DOGS 67 



of Christchurch, where we made arrangements for 

 two courses of lectures, thus putting everything in 

 readiness for father when he came. 



We occupied the Theatre Royal, and the auditorium 

 was nightly filled with an enthusiastic audience. 



Dogs ! The Australian colonists excel in the variety, 

 size, and number of their dogs, and my advice to per- 

 sons who prefer to eat and sleep sans Canis familiaris, 

 is to give those countries a wide berth. 



Every household supports its army of great brutes 

 that barrack about the houses, or, when off duty, forage 

 the neighboring fields and streets, making a pedestrian's 

 journey as dangerous as a walk in an Indian jungle. 

 The less property a man possesses, the more dogs he 

 requires to guard it, and if he has five or six half- 

 starved and poorly clad children there must of neces- 

 sity be two or three great dogs to keep them company. 

 On every railway train, running under the seats of the 

 cars was a long box, into which dogs belonging to the 

 passengers were forced, and conversation along the road 

 was enlivened by their muffled yelps. It was a laugh- 

 able sight to see the guard removing the curs from their 

 den, after they had been confined for half a day, jolting 

 over the rough road. 



As he opened the door, which was on the outside of 

 the car, a terrific uproar arose, and half a dozen heads 

 with eyes protruding and tongues hanging out each 

 ugly visage a study of intense eagerness were thrust 



