A Cat Story.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 283, 27 October 1884, Page 2

A Cat Story.

A curious little incident reaches us (Poat) from Groro Bay, -the scene of the wreck of the Lastingham. A few days ap*o Messrs. Jenkins and France paid a visit to the wreck. While Mr France was on the cliff over the spot where the vessel lies, he heard the faint mew of a cat. A t first he could not see any animal likely to be responsible for the familiar sound, but on his calling " Puss, puss," a large grey, hungry— looking cat came running towards him. It is very tamef, and from the way it " chums " up t» everyone the divers are of opinion that it must be the Lastinghani's "fo'lksle cat." There is a general desire to take possession of the uewlydiscoveved memento of the catastrophe we assure our readers no pun vraa intended — but Mr France consider* he has a preferential claim unless the company can establish a better rights Should they think of doing so, it will be interesting to see under what category they will claim the animal, whether as cargo, ship's stores, flu tings, or live stock. [We think our contemporary the Post has been guilty o£ having per* petrated a catachresis m its reference to the tabby, the erstwhile pet of the ancient mariners who navigated the ill-fated Lastingbsina. The poor animal must have subsistod since the wreck m the rooky catacombs m the vicinity

,x>t the' melancholy catastrophe, and the tiudev, Mr France, will now be able to descant from actual experience m the science of catacqtistica. Tt is a wonder the surviving feline did not Buccumb to catalepsy, and so add one more to the dismal' catalogue of loss of life by the sad occurrence. Possibly the solitary .waif may have come ashore on a catamaran, or it may have ■descended from the catamount family at some remote period. On the other hand it may have been driven from ' civilization by cruel boys with catapults, and its melancholy mowing may have been the result of a severe . catarrh. We think there is much yet to narrate of this unfortunate pussy, now rescued from the cataract of waters wbich poured over the doomed yessel when> foundering on the rockbound shore.]