II 



DOG, 



must lean to the left, mid his posture mint bo chimp d 

 " ""*' when the inclination is reversed. The utmost vigilam e 

 !iere**ary not to be overset ; and it' this accident 

 should occur, he must hold \ igorou^ly by the sledge, 

 a* the dog* once in motion run straight liirward, and 

 }\ greater ardour on the bunion being lightened. 

 They are ncarce to be restrained on tlie open way, and 

 us steep declivities, Kraschcnonikoff affirms 

 tht all except one are unyoked, from the violence with 

 which they rush down. They likewise become unruly 

 on scenting deer, or hearing dogs in the neighbouring 

 villages. Much of the security of the traveller depends 

 on the training of the leader, and the whole are guided 

 by tin- voice and a crooked stick, without any whip. 

 But the fatigue of long journeys is so great, that the 

 doirs frequently perish under it ; food is scanty, and 

 -belter rarely to be obtained. Of the 300 dogs employed 

 by M. Lessep's party in crossing the peninsula of Kamt- 

 -chatka, only twenty -seven at last remained ; many died 

 of want and exertion ; others when tied up ate the cords 

 and liarness from hunger ; and some devoured the car- 

 cases of those that had perished. Nevertheless, their 

 speed, strength, and patience of privations, are remark- 

 able. Egede, the Danish missionary, affirms, that the 

 dogs of the Greenlanders sometimes drag a sledge fifteen 

 German, or about sixty English miles over the ice, in 

 a day, and Captain King relates, that a courier per- 

 formed a journey of 270 miles by means of them, in 

 less than four days. Yet these animals are very spa- 

 ringly fed, and in summer altogether neglected. At 

 that time they are turned loose to provide for them- 

 selves, when they catch fish and dig for mice : they are 

 recalled by their masters in October, when well fatten- 

 ed, by their liberty, and tied up near the huts, until 

 becoming leaner and better adapted for the draught. 

 Only a small proportion of the whole remain unmuti- 

 lated, for the purpose of preserving the bn 



I.ipsius, an author of the sixteenth century, tells u% 

 that a dog, apparently the English mastiff, was used 

 in his youth, at Brussels, to draw carts laden with hides 

 to market; and that dogs were even sent without a 

 master to bring commodities. This has been continued 

 in Holland down to the present time ; and dogs ore con- 

 stantly seen drawing men, or loads of fish and provi- 

 . is, in vehicles adapted to their size. In Canada 

 also they are occupied in drawing a small cart or pledge, 

 heavily laden ; not less than i2(X) pounds being some- 

 times dragged along by a single animal. Wheel carts 

 are used in summer and sledges in winter, all propor- 

 tioned to the size and strength of the creatures yoked 

 to them. There is said to be no particular species, 

 but all sorts and sizes are thus employed, in dragging 

 children, water from the rivers, and other things for 

 domestic purposes. In Newfoundland, dogs are occu- 

 pied in drawing down quantities of wood on sledges 

 to the sea, from the interior, and being generally large, 

 they are capable of more severe labour ; but they are 

 o well trained, as to perform it without the guidance of 

 .. master. Of late years, a few are likewise used in 

 England, to draw inconsiderable weights. 



ImUncnof We are daily presented with wonderful example- of 

 docility. the docility of animals ; but none is no universally 

 susceptible of education as the dog. He is more the 

 natural companion of man ; his attachment is warmer, 

 hi- fidelity more unshaken ; he is ever alive to the in- 

 terest* of his master, and seems to have no enjoyment 

 equal to his society. It is not surprising, if a 'creature 

 possessing such properties, has sometimes been reward- 

 ed with reciprocal regard ; and that unusual care should 



be taken to loach him, in preference, peculiar fe.* 1 < 

 address, which seem denied to tin- pov 

 Our limits pn-\ent us from here entering o-i what 

 would be an iimu-<iiig narrative, except I tint 



Plutarch has preserved an account of a <\tr exhibited 

 to the emperor \ uhichhas -i n ri- 



valled in any example of modern tuition. This dog 

 belonged to an actor; and nothing could be more 

 ful in scenic representation, and in imitating various cir- 

 cumstances and situations. It exhibited in itself the 

 cution of a malefactor, feigned the taking of poison, 

 and the tremor following its sudden operation : then, 

 falling down, its limbs were stretched out in ]> 

 resemblance of death ; and so it remained for n certain 

 time, until, by a word from its master, it grnd 

 opened its eyes, looked languidly around, and at 1. 

 recovered. But in the course of last century, an exhi- 

 bition somewhat similar took place in Britain, where 

 the storming of a fort was imitated by dog*, attended 

 by the feigned destruction of some of the party ; and 

 we have witnessed the performance of many tricks by 

 these animals, such as the solution of arithmetical ques- 

 tions, the selection of certain cards, from a pack spread 

 out, to denote the hour of a watch. A dog has also !., < n 

 taught to carry a glass of wine on a salver without 

 spilling it, in which we are reminded of a female wolf, 

 shut up with a companion, that could take up a plat- 

 ter of food with her teeth, and run round the kennel, 

 preserving the whole in safety. The account of a dog 

 that was taught to speak, which has often been incor- 

 rectly referred to, should not be omitted here ; and we 

 shall quote the original description entire from the me- 

 moirs of the French academy. " Without the testimo- 

 ny of such a person as M. Leibnitz, an e\e witness, we j 

 should not have ventured to mention, that near Xeit/. 

 in Misnia, there is a dog which speaks. It belongs to 

 a peasant; is of the most ordinary kind, and of middling 

 siae. A young child having heard it utter : ome 

 sounds, which he thought resembled German words, 

 took a fancy to teach it to speak. The master, having 

 nothing better to do, spared neither time nor trouble ; 

 and happily the pupil had dispositions difficult to l>e 

 found in another. At length, after some years, the 

 dog could pronounce about thirty words, among which 

 were tea, coffee, assembly, adopted from French into 

 the German languor. Its tuition commenced when it 

 was three years old. The expressions of its master 

 are only echoed, that is, after he has pronounced a 

 word, he compels it, apparently unwilling to follow 

 his example, though no severity be required. We re- 

 peat, that it has been seen and heard by M. Leibnitz." 

 Certainly this is a very astonishing faculty ; but the ac- 

 count of the French academician, derives support from 

 other examples, though, it must be acknowledged, that 

 the circumstances are not detailed with sufficient dis- 

 tinctness and accuracy. 



The speed and energy of the dog are very great. Speed. 

 The distance which it can travel without repose is id- 

 most incredible. Fox-hounds in the chase, and point- 

 ers in pursuit of game, cannot traverse less than from 

 100 to 150 miles in a single day ; and we have seen 

 that those of a Kamtschadale courier carried their bur- 

 den '270 miles in three d.n -and a half. It cannot have 

 escaped notice, that a terrier frequently accompanies 

 our mail coaches, at the same rate during a stage or 

 more. We h.-i\e instances, well authenticated, uf a 

 fox-hound running four miles in seven minutes, or at 

 the rate of thirty-four miles an hour ; and experiment 

 has proved, that the speed of the greyhound equalled 



