214? THE RAT. 



had gnawed through thirty-two doors; and many 

 of the oaken window frames were irreparably in- 

 jured by them. While I was in Guiana, a Dutch 

 lady, named Vandenheuvil, had given me a young 

 tiger-cat, which one of her negroes had taken that 

 day in a coffee field. It was the marjay, which, 

 by the by, Buffon considers untameable. I raised 

 it with great care; and it grew so fond of me, that 

 it would follow my steps like a dog. Nothing 

 could surpass the dexterity with which this little 

 feline favourite destroyed the rats on our reaching 

 home. Towards the close of day it would as- 

 cend the staircase ; and no sooner did a rat make 

 its appearance from the casements, than it would 

 spring at it with the velocity of an arrow, and 

 never fail to seize it. In 1828, having got, by long 

 experience, a tolerably good insight into the habits 

 of this tormenting quadruped, and having found 

 that it spoiled or pilfered every thing within its 

 reach, I finally resolved that it should look out for 

 another place of residence. Wherefore I carefully 

 searched for all its various entrance holes. These 

 I effectually closed with stone and mortar. I then 

 filled up all useless sewers, and paid great attention 

 to the paving and renewing of those which were 

 absolutely required ; fixing, at the same time, in 

 either end of them, a cast-iron grate, movable at 

 pleasure. The bottoms of all the outer doors were 

 done with hoop iron; and the pavement which goes 

 round the house was relaid with particular care. 

 By these precautions, I barred all access to these 

 greedy intruders ; and, as no rubbish or lumber 



