700 I'h'OCEEDlNas OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. v<,r,. xxvni 



reg-ret, 1 found that two of the best had been ill for ov^er a week and 

 utterly unable to walk or even stand up, and they had to be carried from 

 the ri\ cr to a picketed yard adjoining the officers' residence. Their 

 hinder parts seemed to be entirely paralyzed. As they were strong and 

 tried animals, I naturally desired to have them with me on my then con- 

 templated trip to Fort (xarry (now Winnipeg City). Knowing that 

 there were several boxes of Holloway's celebrated pills among- the 

 post's store of medicines, I determined to test their vaunted virtues 

 \)X ascertaining if the}^ were equally efficient in canine, as the}" claimed 

 to )»e in human ills. I began hy giving them each a dose of five pills, 

 night and moi'ning. After one week's course 1 reduced the number to 

 three, and at the end of the fortnight there was a perceptible improve- 

 ment, which hecame more marked and assuring as the weeks went by. 

 A])out the middle of November 1 began to harness and drive them 

 slowly around. The two convalescents staggered a great deal, and 

 this continu(Hl for some days; but a short time prior to our departure, 

 on Noveml)er 30, 1869, they had nearly recovered and were able, with 

 the others, to make daily runs of sin'cu'al miles at a very good pace. 

 The improvement continued, and 1 think they became almost as strong 

 and untiring as ever. Some of the fort residents all along asserted 

 that they could not recover fully or stand the long journey; but I, 

 wlio had nuich previous knowledge of their sta3'ing powers, was of a 

 different opinion, and the result proved that I was right. 



HARE INDIAN DOG. 



CVn//'.v hujojiiis ( Kirhanlsdii ). 



This animal is more or less typical of the indigenous Indian dog of 

 the far north of ( Vnada. It is not so stout or strong as the Eskimo 

 dog, l)ut many indi\iduals can endui'e a vast amount of hardship in 

 the shape of heavy sleigh and packing work with but little to eat. 

 It is even more necessar}* for the Indians, es[)ecially the so-called 

 "' caribou eaters"' (as the latter move and travel about in winter fol- 

 lowing the reindeer) than is the case with their ])rethren who subsist 

 chief!}' on fish, rabbits, beaver, and moose. The Eskimos, with the 

 exception of roving traders from the west and Alaskan coast of North 

 America, do not make any very extensive excursions during the win- 

 ter .season. In l)irth, traits, hal)its, and liability to epidemics there 

 are no material difi'erences between it and (^avh fariuliari^ hn'adis^ 

 noi-. for that matter, with the rather mongrel breed or introduced 

 \aiieti('s of hauling dogs used by the company, missionaries, and the 

 "freemen" of the interior. 1 might also mention that I have heard 

 of one or two instances of English distemper having appeared among 

 inland dogs. 



