BELIKERI. 



45 



In smaller caves and fissures in our 

 cliff dwelt sundry porcupines, shy, noc- 

 turnal creatures whom I did not care 

 to molest, as we had nothing in the 

 garden to tempt them to mischief. I 

 often found their quills, but only on 

 one occasion fell in with the animal 

 accidentally. This was when I was 

 starting for a ride very early in the 

 morning, at a season when the grass 

 was long. A poligar dog that was with 

 me started off in pursuit of what I took 

 to be one of our turkey cocks. Riding 

 up to whip off the dog, I found he 

 was chasing a large porcupine whose 

 quills were all on end and bristling in 

 self-defence. As the dog could not 

 close with it, I rode the porcupine hither 

 and thither till it took refuge in a 



