118 ISLES OF SUMMER. 



With more curiosity than discretion, a mouse one day came 

 out of its hole to look at some of the newly arrived guests of the 

 Victoria Hotel. Upon being pursued, it took refuge under a 

 mat at the foot of the grand stair-way. A little girl turned up 

 the end of the mat, and we then expected to see a lively display 

 of the quickness and agility of the pursuer and pursued. But, 

 to our astonishment, the mouse, with quiet resignation, remained 

 perfectly passive, aud made no noise, wliile the little girl seized 

 it by the tail with her fingers, and suspended it, head downwards, 

 in the soft and soothing air. Such passive resignation in a cold 

 climate would have been impossible. 



In further evidence of astonishing climatic results, we copy 

 the following seemingly incredible fish story from a Avell written 

 article upon Nassau by E^ics Sargent, the proprietor of the Sar- 

 gent House in that city. Speaking of fish, he says : 



"The jew-fish supplies the place of our ISTorthern halibut. It 

 is cut into steaks and fried in a similar manner. It is the largest 

 edible fish we have, often weighing six hundred pounds. At 

 certain seasons this fish lies dormant at the bottom, and refuses 

 to take the hook. Under these circumstances the fishermen dive 

 doicn and 2iluce the hook in his mouth! This may appear to you 

 to be a very heavy fish story, but it is nevertheless true, as can 

 be vouched for by many here." 



Mr. Sargent, who thus affirms the truth of this story, is a 

 highly respectable citizen of Nassau, but it Avill be noticed, he 

 does not claim that his testimony is founded upon his personal 

 observation. If the fish has regular hibernating periods, its torpid- 

 ity at such times may not be chargeable to the climate. It seems 

 that this singular mode of capturing large fish is not without its 

 perils, for Mr. Sargent adds, that "at Long Cay a man had his 

 hand taken off while performing this feat." 



Our landlord kept his hotel well supplied Avith green sea turtle. 



