Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-07-27
THE INSTINCT OF TRAVEL

How Pigeons, Cats, Hounds and
Foxes Find Their Way Home
Through Strange Countries A
Number OF Interesting Illustrative
Anecdo tss,
A writer in the Baltimore Sun says
that the French ''pigeor-post" has re-
called attention to subject that has
long had deep interest for naturalisis-
the power of instinct animals exhibit of
finding their way back to a spot from
whence they may have been taken, by
a road never before traversed by them.
Pigeons carrying messages or returning
long distances to their "cotes" most GER
tsinly find their way back by means of
sight. This is evidenced by the fact of
the long training required. and their ina
bility or Discrimination to fly during fog.
But this means of finding out distant
locality cannot spply in the cases VIC are
about TO record.
AT Vancouver's Island gentleman he'd
a house on one side of Esquimslt Harbor
whore he snd his family resided. They
had 8 favorite cat, which was always
made great pet. It so happened that
the owner of the house had occasion TO
change his residence to the other side
of the harbOr. The distance in 8
straight line was quite a mile, while
to reach the house by making q cir
cult of the harbor, q distance of quite
four miles must be Travelled, and that
through dense forest of pines, thickly
undergrown with brushWOOd. When the
family removed from one house to the
other, pussy was fastened securely into q
basket, ard taken in boat across the
harbOr, and was not let out of her prison
until she was secured in a room at her
new residence.
1t is quite clear In this csse that the cat
could not have seen anything of the
route followed by water from house 10
house. Strange as it may seem, she
made her escape during the night, and
when, on the day following her removal,
some of the family returned for articles
left behind, there was pussy, somewhat
dirty and tired, but ia perfect safety.
Now, she could only have reached
the residence in two ways-eiiher
by swimming the hsrbOr, which is by
no means probable, or she found her way
through the forest, where she had never
been before, and through thick under
brush, without any trail or path to guide
her; and what makes the matter far more
wonderful is the fact that the cat must
have passed close to an Indian village,
around which 8 number of half wild dogs
were always proWling.
There is another story of q somewhat
similar character told of q cat, which is,
l believe, well authenticated. "When
living" says the writer, sat -Four Paths,
Clarendon, Jamaica, | wanted cat, sn1
had one given to me which was nearly
full grown; it was brought from MOrgsn's
Valley estate, where it was bred, snd had
never been removed from that place
before. The distance was i've
miles. 1t was put into 8 canvaa bag
and carried by man on horseback. Be-
tween the two places there were two Rvs
ers, one Of them eighty feet broad aud
two feet and half deep, running strong;
the other is wider and more rapid, but
less deep. Over these rivera are no
bridges. The cat was shut up ct Four
Paths for some days, and when consider
ed to be recOnciled at her dwelling, she
was allowed to 60 sb5ut the house. TIE
day after obtaining her liberty she was
missing, and, upon my next visiting the
estate she wa brought from, l was
quite amazed to learn that the cat had
come back again. Did she swim over
the rivers al the fords where the horse
came through with her, or did she ascend
the banks for a considerable distance in
search of more shallow pace, and
where the stream was less powerful At
all events, she must have crossed the
rivers, in opposition to her natural hab-
its.n
l myself once had a favorite spaniel
called Sport. He was lent to 9 friend,
who came to fetch him. Sport was
placed IN q dog-cart, and driven to my
friends residence, distance OF over
twenty miles. The cart was made 90
that air could freely get il for the dog
to breathe, but by no possibility could
any part of the road be seen during
the journey. On his arrival Spot was
tied up with rope under the manger in the
stable. During the night the dog gnawed
his rope, made hisescspe through abroken
window, and was discovered early in the
morning succeeding his departure, sitting
wesry, hungry and bedrsggled, outside the
door of my own residence. Now, the ques-
tion which naturally presents itself is,
how did the dog find his way back along
a road not one foot Of which he had ler
seen befOre2 The remembrance of par
.icular objects noted by the way, could
not have guided the dog, simply because
be had no opportunity afforded him of
seeing them.
l once, while living In the far West,
ode q horse from my camp across a
prairie to an encampment of squatters,
distance of more than twenty miles. A
liver of some width was CROSSED on the
quite, the horse being ferried over in a
arge boat. The animal nsd never trsy-
lied the road previously, nor it had ever
'un upon the prairie, and yet, during the |
hight, it cOntrived to break lis teiher line, |
md, in the dark. 10 find its way back to |
1ur camp; and, what is more strange,
he horse actually swan the stream il
lau uUIluR JltO 10Y bSOh iNAAASN tfCA III u |
boat By what means, 1t may be asked,
lid the horse cOntrive to fnd its way over
grassy waste never trOdden by it pre-
7iously, to given pOins go far tistant2
There was 10 path or trail, and in the
lark the horse could. not, except by
have retIaced its own footprints.
Many similar anecdotes are on record,
o which the following authenticated case
nay be added: a horse was turned cut in
ome marches adjoining the Thames
The distance in straighl line from his
owners house was only few m,les, hUt
he had % be sent long way around ~
cross the bridge. In less than twenty
Tour hours he made his appearance at the
stable door, dripping wei, having swain
he river and taken a STRAIGHT line home.