42 British War Dogs 



This scene must have appeared in a distinctly amusing 

 aspect in some respects to an onlooker. Nevertheless, it 

 is stated that " this terrible exhibition produced the effect 

 intended — the Maroons at once capitulated, and were 

 subsequently sent to Halifax, North. America." 



Another account of these Cuban bloodhound warrior 

 dogs is given by the writer Bingley, who says : 



" In the Spanish West India Islands there are officers 

 called Chasseurs, kept in continual employment. The 

 business of these men is to traverse the country with their 

 dogs, for the purpose of pursuing and taking up all persons 

 guilty of murder, or other crimes ; and no activity on the 

 part of the criminal will enable them to escape. 



" The following is a very remarkable instance which 

 happened not many years ago. 



" A fleet from Jamaica, under convoy to Great Britain, 

 passing through the Gulf of Mexico, beat up the north side 

 of Cuba. One of the ships manned by foreigners, (chiefly 

 renegade Spaniards), in standing in with the land at night, 

 was run on shore. The officers, and the few British seamen 

 on board, were murdered, and the vessel was plundered by 

 the renegades. The part of the coast on which the vessel 

 was stranded, being wild and unfrequented, the assassins 

 retired with their booty to the mountains, intending to 

 penetrate through the woods to some remote settlements 

 on the southern side, where they hoped to secure themselves, 

 and elude all pursuit. Early intelligence of the crime had, 

 however, been conveyed to Havana. The assassins were 

 pursued by a detachment of Chasseurs del Rey with their 

 dogs, and in the course of a very few days they were every 

 one apprehended and brought to justice." 



Bingley further describes the method of working these 

 hounds : 



