140 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



ship had visited Tahiti, and (speaking of some natives who visited their 

 ship) he says : — " A good many dogs were observed in their canoes, which 

 they seemed very fond of, and kept tied with a string round then- middle ; 

 they were of a rough long-haired sort with pricked ears, and much resembled 

 the common she^^herd's cm* or Count Buffon's clden cle berger (see his Hist. 

 Nat.) They were of different colours — some spotted, some quite black, 

 and others perfectly white. The food which these dogs receive is fish, or 

 the same which their masters live on, who afterwards eat their flesh and 

 employ the fur in various ornaments and dresses. They sold us several of 

 these animals, among which the old ones coming mto our possession 

 became extremely sulky and refused to take any sustenance, but some 

 young ones soon accustomed themselves to our provisions."* And, again, 

 shortly after, he says : — " While here we saw a large animal in the water 

 about Grass Cove which seemed to be a sea-lion by its magnitude, but 

 which we could not get a shot at. We had already discovered a small 

 species of bats in the woods, so that the list of the indigenous quadrupeds 

 in New Zealand was increased to five, including the domestic dog of the 

 natives." On leavmg Cook Straits for Tahiti, Forster says : — " The 

 officers, who could not yet relish their salt provisions after the refreshments 

 of New Zealand, had ordered then- black dog (mentioned p. 135)t to be killed, 

 and sent the captain one-half of it ; this day, therefore, we dined for the 

 first time on a leg of it roasted, which tasted so exactly like mutton that it 

 was absolutely undistinguishable. In our cold countries where animal food 

 is so much used, and where to be carnivorous perhaps lies in the nature of 

 men, or is indispensably necessary to the preservation of their health and 

 strength, it is strange that there should exist a Jewish aversion to dogs' 

 flesh, when hogs, the most uncleanly of all animals, are eaten without 

 scruple. * * * It may be objected that the exalted degree of instinct, 

 which we observe in our dogs, insph-es us with great unwillingness to kill 

 and eat them. But it is owing to the time we spend on the education of 

 dogs that they acquire those eminent qualities which attach them so much 

 to us. * * * In New Zealand, and (according to former accounts 

 of voyages) in the tropical isles of the South Sea, the dogs are the most 

 stupid, dull animals imaginable, and do not seem to have the least 

 advantage, in point of sagacity, over sheep, which are commonly made the 



* Forster's Voyage round the World, 4to. (London), 1677, vol. I., p. 219. 

 t At p. 135, Forster says : — " Here at Dusky Bay we had a young dog with us, which 

 the officers had got at the Cape of Good Hope, and intended to try whether we could not 

 train him up to the gun, but we had no sooner discharged the first fowling-piece than he 

 ran into the woods and would not return, though we used all possible means to recover 

 him." I suppose they managed to do so before they left Dusky Bay. 



