142 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



modern detective ; but in this also his 

 services were in time superseded by the 

 justice's warrant and the police officer. We 

 find it recorded about 1805, however, that 

 " the Thrapston Association for the Pre- 

 vention of Felons in Northamptonshire 

 have provided and trained a Bloodhound 

 for the detection of sheep-stealers." 



To demonstrate the capabilities of the 

 dog, a day was appointed for the public 

 trial. The man he was intended to hunt 

 started in the presence of a great crowd of 

 people about ten o'clock in the morning. 

 An hour later the dog was slipped, and 

 after a chase of an hour and a half with a 

 very indifferent scent, the hound ran up 

 to the tree in which he had taken refuge, 

 at a distance of fifteen miles from the 

 place of starting, " to the admiration and 

 perfect satisfaction," to quote the words 

 of a contemporary account, " of the very 

 great number assembled upon the occa- 

 sion." 



The Cuban Bloodhound, formerly em- 

 ployed in tracking runaway slaves in 

 Jamaica and the slave-holding states of 

 America, is of Spanish descent, and differs 

 largely from the true Bloodhound. It is 

 believed to be a descendant of the Mastiff, 

 crossed perhaps with the Bulldog, and is 

 inferior to the true Bloodhound in every 

 respect save that of ferocity. It has been 

 described as equal to the Mastiff in bulk, 

 to the Bulldog in courage, to the Blood- 

 hound in scent, and to the Greyhound in 

 agility. 



The reputation it obtained for sagacity 

 and fierceness in the capture of runaway 

 slaves, and the cruelties attributed to it 

 in connection with the suppression of the 

 various negro risings, especially that of 

 the Maroons, have given the animal an 

 evil repute, which more probably should 

 attach to those who made the animal's 

 courage and sagacity a means for the gratifi- 

 cation of their own revolting cruelty of 

 disposition. It has been justly remarked 

 that if entire credence be given to the de- 

 scription that was transmitted through 

 the country of this extraordinary animal. 

 it might be supposed that the Spaniards 



had obtained the ancient and genuine breed 

 of Cerberus himself. 



From all accounts their appearance was 

 so terrifying that on their arrival at Mon- 

 tego Bay, the people, we are told, shut 

 themselves in their houses lest the animals 

 should break away from their keepers as 

 they passed through the streets. " The 

 doors were shut, not a negro ventured to 

 stir out, as the muzzled dogs, ferociously 

 making at every object and dragging for- 

 ward their keepers, who with difficulty 

 held them in with heavy, rattling chains, 

 proceeded onward." Shortly afterwards 

 General Walpole, the Commander-in-Chief, 

 ordered the dogs to parade before him- 

 The scene which followed is thus de- 

 scribed : — 



" The Spaniards appeared at the end 

 of a gentle acclivity, drawn out in line 

 containing upwards of forty men with their 

 dogs in front, unmuzzled and held by 

 cotton ropes. On receiving the command 

 to fire, the men discharged their weapons 

 and advanced as upon a real attack. This 

 was intended to ascertain what effect would 

 be produced on the dogs if engaged under 

 a fire of the Maroons. The volley was no 

 sooner discharged than the dogs rushed 

 forward with the greatest fury, amid the 

 shouts of the Spaniards, who were dragged 

 along by them witli irresistible force. 

 Some of the dogs, maddened by the shout 

 of attack while held back by the ropes, 

 seized the stocks of the guns in the hands 

 of their keepers, and tore pieces out of 

 them. Their impetuosity was so great 

 that they were with difficulty stopped 

 before they reached the General, who found 

 it necessary to get quickly into his car- 

 riage, and, if the most strenuous exertions 

 had not been made to stop them, they 

 would most certainly have seized upon his 

 horses." 



The impression created by this display 

 had immediate consequences and far-reach- 

 ing effects. On January 14th General Wal- 

 pole advanced, with his Spanish dogs in 

 the rear. Their fame, however, had reached 

 the Maroons, and the force had penetrated 

 but a short distance into the woods, when 



