THE DOG KIND. 



315 



place. His master then ordered a wild boar 

 to be set out ; but the dog thought even this a 

 despicable foe, and remained calm and re- 

 gardless as before. He was next tried with 

 a bear ; but still despising his enemy, he only 

 waited for an object more worthy of his cou- 

 rage and his force. At last they brought forth 

 a tremendous lion, and then the dog acknow- 

 ledged his antagonist, and prepared for com- 

 bat. He instantly discovered a degree of un- 

 governable ardour; and, flying at the lion with 

 fury, seized him by the throat, and totally dis- 

 abled him from resistance. Upon this, the 

 Indian, who was desirous of surprising the 

 king, and knowing the constancy and bravery 

 of his dog, ordered his tail to be cut off; 

 which was easily performed as the bold ani- 

 mal was employed in holding the lion. He 

 next ordered one of his legs to be broken ; 

 which, however, did not in the least abate 

 the dog's ardour, but he still kept his hold as 

 before. Another leg was then broken ; but 

 the dog, as if he had suffered no pain, only 

 pressed the lion still the more. In this cruel 

 manner, all his legs wore cut off, without aba- 

 ting his courage ; and at last, when even his 

 head was separated from his body, the jaws 

 seemed to keep their former hold. A sight 

 so cruel did not fail to affect the king with 

 very strong emotions, at once pitying the 

 dog's fate, and admiring his fortitude. Upon 

 which the Indian, seeing him thus moved, pre- 

 sented him with four dogs of the same kind, 

 which, in some measure, alleviated his un- 

 easiness for the loss of the former. 



" The breed of dogs, however, in that coun- 

 try, is at present very much inferior to what 

 this story seems to imply; since, in many pla- 

 ces, instead of dogs, they have animals of the 

 cat kind for hunting. In other places, also, 

 this admirable and faithful animal, instead of 

 being applied to his natural uses, is only kept 

 to be eaten. All over China, there are dog- 

 butchers, and shambles appointed for selling 

 their flesh. In Canton, particularly, there is 

 astreet appointed for that purpose; and, what 

 is very extraordinary, wherever a dog-butcher 

 appears, all the dogs of the place are sure to 

 be in full cry after him ; they know their ene- 

 my, and persecute him as far as they nre able." 

 Along the coasts of Guinea, their flesh is es- 

 teemed a delicacy by the Negroes ; and they 



NO. 27 & 28. 



will give one of their cows for a dog. But, 

 among this barbarous and brutal people, 

 scarce any thing that has life comes amiss ; 

 and they may well take up with a dog, since 

 they consider toads, lizards, and even the flesh 

 of the tiger itself, as a dainty. It may, per- 

 haps, happen that the flesh of this animal, 

 which is so indifferent in the temperate cli- 

 mates, may assume a better quality in those 

 which are more warm ; but it is more than 

 probable that the diversity is rather in man 

 than in the flesh of the dog; since in the cold 

 countries the flesh is eaten with equal appe- 

 tite by the savages; and they have their dog- 

 feasts in the same manner as we have ours 

 for venison. 



In our climate, the wild animals that most 

 approach the dog are the wolf and the fox; 

 these, in their internal conformation, greatly 

 resemble each other, and yet in their natures 

 are very distinct. The ancients asserted that 

 they bred together; and I am assured, by cre- 

 dible persons, that there are many animals in 

 this country bred between a dog and a fox. 

 However, all the endeavours of Mr. Buffon.to 

 make them engender, as he assures us, were 

 ineffectual. For this purpose, he bred up a 

 young wolf, taken in the woods, at two months 

 old, with a matin dog of the'same age. They 

 were shut up together, without any other, in 

 a large yard, where they had a shelter for re- 

 tiring. They neither of them knew any other 

 individual of their kind, nor even any other 

 man, but he who had the charge of feeding 

 them. In this manner they were kept for three 

 years ; still with the same attention, and with- 

 out constraining or tying them up. During 

 the first year the young animals played with 

 each other continually, and seemed to love 

 each other very much. In the second year, 1 

 they began to dispute about their victuals, 

 although they were given more than they 

 could use. The quarrel always began on the 

 wolfs side. They were brought their food, 

 which consisted of flesh and bones, upon a 

 large wooden platter, which was laid on the 

 ground. Just as it was put down, the wolf, 

 instead of falling to the meat, began by driving 

 off the dog; and took the platter in its teeth 

 so expertly, that it let nothing of what it con- 

 tained fall upon the ground, and in this man- 

 ner carried it off; but a^ the wolf could not 

 3D 



