Historical 17 



of leaves, or of leather, or of metal wrought in design, is 

 round the rjey;!' jj^he name of the dog is also frequently 

 g ; -. „ar-I generally indicates some form of prowess. 



Evliya Effendi, the Turkish traveller of the seventeenth 

 century, when commenting on many things, mentions dogs. 

 He says : " The size of asses, and fierce as lions from 

 Africa, in double or triple chains, covered with rich cloth, 

 and wearing silver collars and neck rings. They perform 

 everything they are told to perform, and if bid to do so, 

 will bring down a fellow from horse-back, however stout 

 a fellow he may be. The shepherds look on these as their 

 companions and brethren, and do not object to eat out of 

 the dish with them." 



It must be remembered that although these dogs may 

 be termed sheep dogs, they were really used for war pur- 

 poses in their daily work. Owing to the savage and warlike 

 state of the tribes of the world for many centuries, the 

 possessor of flocks and herds, or valuable property of any 

 description, was never safe from massed attacks from 

 envious neighbours, and had to be perpetually on his guard. 

 After all, war, as we now understand it, is only a more 

 organized form of this same spirit, and it is difficult to dis- 

 tinguish in any way between the dogs deputed to guard 

 the mountain passes leading to the pastures of their 

 masters, or of those posted on the battlements of the castle, 

 and the modern sentry dog, standing alert with pricked 

 ears, listening for the stealthy tread of the Boche across 

 No Man's Land, or of the guardian of the magazine or 

 canteen. In fact, these sheep dogs of olden times, are 

 almost entirely spoken of in the light of guardians, and it 

 is not until considerably later in history, that there is any 

 mention of them taking part in driving the sheep, or aiding 

 in any way after that peaceful manner. But it is inter- 



