The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1871-10-04

a. UNcoNuNoSlY DIsAeREEABLE IIrT1E BEAsT.
-Oue OF the mos; es5ious aud interesting papers in
the English magazines for JAY, is Mr. Leakeys &C
count in s, RraEs OF the "Tasmariau Devil This
IS a lite beast about the size OF large bulldog
bot msrsupial, siin found IN the wilas OF Van Die
Z mems Land. Il difcrs in temper radically from
Z every known beast. and IS thus described:
=" His natural Propensities arc those Of the giut-
tonous or slssgsh Kind and be wil be quiet enough
when co-sed with flesh and len 10 undistzTbed re
pose bat the slightest pr0voeatiou, the ueres and
uninieuiioual observation will turn him at once in-
10 1 veriiahlc hcud He then becomes Instantly the
very type OF senseless fury attacking all before him,
aead OF living, and flying with equal ereeness at
masilT or barn door Nor is-fhere, while life is
leiS 70 him, either truce quarter; As long as
shred Of flesh remains 10 tear or last bone 10 shat
ter he fights on regardless Of the numbers thaisur-
rounds him, or OF his own snbsidins strength until
al length his Jaws snap faulty and his life goes C
duaIly ont with an iulcrual suari. Though taken
young and brought up in captivity, his nature m
dcrgoCs not the slghtess Modification he lives TO
the last the same sury life, and usually dies in some
mad struggle with the bars OF his cage Amer years
OF experience he repeats the acts Of proftles
and exhaus;ing froszy. Without apparent motive
he rushes at the wall, beating the air like rhd IL
matte, uttcrinS long croNls that seem choke him,
til they bTeSk cut Suddenly into pieroins bark.
BE shows rot the smallest attachment TO his guard
iaus or keepers, whom he mensoes and swears at
frou,ths moment they approach him till taey pass
completely ont OF sight. When tired Or oveFfed be
becomes stupid sleepy, rolls himself up In
ner, and falls into leaden slumber from which il
Is not always easy 10 roase him. Nothing can be
cheaper than 10 feea him BE viii be satisfied fer
days together with huge bones, which he cracks mp
like biscuit, and usually swallows en,ircly.
No animal can fight him. and he has repeatedly
been known % beat OF whole troop OF dogs, and
his insane fu-y gives him Al inexiinEulshable cour
age M Leakey attacked Que wiki ave dogs. VINO
world have been defeated, bu; that one Of them
wore an armed coliar and lie describes aspect Of
the brute:
q With his back 10 large ove-hauginC stone,
there stood hSfcrouehed before the dogs, the most
Notwithstanding beast imaginable. His contour
Was virsinous; in form, he reseu6lea badger, but
his physiocOnomy vas literally diAboliCSl and qE.e
explained and justified his apparently exaggerated
name What struck me first was the look OF sar-
casm expressed BY the drawing down Of the corners
Of the lips-an expression taken also by the ass,
when over toruUuted. and unable 10 iutinid2,e or
escape from its iormeniors, His Jaws were jzst
wide enough sp1rt TO reveal his large white teeth
without Q@radinc then, and from between these is
sued continual groVl, that seemed t0unvind iron
bobhlu in his throSt. b; what most arrested me
was the animals internal eyes. The eyes OF the
wildcat sre said 10 Be- the most blocking in
Rasurr, bui thore Is about them An Sxprussiou Of
EneomprouisiuE fsrOeiiy which Is flank and uumis-
taxable Such might have been the eyes Of NSrias,
which dissrmed the afriEhteG slave commissioned 10
execute him in his prison. The eyes OF The sSrcophi
lus are small black. leCring beads fraDght with de-
sign, but Close aud imPsuetrShle Such must hare
been the eyes CT Burke, while hiding the plaster in
his hat and watching the riendless Italian boy from
the dark arches Of Great Queen street.