NEWFOTJNDLAKDS.] THE DOG, AND ITS VAEIETIES; 



[origin. 



" The large dogs usually known as Newfound- 

 lands in this country, are evidently the result 

 of a cross with the mastiff. They are a fine, 

 showy animal ; but less sagacious, less active, 

 and more apt to display irregularity of temper 

 than the original breed ; they often attain the 

 height of thirty inches. These large dogs are 

 rapidly becoming the peculiar breed of New- 

 foundland; and dogs of this sort are gladly 

 imported there, whereas our Newfoundland 

 friends have now little or nothing but curs to 



offer in return. 



* # » * 



" The origin of this dog is questionable ; 

 but I am disposed to trace him to a large 

 European variety, still in use among the Nor- 

 wegians, for the chase of the bear and wolf. 

 It is now well known that the original dis- 

 covery of Newfoundland is to be attributed to 

 the Norwegians, who, before the year 1,000, 

 sailed from Greenland on a voyage of dis- 

 covery, and that the same people discovered 

 North America some time between the tenth 

 and eleventh centuries." 



Mr. Blaine says, "that although this dog 

 was, without doubt, first introduced to general 

 notice from Newfoundland, there is reason to 

 suppose that it was originally derived from 

 the large dogs of Spain, introduced by the 

 early discoverers of the American continent, 

 which, intermixing with the native breeds, 

 produced an increase of size and power in the 

 future races. These would be encouraged by 

 the natives, because the use they made of 

 them as beasts of draught were thereby better 

 fulfilled. Such, we have reason to believe, was 

 the first improvement made in the native dogs 

 of those countries, which, as far as a factitious 

 breed can continue its like, seemed, but in 

 limited numbers, to have remained a standard 

 among them until E .glish importations had 

 drained almost all of them. Another variety 

 forms the smaller, smooth aquatic dog of New- 

 foundland. When the English settled there, 

 they, without doubt, carried some of the 

 largest and most powerful of the water spaniel 

 breed, to assist them in the hunting and the 

 shooting of wild fowl; and there is little 

 reason to doubt, that an intermixture with 

 these also assisted in perfecting a breed, 

 whence our admired specimens of the large 

 Newfoundland dog arose; the breeding of 

 4G2 



which, however, was never carried to any great 

 extent in that country. The rigours of tha 

 climate, and the difficulty of procuring food 

 for it during some seasons of the year, were 

 unfavourable to both the production of num- 

 bers, and the full development of the frame. 

 The splendid animal we now see has been 

 greatly increased in size, since its residence 

 among us. We have cultivated it so as to 

 make it now an Euglish breed ; while in New- 

 foundland it is at present so nearly extinct, 

 that a writer, in a new series of the Sporting 

 Magazine, states that he could not find a 

 single dog of the kind at St. John's. If this 

 be so, it is a mistake when naturalists assert 

 that the dog we possess is the same with that 

 which is employed ' in their native districts in 

 place of the horse.' " 



Of all the species of the canine race there 

 is none exhibits so much dignity, such a 

 nobility of nature as the Newfoundland. He 

 is majesty itself, and seems to be conscious of 

 the power and appearance of which he is 

 possessed; whilst he rarely descends to the 

 level of other dogs in combating in the streets. 

 This does not arise from cowardice, but from 

 the excellence of his disposition, and the high 

 intelligence with which he is endowed. As an 

 aquatic dog, he is second only to the water- 

 spaniel ; his feet being webbed, and that 

 element seeming to him as natural as the 

 terra Jlrma upon which he walks. Some time 

 ago, ten of these animals were imported into 

 Paris, for the purpose of watching the banks ot 

 the Seine. They were overlooked by regular 

 trainers, whose duty it was to teach them to 

 draw from the river figures stuffed, so as to 

 have a close resemblance to those of children 

 and full grown persons. Commodious kennels 

 were erected for them on the bridges, and they 

 were not long before they became adepts at 

 plunging into the water, and rescuing from 

 the grave many unfortunate drowning indi- 

 viduals. 



The sagacity of the Newfoundland is almost 

 human ; and the variety of his accomplish- 

 ments are such as to place him at the very 

 head of all the canine races. In the various 

 capacities of watch-dog, companion, water-dog, 

 pointer, and retriever, he has been successful ; 

 whilst the pliability of his temper, and the 

 docility of his nature, renders him capable of 



