THE ROYAL RAT-CATCHER.

Western Star, Issue 2152, 30 October 1897, Page 6

THE ROYAL RAT-CATCHER.

The rat-catcher has almost disappeared as an every day acquaintance. But he still lingers in the Koval dockyards, and is occasionally to be seen in tho old wooden battle-ships that lie in a row (Rotten Row, it is generally called), in our naval ports. Her Majesty’s Royal Naval Rat-catcher is but a humble official, in spite of bis long title, his remuneration being simply that of an ordinary dockyard labourer, 18s. a week, in addition to which he is allowed a penny a head for each rat caught.

Rat-catchers are not, alas ! superior to the temptations of ordinary humanity ; and it was discovered some time ago that the same rats used to appear over and over again to be counted for the rodential capitation grant. Since then each batch has been cremated in the presence of the chief boatswain of the dockyard. The rat-catcher makes periodical visits to infested vessels, and seldom fails to bring away a bagful of his living prey. Nobody ever sees him at work. He descends into the bowels of the ship, and is lost to sight and sound till he emerges laden with his victims. An atmosphere of mystery surrounds his rusty brown, silent figure, in the eyes of the blue-jackets. He is popularly supposed to possess some of the occult powers of the “ Pied Piper of Hameliu,” and go down to the haunts of the rats, gently whistling, and reeking with some strange odour, when they at once flock round him, and he simply pick* them up with his naked hand (he never gets bitten), and puts them into his bag. The writer knew one who used no bag, but always carried the rats in his breast, where they might be seen running round and round inside his vest, and occasionally poking out their sharp noses from under his chin. In reality, however, his modus operand! is very simple. He places traps, baited with aniseed, in alt the corners of the hold and bilges ; aud so fond are the rats of the ouorous substance that two, and sometimes three, are found in one trap.

He uses neither dogs nor ferrets ; thei e is no room for the formsr, and the latter would get lost In the endless maze of a ship’s bottom.

As long as the wooden hulks last which lie rotting iu the our harbours occupation will always be found for Her Majesty’s rat-catchers