CHAPTER XLI 



THE ST. BERNARD 



IT is only fitting that the Newfoundland and St. 

 Bernard should be coupled together, both having 

 been employed in saving life, the one from a watery 

 grave, the other from cold and exposure on a Swiss 

 pass. A writer in the Field many years ago gave 

 this interesting description of the St. Bernard dogs : 

 " About the year 962 Bernard de Meuthon built 

 two hospitia, one on Mont Joux, where a temple of 

 Jupiter stood, the other on the road that leads over, 

 the Grison Alps at Colonne Joux. The benevolent 

 builder presided over both hospitia for forty years, 

 and left to his monks the duty of affording refuge 

 to travellers, and searching for those who were lost 

 in the snow. St. Bernard's portrait and that of his 

 dog on the same panel is still in existence, and the 

 dog appears to be a Bloodhound. The Hospice of 

 St. Bernard Pass stands 7,668 feet above the sea 

 level, and is undoubtedly the highest inhabited spot 

 in Europe. Nine months in the year the snow is 

 thick on the ground, and in the very worst part of 

 winter from 1,500 to 2,000 of the poor inhabitants of 

 the Low Countries pass over the mountains. During 

 the inclement season all travellers from Martigny 



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