530 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



miles on a winter journey, and forty miles 

 a day has been an average record for a 

 good team with a load of, say, a hundred 

 pounds in weight. 



The Eskimo is largely used in the North 

 West, but a half breed is considered better. 

 Many are a cross between the Eskimo and the 



ESKIMO FARTHEST NORTH. 



SURVIVOR OF ONE OF THE PEARY EXPEDITIONS. 

 Photograph by Mr. W. H. Slrick. 



wolf, but the superlative dog for hauling is 

 the offspring of the Eskimo and what is 

 known in Canada as the Staghound. For 

 speed, strength, and staying power, these 

 are second to none. Many breeds, however, 

 are employed, including the pure Newfound- 

 land, who is too heavy and clumsy for 

 winter travelling. The Hare Indian, or 

 Mackenzie River dog, was formerly used, 

 and even the Greyhound and the Spaniel. 

 The " Huskies" so frequently referred to in 

 Jack London's " Call of the Wild," are of 

 the Eskimo and wolf cross, and the " Giddies" 

 are of similar parentage, bred specially 

 by the Indians for hauling purposes. These 

 last are willing workers, but vicious brutes, 

 who fight their way through summers of 



semi-starvation and winters of too much 

 ill-treatment, hunger and the lash. 



In the Hudson Bay territory four Huskies 

 are harnessed to the sled in tandem order, 

 the harness consisting of saddles, collars, 

 and traces. The leader, or " foregoer," sets 

 the pace, and changes his course at a word 

 from the driver, who, whatever his nation- 

 ality, speaks to his team in the patois of the 

 North. " Hu " and " Choic," anglicised to 

 " you " and " chaw," are the words necessary 

 to turn the foregoer to right or left. The 

 team is started by the command " Marche." 

 The sled or steer dog is the heaviest and 

 strongest of the team, trained to swing the 

 ten foot long sled away from all obstacles. 

 Some of the Indians and the Eskimos have 

 a separate trace for each dog, which enables 

 the team to spread out fan wise, when travel- 

 ling over thin ice ; but for land journeys the 

 tandem method is better alike for speed 

 and for safety. In the North West the 

 harness is made of moose skin, and is often 

 decorated with ribbons and little bells. The 

 dogs seem to enjoy the tinkling, and if the 

 bells are taken away from them they sulk, 

 and do not go half so well. As a protection 

 against frozen snow the dogs' feet are pro- 

 vided with skin shoes. Their food consists 

 of dried and fresh fish, dried and fresh meat, 

 blubber, pemmican and imported dog biscuit, 

 according to the yield of the country. 



In summer the dogs are turned loose, 

 and go off by themselves in packs, but before 

 the winter comes on they return to their 

 old masters, usually accompanied by puppies. 



Both the Samoyede and the Eskimo dog 

 may occasionally be seen at shows in Eng- 

 land. The former, indeed, appears to be 

 becoming popular as a ladies' pet, probably 

 on account of its great beauty. The puppies 

 of the Samoyede are more delightfully pretty 

 than those of perhaps any other breed, and 

 are always attractive to visitors who see 

 them in the litter classes. They are like 

 fluffy balls of pure white wool. 



Mrs. Kilburn Scott, the Hon. Mrs. 

 McLaren Morrison, Mrs. Ringer, and Mrs. 

 Everitt, are among the ladies who have 

 given most attention to the breed. Mrs. 

 Ringer's Ch. Oussa and Ch. Olaf Oussa are 



