NATHANIEL LAWRENCE AUSTEN. xv 



care to place our feet so as not to allow pebbles to 

 roll down, and above all to prevent the rifle-barrels 

 clinking against the stones. After about half- an - 

 hour's caterpillar-like progress, great part of which 

 was in the bed of an icy-cold mountain stream, we 

 reached the masses of disrupted rock, and at length 

 found ourselves within 150 yards of the deer. 

 For the first time I had the opportunity of a good 

 look at these splendid animals in their wild state/' 

 His ideas of a herd of elephants based upon his 

 knowledge of their structure and their habits (see 

 p. 107) is also written in his best style. 



Concerning shrews he writes, "A small colony 

 frequently inhabit the same spot, and towards the 

 cool of the evening may be observed searching for 

 food, and sporting with each other in the water, 

 now hiding behind stones or large leaves to elude 

 their companions, and then darting out to engage in 

 a general skirmishing chase, diving and swimming 

 with the greatest activity, and occasionally taking a 

 plunge into their holes." 



There are many other prettily-written passages 

 in his writings which the reader will doubtless duly 

 appreciate. 



Mr. Austen was a true disciple of Paley, who 

 wrote that admirable book on Natural Theology. 

 Austen, like Paley, saw Beauty, Design, and Order 

 in all God's works, as exemplified by the Creation. 



