THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG. 121 



prejudices, have tasted the flesh of these animals, and found it 

 not unpalatable. Prejudice, in many cases, warps our minds 

 more than we imagine, or perhaps are willing to believe. 



THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG 



Is one of the largest, as well as the most sagacious and useful 

 animals of the canine race. The dimensions of one, now or 

 lately kept at Eslington, in Northumberland, the seat of Sir H. G. 

 Liddel, Bart, were, according to Mr. Bewick, as follow : from 

 the nose to the end of the tail, six feet two inches ; the length 

 of the tail, one foot ten inches; from one fore-foot over the 

 shoulders to the other, five feet seven inches ; girt behind the 

 shoulders, three feet two inches ; and round the upper part of 

 the fore-leg, nine inches and a half. It was very fond of fish, 

 and would eat it raw out of the nets. It was web-footed, could 

 swim and dive extremely well, and bring up any thing from tne 

 bottom of the water. The extraordinary sagacity of these dogs, 

 joined to their attachment to their masters, renders them, in cer- 

 tain situations, highly valuable, as will appear from the two fol 

 lowing well-authenticated anecdotes : 



A ship belonging to Newcastle, being wrecked near Yarmouth 

 in a severe storm, A. D. 1789, and all the crew lost, a New- 

 foundland dog alone escaped to land, bringing the captain's 

 pocket-book in his mouth. He landed amidst a crowd of people, 

 many of whom in vain endeavoured to take it from him. The 

 sagacious animal, as if sensible of the importance of the charge, 

 which had probably been delivered to him by his perishing mas- 

 ter, at length leaped fawningly against the breast of a man who 

 had attracted his notice among the crowd, and delivered to him 

 the book. The dog immediately returned to the beach, and 

 watched with great attention for every thing that came ashore 

 from the wrecked vessel, seizing every thing that came up, and 

 endeavouring to bring it safe to land. 



As another instance of the docility and sagacity of these ani- 

 mals, Mr. Bewick relates, that a gentleman walking by the side 

 of the river Tyne, and observing on the opposite side a child fall 

 into the water, gave notice to his dog, which immediately jumped 

 in, swam over, and catching hold of the child with h;s mouth, 

 brought it safe to land. 



In the country from whence these dogs were originally brought, 

 and from which they derive their name, they are extremely use- 

 ful. Three or four of them yoked to a sledge, will draw for seve- 

 ral miles two or three hundred weight of wood, without any 

 driver or conductor, and after delivering their loads, regularly 

 return. The Newfoundland dog is indeed a most valuable crea- 

 ture, and we cannot contemplate his astonishing sagacity with 



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