Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-06-29

A writer in the Baltimore Sun says
that the French "pigeon-post" has
recalled attention to a subject that
has long had deep interest tor nat
uralists-the power of instinct ami
mails exhibit of finding their way
back to a spot from whence they
may have been taken, by road new
er before traversed by them.
Pigeons carrying messages or re.
turning long distances to their
''cotes" most certainly find their way
back by means OF sight. This is evi-
denced by the fact OF the long train
ing required, and the inability or dis
inclination to fly during fog. But
this means of finding out distant
locality cannot apply in the cases we
are about to record.
At Nancouver's island a gentleman
had house on one side Of Esquimalt
harbor, wherein he and his family re.
sided. They had favorite cat, which
was always made great pet. 1t so
happened that the owner of the house
had occasion to change his residence
to the other side of the harbor. The
distance in a straight line was quite
a mile, while to reach the house by
making circuit of the harbor, a dis
lance 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 9TH
er pussy was fastened securely into
a basket, and taken in boat across
the barbor, 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 case that
the cat could not have seen anything
of the route followed by water from
house to house. Strange as it may
seem, she made her escape during
the night, and when, on the day fol-
lowing her removal, some of the
family returned for articles left be-
hind, there was pussy, somewhat
dirty and tired, but in perfect safety
Now she could only have reached the
residence in two ways-either by
swimming the harbor, which is by no
means probable, or she found her
way through the forest, where she
had never been before, and tLroagh
thick undcrbrush, without any trail
or path to guide her; and what
makes the matter far more wonder
full is the fact that the cat must have
passed close to an Indian village,
around which a number half-wild
dogs were always prowling.
There is another story OF somewhat
similar character told of cat, which
is, l believe, we'll authenticated.
"When living" says the writer, "at
Four-Paths, Clarendon, Jamaica, l
wanted cat, and had one given to
me which was nearly full grown; it
was brought from Morgan's Valley
estate, where it was bred, and had
never been removed from that place
before. 1t was put into canvas bag
and carriedi by man on horseback.
Between the two places there were
two rivers, one Of them 80 feet broad
and two feet and a half deep, run
ming strong; the other is wider and
more rapid, but less deep. Over
these rivers are no bridges. The
cat was shut up at Four-Paths for
some days, and when considered to
be reconciled to her dwelling, she
was allowed her liberty about the
house. The day after obtaining her
liberty she was missing. and, upon
my next visiting the estate she was
brought from, l was quite amazed to
learn that the cat had come back
again. Did she swim over the rivers
at the fords, where the horse came
through with her, or did she ascend
the banks for considerable distance
in search Of a more shallow place,
and where the stream was less pow.
erful ? At all events, she must have
crossed the rivers, in opposition to
her natural habit"
myself once had favorite span.
iel, called Sport. He was lent to q
friend, who came to fetch him. Sport
was placed in a dog.cart and driver
to my friends residence, a distance
Of over 20 miles. The cart was &C
made that air could freely get in 10,
the dog to breath, but by no posiblli
" could any part of the road be seer
during the journey. On his arrlva
Sport was tied up with a rope under
the manger in the stable. During
the night the dog gnawed his rope
made his escape through a broker
window, and was discovered early il
the morning succeeding his depar
ture, sitting weary, hungry, and be
draggled outside the door OF my owl
residence. Now, the question which
naturally presents itself is, how die
the dog find his way back along
road not one foot of which he hat
ever seen before? The remember
ance of particular objects noted BY
the way could not have guided thu
dog, simply because he had no oppor
tuDity affor ded him of seeing them.
! once, while living in the far west
rode horse from my camp across .
prairie TO an encampment Of squat
tiers, a distance Of more than q
miles. A river of some width wa
crossed on the route, the horse being
terried over in large boat. Th'
animal had never travelled the roal
previously, nor had it ever run upol
the prairie, and yet during the nigh
it contrived to break his tether line
and in the dark to find his way bacl
to our camp; and, what is NOR
strange, the horse actually swan tn.
stream it had, during the day, beer
ferried over in a boat. By wha
means, it may be asked, did the hors,
contrive to find its way over a grassy