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, and made no noise, while 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 well written 
article upon Nassau by Epes Sargent, the proprietor of the Sar- 
gent House in that city. Speaking of fish, he says : 
““The jew-fish supplies the place of our Northern halibut. It 
is cut into steaks and fried ina 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 
down and place 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 will 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 with green sea turtle. 
