OO") ee 
tection of the head was the natural and firft thought of mankind; 
and the fpoils of beafts were the firft things that offered. Hercules 
feized on the fkin of the Lion: the Americans, and ancient Latians that 
of the Wolf. 
Fulvofque Lupi de pelle galeros 
Tegmen habet capiti. 
Wolves are now fo rare in the populated parts of America, that the 
inhabitants leave their fheep the whole night unguarded: yet the 
governments of Pen/ylvania and New Ferfey did fome years ago allow 
a reward of twenty fhillings, and the laft even thirty fhillings, for the 
killing of every Wolf.~ Tradition informed them what a fcourge 
thofe animals had been to the colonies; fo they wifely determined 
to prevent the like evil. In their infant ftate, wolves came down in 
multitudes from the mountains, often attraéted by the fmell of the 
corpfes of hundreds of Indians who died of the finall-pox, brought 
among them by the Europeans: but the animals did not confine their 
infults to the dead, but even devoured in their huts the fick and dying 
Savages*. 
The Wolf is capable of being in fome degree tamed and domef- 
ticated t. It was, at the firft arrival of the Europeans, and is ftill in 
many places, the Dog of the Americans ft. It ftill betrays its favage 
defcent, by uttering only a howl inftead of the fignificant bark of the 
genuine Dog. This half-reclamed breed wants the fagacity of our 
faithful attendant; and is of little farther ufe in the chafe, than in 
frightening the wild beafts into the fnares or traps, 
The Kamt/chatkans, Efkimaux, and Greenlanders, ftrangers to the 
fofter virtues, treat thefe poor animals with great neglect. The for- 
mer, during fummer, the feafon in which they are ufelefs, turn 
them loofe to provide for themfelves; and recall them in Ofoder in- 
to their ufual confinement and labor: from that time till fpring they 
* Kalm, i. 285. + Thefame, 286. Law/ez, 119. 4 Smith's Hip. 
Virginia, 27. Crantz Greenland, i. 74. 
are 
Doe. 
39 
