LETTER XVII. 185 



near Esquimalt, the great harbour of Vancouver 

 Island, not four miles from the Lieutenant- 

 Governor's official residence, and less from the 

 General Post Office, when his spaniel was 

 knocked head over heels by a panther or moun- 

 tain lion. Captain S. had no gun, neither had 

 he any intention of letting his dog be mauled by 

 the great yellow cat before him, so, like a gallant 

 sailor, he ' went for ' that panther with his walk- 

 ing-stick. The panther, not caring to come to 

 close quarters with her Majesty's navy, ' sheered 

 off ' (I think that sounds right for a naval engage- 

 ment, doesn't it, Lina ?), and left the dog and his 

 master to return to their ship in peace. The odd 

 part of the story is, that not only did Captain S. 

 get a gun, come back, and find and kill his as- 

 sailant, but that the same Captain S. saw another 

 panther the same week rolling in the dust of the 

 road near the harbour. 



So you see that though we have most of the 

 luxuries of civilization, we have not quite ban- 

 ished the aborigines of the country from our 

 midst. 



With a view to settling here, T have been 

 looking at some of the houses for sale on the 

 island. Here, as elsewhere, you have to pay for 

 position. James Bay is the place for official 

 residences, I suppose ; Nob's Hill is the Kensing- 



