THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG. 195 



capable of general instruction, that they have given 

 up most other sporting varieties, and contented them- 

 selves with these ; and, indeed, found the places of 

 the others perfectly well filled up. This he supposes 

 to occur, however, principally in fenny and aquatic 

 districts. He speaks of a valuable dog of this sort, 

 the property of a gentleman who resided near New- 

 haven : " Whenever it was likely wild-fowl would 

 come in shore, and that, consequently, gunners would 

 go along the levels to intercept them, then she was 

 sure to be found, waiting for and attending on them 

 as long as they stayed; fetching, either out of the 

 sea or the river, spite of ice or snow, any that were 

 shot. She had been known to stay two entire days 

 and nights, and, as was supposed, without food, wait- 

 ing at the shore-side to assist any shooting parties 

 that might go out ; for, at the time we allude to, an 

 intense frost of two or three weeks, had frozen up 

 every river and stream. Here, indeed, was self- 

 devotion ; and she truly had a sporting mania." 



Colonel Hawker recommends the purchasers of 

 these dogs to buy them ready broken; as, by the 

 time they are trained (by the process of half-starving), 

 the chances are that they will have got over the dis- 

 temper, a disease particularly virulent in the New- 

 foundland kind. He also gives us a hint, of which 

 our own experience has proved the wisdom, never to 

 use violent means to make him do what you want, 

 which will generate sulkiness ; " but to deter him 

 from any fault, you may rate and beat him 



