30 THE EARLY DAYS OF 



though I never saw or even heard of a lamb deprived of its fleece 

 myself,! and Chang, so long as the repugnance shown towards him 

 was confined to words, sheered off, like Captain Cuttle, whenever 

 danger threatened, and habit having acquired the phase of second 

 nature, abuse which defiled its authors, although perhaps they did 

 not think so, made no more impression on Old Chang than rain on 

 the backs of water fowl. 



We were enjoying some bread and cheese and radishes together, 

 during the preparation hour one evening, just before retiring to rest, 

 and as my friend was cramming these delicacies into his capacious 

 mouth, the presiding master " twigged " him, and making a few 

 rapid strides in our direction, and using his extended finger as a 

 lance in rest, he assuredly would have transfixed one of Chang's 

 almond eyes, had not that youth, who was always on the look out 

 for thrusts, or blows, or kicks, ducked his head, and caused the 

 master to fall over him, 



" Speak gently, for 'tis better far 

 To rule by love than fear," 



is good advice, but seldom followed at the school when I was there, 

 and so soon as the master could recover himself from his undignified 

 position, he roared out, as he prodded Chang in what we called the 

 wind, "Great, coarse, gluttonous fellow ! Go and stand out against 

 the wall, and write me out one hundred lines of Ovid." Poor Chang 

 had no kind friend to stand up for him in defence of his supposed 

 personal defects, and in this he was not so fortunate as an ape once 

 interviewed by me. 



During my early years in India, I passed much of my time in 

 company with Edward Blythe, who was then the accomplished 

 curator of the museum at Calcutta. I was never weary of hearing 

 him talk about beasts, or birds, or fishes, and occasionally I would 



_t My shepherd has shice told me, that although lamb's wool, on account of its short staple, is of little value, 

 dishonest farmers, when wool was worth half-a-crown per pound, instead of ninepence, as it is now, would 

 shear forward lambs, and put the wool inside the ewe's fleece, to increase the weight. He has also known 

 farmers send boys to pick wool off the hedges, where it had been torn by brambles, from the sheep. 



