24 ANIMALS OF THE 



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, presented him 

 with four dogs of the same kind, which in some 

 measure alleviated his uneasiness for the loss of 

 the former. 



" The breed of dogs, however, in that country, 

 is at present very much inferior to what this story 

 seems to imply ; since in many places, instead of 

 dogs, they have animals of the cat kind for hunt- 

 ing. 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 ap- 

 pointed for selling their flesh. In Canton, particu- 

 larly, there is a street 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 enemy, 

 and persecute him as far as they are able." Along 

 the coasts of Guinea, their flesh is esteemed a 

 delicacy by the Negroes ; and they will give one 

 of their cows for a dog. But, among this barba- 

 rous and brutal people, scarcely 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 

 perhaps happen that the flesh of this animal, which 

 is so indifferent in the temperate climates, may 

 assume a better quality in those which are more 

 warm ; but it is more than probable that the di- 

 versity is rather in man than in the flesh of the 



