CHAPTER III. 

 THE NEWFOUNDLAND. 



UNTIL the St. Bernard became popular in this 

 country the black and \\rhite Newfoundland dog 

 appeared to hold the admiration of the public. He 

 had been a hero in his own line, and " the travellers' 

 tales " had informed us that this large dog occupied 

 itself in its native country in saving the lives of 

 drowning sailors and swimming with a rope in its 

 mouth to some stranded vessel, and thereby enabling 

 the shipwrecked mariners to obtain communication 

 with the mainland and so escape a watery grave. 

 Then, when brought here, the Newfoundland dog 

 still maintained its liking for the water. On more 

 than one occasion it had been known to save a 

 drowning child, and Landseer further immortalized 

 it by painting his great work " A Distinguished 

 Member of the Royal Humane Society," a black 

 and white Newfoundland dog, abounding in dignity 

 and repose, which perhaps has been engraved and 

 republished oftener than any other work of the great 



