138 PASTORAL DOGS, ETC. 



nose, 11 in.; length from shoulders to setting on of tail, 2 ft. 7 in.; 

 length of tail, 1 foot 4 in.; measurement round head just behind 

 ears, 2 ft.; just above eyes, 1 foot 8 in.; at point of nose, 10 in.; 

 his girth measured fairly tight, not outside the hair, 3 ft.; his 

 weight is 120 Ibs. Out of a good many hundred of the black 

 I have not seen a single specimen marked with either white 

 or brown. When skinned it is at once noticed that the skull 

 is unusually flat; this peculiarity is hidden in the live animal 

 by its hair. It has a heavy jaw, very small round ears, which 

 are always erect, and the hair, which is long, hard, and 

 wiry, invariably stands erect off the skin, very similar to that 

 of a bear, to which the whole dog bears a very close re- 

 semblance when lying down. All of this breed are fierce, 

 treacherous, and active. A man would be considered a fool who 

 attempted to harness them without his whip, and that whip must 

 have some little bells, thimbles, or pieces of tin attached, so as to 

 constantly jingle. It would be the essence of folly to touch one 

 of these dogs when out of his harness, except with the whip. Ap- 

 proacMng the dog, the driver throws the lash, which is about 10 

 feet long, round the dog's neck, twists it until it almost chokes 

 him, and then drags him to his collar by mam strength, grasps his 

 head between his thighs, and then slips the collar, which is very 

 tight, over the head. From that instant the dog is quiet and sub' 

 missive enough. The whips used are of plaited caribou hide, with 

 from 2 oz. to 8 oz. of small shot woven into them, to give them 

 weight. Besides this, with most strains, it is necessary to carry 

 . chains to fasten the dogs at night, and, if travelling on ice, also a 

 spear to picket them to. Mr. Ouyon, of Fort Chippewyan, on Lake 

 Arthabasca, has some splendid dogs of this breed. This post has 

 the reputation of having the finest dogs in the North. A peculiar- 

 ity in these dogs is that they all have bright, clear, yellow eyes, 

 similar to a cat, with great powers of dilating the pupils. These 

 dogs cannot be purchased, except at a very great expense, a good 

 one being sold for $100, or more. 



