272 
THE RAT. 
witness to their depredations, but a sufferer by tliem during 
her residence in tropical climates, and it was with difficulty 
that she kept them from her sleeping apartments. A vessel 
in which she sailed could only be cleared of them by sinking 
it under water for a time. A rather novel way of hunting 
them was practised in the Gambia, where they used to make 
numerous nests in the fire-places and chimneys, which were 
erected against the damp, and not against the cold. This 
lady says, that she was one day seated at work in her bed- 
room, and, hearing a slight noise, turned her head, and there 
was a great rat on the table close to her, apparently watching 
all her movements. She continued her employment for a 
few moments, so as not to alarm the gentleman ; then stole 
gently away, and shut the door after her. She called the 
servants, and in a few minutes a regular hunt was commenced. 
Two of the party, armed with sticks, turned the rats out 
from their hiding-places ; and, as they invariably ran round 
the sides of the room, other servants were stationed at the 
corners, who squatted down with towels in their hands 
v/hich they held open for the rats to rush into. They did, 
this in every instance, when their necks were immediately 
twisted, and they were thrown aside to be ready for another 
victim. In this manner, and in this one hunt, they suc- 
ceeded in capturing and destroying more than half a hundred 
rats. 
A FEW CONCLUDING HINTS. 
And now having, to the best of my powers, given you ^ 
most minute description of the nature, fecundity, and devas- 
tating powers of the rat, with the best means for its extirpa- 
tion, allow me to conclude with a few words of friendly 
advice. 
In the first place, let us have no more grumblings and 
poverty-striken yarns about bad harvests, high rents, low 
prices, and all such humdrum ; but let farmers buckle up 
their belts, and set to work with the enemy like English- 
'men, in downright earnest, and then will they be able to 
take the fall produce of their crops to market, and bring 
back the guineas in their pockets. To me it matters little 
as to whether farmers become their own rat-catchers, or 
