs, and dilated his 

 tail in the manner of an angry cat, and would spit and 

 bite very severely. He would also gambol like a kitten, 

 and bite the fingers gently with his sharp white teeth. 

 He climbed with great facility, and was perfectly at home 

 among the rigging of the ship. He was an inquisitive 

 and cunning little animal, ferreting out everything edible, 

 rifling the messes of the seamen, especially their sugar, 

 and sucking the eggs^ belonging to the stewards. For 

 these petty thefts he has been flung over-board several 

 times, but swimming with ease and rapidity, he ascended 

 by the rudder-chains, shook himself, and resumed his 

 ordinary peculations. On one occasion an enemy having 

 thrown him into the sea, a friendly cook gave him a rope, 

 when he climbed nimbly inboard, and was saved. One 

 ill-fated day he ventured into the holy precincts of the 

 Captain's cabin, in pursuit of a rat, overthrew some 

 bottles, and shortly afterwards, being detected in the yet 

 more heinous offence of stealing the Captain's Pigeons, 

 his death-warrant was signed, and he was accordingly 

 executed by the sentry of the galley. 



As an instance of the 'poor Musang's cunning, I may 



