Some notes on the native fauna
May. 14th, 2011 09:33 pmA curious circumstance happened at Mr. Blinkworth's, Jerusalem, the other day. A native tiger, as it is called, boldly entered his cottage, where his family was assembled, and seized one of the little children by the hair, but fortunately missed its bite. Mr. Blinkworth who was confined to the house with a lame hand, alertly seized the animal by the tail and dashing it on the ground speedily killed it.
Hobart Town Courier, 17 April 1830
When Captain Petrie lately sailed from this in the Drummore to the Mauritius, he took with him as a present to one of the authorities at Port Louis, one of those savage creatures peculiar to this Island, commonly called a devil, which had been caught and as far as was practicable tamed, by Mr. Davidson at the Government garden. Considerable difficulty arose however in landing it at Port Louis, for the officer of the customs there strongly remonstrated against landing in their beautiful island, any thing in the shape or even with the name of the devil. They recollected no doubt, the time when their predecessors the Dutch were forced to abandon the island when it became overrun with rats. However on ascertaining that it was only a simple quadruped, though a curious one, and on the gentleman to whom it was given, undertaking to keep it secure, it was at last allowed to be landed. But the devil was not long in his new birth when he contrived to make his escape, and for some weeks dreadful havock was played among the poultry around, until with difficulty he was shot. It is curious, that though this singular animal has now been known and described by naturalists for some years, a living specimen has never been sent to England, until Capt. Riddell of the Duchenfield, which sailed the other day undertook to do so. There is now a dam (or in other words a she-devil) in a crib at the Government gardens, which has brought forth three young ones, but they seem quite untameable.
Colonial Times, 18 June 1833
Hobart Town Courier, 17 April 1830
When Captain Petrie lately sailed from this in the Drummore to the Mauritius, he took with him as a present to one of the authorities at Port Louis, one of those savage creatures peculiar to this Island, commonly called a devil, which had been caught and as far as was practicable tamed, by Mr. Davidson at the Government garden. Considerable difficulty arose however in landing it at Port Louis, for the officer of the customs there strongly remonstrated against landing in their beautiful island, any thing in the shape or even with the name of the devil. They recollected no doubt, the time when their predecessors the Dutch were forced to abandon the island when it became overrun with rats. However on ascertaining that it was only a simple quadruped, though a curious one, and on the gentleman to whom it was given, undertaking to keep it secure, it was at last allowed to be landed. But the devil was not long in his new birth when he contrived to make his escape, and for some weeks dreadful havock was played among the poultry around, until with difficulty he was shot. It is curious, that though this singular animal has now been known and described by naturalists for some years, a living specimen has never been sent to England, until Capt. Riddell of the Duchenfield, which sailed the other day undertook to do so. There is now a dam (or in other words a she-devil) in a crib at the Government gardens, which has brought forth three young ones, but they seem quite untameable.
Colonial Times, 18 June 1833
