A PLAGUE OF RATS AT SEA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1184, 11 December 1883, Page 3

A PLAGUE OF RATS AT SEA.

A passenger on a small steamer carrying fruit from Leghorn to New York, which touched at various ports in the Mediterranean, gives an account of a plague of rats at sea “ My pleasure in the dreamy laoguor of an Italian summer was soon to receive a shock from what at first was simply an annoyance, but which finally became so intolerable that sleep became almost impossible, and safely could only be found at the cost of unceasing vigilance. On shore, if a house is filled with these beasts, there is some remedy at hand, or at least there is always the last resort of flight. But at sea there is no escape. Although more rats came aboard at e*ch port of coil nothing serious occurred ontil we left Gibraltar Then the trouble began. The cargo, which consisted almost entirely of oranges and lemons, was, of course, almost untouched ; and when we were three days out the rats, becoming bolder by hunger, began to make their presence known in a manner which was decidedly unpleasant. , To give some idea of their number, it was not unusual for from thirty to fifty to be caught and drowned in a single day, and this made no perceptible difference in the number. At first they confined their voyages to the hold and forecastle, but finally invaded the saloon and state-rooms. Going to

i,mi's room at night was at la-k a feat requiring some nerve and coun g‘- tne more so as it had generally to bo done in pitch darkness. It was not at all musual to step down into tbo saloon and hear a sound as if hundreds of rats were scampering away at your approach. Sleep became a luxury to bo enjoyed only by day, for the state rooms were unbearable finally. Soap, shoes, trunks, clothes —everything, in fact, were eaten and destroyed by this ravenous horde, rendered wild by famine and bold by countless numbers. Several of the sailors were severely bitten in (heir sleep, and a goodsized dog, that had shown an intense hatred for the pests at the beginning of the vovage, became shy of going below at night, and the last ten days before reaching New York passed his entire time on deck. He could not be induced to go below even in the daytime. It would not be possible to estimate the number of rats on board, but it must haye reached well into four figures, and many of the sailors said they had never known in all their voyages a ship so oyer-. run with vermin, mauy bemgof the large Norwegian variety. When we reached New York, for days rats were seen leaving the ship at all hours, many hundreds escaping to the docks in this way. The reason for the presence of so unusual and fierce a horde was said to be the nature of the cargo carried out from America, which consisted chiefly of provisions and grain.”