i'HE DOMESTIC CA'T. 30^ 



rated at four-pence, a great sum in those days, when 

 the value of specie was extremely high. It was 

 likewise required^ that the animal sliould be perfect 

 in its senses of hearing and seeing, should be a good 

 mouser, have its claws whole, and, if a female^ be 

 a careful nurse. If it failed in any of these qualifica- 

 tions, the seller was to forfeit to the buyer the third- 

 part of its value. — If any one should steal or kill the 

 Cat that guarded the Prince's granary, the offender 

 was to forfeit either a milch ewe^ her fleece, and 

 lamb; or as much wheat as, when poured on the 

 Cat suspended by its tail (its head touching the 

 floor), would form a heap high enough to cover the 

 tip of the tail. — From these circumstances we may 

 conclude, that Cats were not originally natives of 

 these islands ; and from the great care taken to im- 

 prove and preserve the breed of this prolific crea- 

 ture, we may with propriety suppose that they were 

 but little known at that period *. 



When M. Baumgarten was at Damascus, he saw 

 there a kind of hospital for Cats ; The house in 

 which they were kept was very large, walled round, 

 and was said to be quite full of them. On enquir- 

 ing into the origin of this singular institution, he was 

 told, that Mahomet, when he once lived here, 

 brought with him a Cat, which he kept in the sleeve 

 of his gown, and carefully fed with his own hands. 

 His followers in this place, therefore, ever afterwards 

 paid a superstitious respect to these animals ; and 

 supported them in this manner by public alms^ 



* Pcnn. Brit. Zool. i. 83. 

 X 2 



