NATURE AND DESCRIPTION OF THE BULL DOG ANECDOTES. 



lady to look at his catalogue for a minute, which he refused with the sourest looks 

 of the genuine politesse of Plockley o 'the Hole, truly observing * that people should 

 get catalogues for themselves.' Alluding to his new profession, we observed, * Mr. 

 Broughton, you have been a bear to-day.' 



The Bull Dog, we conceive, as hinted above, has progressively decreased in 

 size ; they appear to stand lower on the leg, the waist to be longer, and the head 

 perhaps not so large, as in former days. The breeders may have had some view in 

 such a change. This is undoubtedly the fiercest of all the canine species in this 

 country ; at the same time, by a fortunate dispensation, one of the most quiet, and 

 for any thing we have observed to the contrary, the most harmless. The excep- 

 tions to this character arise probably, from the risk of their being set upon any ob- 

 ject, which, from their nature, it is so extremely difficult to detach them. Hence 

 we see Bull Dogs going about muzzled. 



The following recent occurrence, indeed, seems to exhibit sufficiently plain proof of 

 the savage and dangerous disposition of this species of the Dog ; unless indeed, these 

 dogs were set on by some wanton and thoughtless, or malicious person. The Ports- 

 mouth Mail Coach, being on its way to London, on Thursday night, when it came 

 by the side of the Devil's Punch Bowl, between Petersjield and Mouschill, its 

 leaders were suddenly seized by three Bull Dogs, belonging to two men in a Fish- 

 cart. The leaders, by their violent struggles, broke their harness, and disengaged 

 themselves from the coach ; one of them fell over the bank, and the ferocious dogs 

 with him. The men succeeded in getting the horse up. The horses were both very 

 much injured ; one of them so much, that it is feared he cannot recover, and the har- 

 ness was broken to pieces. The guard was obliged to drive the coach with a pair 

 only to Mousehill, and the coachman to walk with the injured leaders. Whoever 

 has travelled this road, and knows the place called the Devil's Punch Bowl, which 

 is by all travellers thought a great natural curiosity, must have considered the pas- 

 sengers and the coach to have had a very providential escape. It was a fortunate cir- 

 cumstance that the horses had, by the violence of their. struggles, cleared themselves 

 of their harness, as the coach must otherwise have been precipitated, by an almost 

 perpendicular descent, into an immense depth. It is surprizing that this place, 

 so near to the road side, which has for years been at once the admiration and 

 terror of travellers, 'has never been fenced by a wall; and it is seriously to be 

 wished that, those whose duty it is, will not suffer it to remain longer than it is ab- 

 solutely necessary, in this dangerous state. 



We shall express no surprise at all at this neglect, enormous as it is. It is in hu- 

 man nature, perhaps peculiarly English to postpone the trouble and prefer the 

 risk. Suppose a man in his senses, should class those travellers, as bedlamites, who 

 have hitherto passed this perilous nuisance without indicting it, he will surely be 

 warranted in dubbing the possible future neglect as incurable insanity ; but with- 

 out hope of ever seeing an hospital sufficiently capacious to hold such multitudi- 

 nous incurables. 



