211 THE SIBERIAN DOG. 



Some nations admire the Dos: as food. In some 

 of the South Sea islands Dogs are fattened with ve- 

 getables, which the natives savagely cram down 

 their throats when they will voluntarily eat no more. 

 They become exceedingly fat; ard are allowed by 

 Europeans who have overcome their prejudices, to 

 be very palatable. They are killed by strangling ; 

 and the extravasated blood is preserved in cocoa- 

 nut shells, and baked for the table *. — The negroes 

 of the coast of Guinea are so partial to these ani- 

 mals as food, that they frequently give considerable 

 prices for them : a large Sheep for a Dog was for- 

 merly, and probably is now, a common article of 

 exchange -j-. — Even the ancients esteemed a young 

 and fat Dog to be excellent eating. Hippocrates 

 ranks it with mutton or pork. The Romans ad- 

 mired sucking whelps, esteeming them a supper in 

 which even the Gods delighted |. 



The Slher'kin Dog^, which is not uncommon in 

 any of the climates about the Arctic Circle, is used 

 in Kamtschatka fqr drawing sledges oV'Cr the frozen 

 snow. These sledges generally carry only a single 

 person, who sits sideways. The number of Dogs 

 usually employed is five : four of them are yoked 

 two and two, and the other acts as leader || . The 

 reins are fastened, not to the head, but to the col- 

 lar ; and the driver has, therefore, to depend prin- 



* Daniel, i. 8. t Bosman, 220. X DanieJ, i. S. 



§ Greenland Dog. Bqxv. 2uad. 303. 



II In carrying baggage, or heavy Inirthcijs, the nmnbcr of Dogs 

 piniiloytd iv ^cMom Icj? than ten. 



