A PLAGUE OF RATS AT SEA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), 30 October 1883, Page 4

A PLAGUE OF RATS AT SEA.

A passenger on a small steamer carrying fruit from Leghorn to Ncav York, Avhich touched at various ports in tho Mediterranean, gives an account of a plague of rats at sea.:—"My pleasure in the dreamy languor of tin Italian summer avus soon to receive a shock from Avhat at first .vas simply an annoyance, but Avhich finally became so intolerable that sleep became almost impossible, and safety could, only bo found at tho cost of unceasing A'igilanco. On shoro, if a house is filled Avith these beasts, thero is some remedy at hand, or at least there is always the last resortof flight. But at soa thero is no escape. Although more rats came aboad at each port of call, nothing serious occurred until avc loft Gibraltar. Then the trouble began. The cargo, which consisted almost entirely of oranges and lemons, was, of course, almost untouched; but Avhen Aye avci-o throe days out the rats, becoming bolder by hunger, began to make their presence known in a manner which Avas decidedly unpleasant. To give some idea of the number, it Avas not unusual for from thirty to fifty to be caught and dro.vncd in a single day, and this made no perceptiblo difference iv the number. At first they confined their voyages to the hold and forecastle, but finally invaded tho saloon and stale-rooms. Going to one's room at night avus at last a feat requiring some nervo and courage—the more co as it had generally to be done in pitch

darkness. It Avas not af all unusual to step down into the saloon and near a sonnd as if hundreds of rats Avere scampering away at your approach. Sleep became a luxury to be enjoyed only by day, for the state-rooms were unbearable finally, Sonp, shoes, trunks, clothes—everything, in fact, avus eaten and destroyed by this ravenous horde, rendered Avild by famine and bold by countless numbers. Several of the sailors were severely bitten in their sleep, and a goodsized dog, that had shown intense hatred for tho pests at the beginning of the voyage, became shy of troing below at night, and the last ten days before reaching New York passed his entire time on deck. He could not bo induced to go below oven in the daytime. It Avould not be possible to estimate the number of rats on board, but it must have reached Avell into four figures, and many of the sailors said they had never known in all their voyages a ship so overrun Avith A'ormin, many being of the large Norwegian variety. AVhen avc reached New York, for days rats were seen leaving the ship at all hours, many hundreds escaping to the decks in this ay.iv. The reason for tho presence of so unusual and fierce a horde was said to be the nature_ of the cargo carried out from America, Avhich consisted largely of provisions and grain."