THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY 



all the streams. Even while it is plenty, their unfeeling 

 proprietors scarcely allow the exhausted animals time to 

 slake their thirst. 



The qualifications of this Dog are not, however, confined 

 to drawing burdens; as a watch Dog he is far more intelli- 

 gent, and more to be depended on than the mastiff; and his 

 services on navigable rivers are unequalled by any other of 

 the species; he has even been broken in as a pointer, his 

 sagacity and docility rendering his training an easy task. 



There are, however, some faults to which he is unfortu- 

 nately too prone; — he is a most implacable enemy to sheep; 

 when engaged in chase of a flock of these animals, he gene- 

 rally singles out one of them, and if not prevented, which 

 is no easy task, will never relinquish the pursuit until he 

 has attained and mastered his victim. He always aims at 

 the throat, but after having sucked the blood, leaves the 

 carcass. He is, also, but too often inclined to be jealous of 

 attentions paid by his master, either to other Dogs, or even 

 to children; of this disposition we are acquainted with 

 many instances. 



The Newfoundland Dog, in his native country, seldom 

 barks, and that, only when much provoked. His utter- 

 ance appears an unnatural exertion, producing a noise be- 

 tween a bark and a growl. His well known partiality for 

 water, in which he appears in his proper element, diving 

 and keeping beneath tlie surface for a considerable time, 

 need not be commented on. The generality of the Dogs 

 known under the name of Newfoundland, both in England 

 and this country, are only half breed. 



We subjoin a few anecdotes of this animal, which we have 

 derived from the work above cited. 



One of the magistrates of Harbour Grace had an animal 

 of this kind, which was in the habit of carrying a lantern 

 before his master at night, as steadily as the most attentive 

 servant could do; stopping short when he made a stop, and 

 proceeding when he saw him disposed to follow. If his 

 owner were from home, as soon as ihe lantern was fixed in 

 his mouth, and the command given, "Go fetch thy mas- 

 ter," he would immediately set off, and procned directly to 

 the town, which lay at the distance of more than a mile 

 from his place of residence. When there, he stopped at 

 the door of every house, wliich he knew his master was in 

 the habit of frequenting, and laying down his lantern would 

 growl and beat at the door, making all the noise in his 

 power, until it was opened. If his owner was not there, 

 he would proceed farther in the same manner until he found 

 him. If he had accompanied him only once to a house, 

 this was sufficient to induce him to take that house in his 

 round. 



Mr. Peter Macarthur informs me, says Capt. Brown, 

 that in the year 1821, when opposite to Falmouth, he was 



at breakfast with a gentleman, when a large Newfoundland 

 Dog, all dripping with water, entered the room, and laid 

 a newspaper on the table. The gentleman informed the 

 party, that this Dog swam regularly across the ferry every 

 morning, went to the post office, and obtained the papers 

 of the day. 



We might multiply these anecdotes, but the space allot- 

 ted to this subject will only permit to add the following: 

 we would, however, refer our readers to Captain Brown's 

 work, as presenting the most astonishing and almost incre- 

 dible instances of sagacity in Dogs that have ever been 

 presented to the public. 



A Mr. M'Intyre, in Edinburgh, possesses a half-breed 

 Newfoundland Dog, of which the author, after relating 

 some extraordinary anecdotes, says, "A number of gen- 

 tlemen, well acquainted with Dandie, are daily in the habit 

 of giving him a penny, which he takes to a baker's shop 

 and purchases a roll. One of these gentlemen was accosted 

 by the Dog in expectation of his usual present. Mr. T. 

 said, I have not a penny with me to-day, but I have one at 

 home." On his return to his house, he heard a noise at the 

 door, which was opened by the servant, when in sprang 

 Dandie to receive his penny. In a frolic, Mr. T. gave him 

 a bad one, which he, as usual, carried to the baker, but 

 was refused his bread. He immediately returned to Mr. 

 T. 's, knocked at the door, and when the servant opened it, 

 laid the penny at his feet, and walked off, seemingly with 

 the greatest contempt. Although Dandie, in general, makes 

 an immediate purchase of bread with the money he re- 

 ceives, yet the following circumstance clearly demonstrates 

 that he possesses more prudent foresight than many who 

 are reckoned rational beings. One Sunday, when it was 

 very unlikely that he could have received a present of 

 money, Dandie was observed to bring home a loaf. Mr. 

 M. being somewhat surprised at this, desired the servant 

 to search the room to see if any money could be found. 

 While she was engaged in this task, the Dog seemed quite 

 unconcerned till she approached the bed, when he ran to 

 her, and gently drew her back from it. Mr. M. then 

 secured the Dog, which kept struggling and growling, 

 while the servant went under the bed, where she found 

 7 1-2 pence, under a bit of cloth; after this he was fre- 

 quently observed to hide his money in a corner of a saw 

 pit, under the dust." 



Notwithstanding the vigilance and watchfulness of this 

 animal, he, like most others of his species, is terrified at 

 the sight of a naked man. A tan-yard in Kilmarnock, in 

 Scotland, was robbed by a thief, who took this method of 

 overcoming the courage of a powerful Newfoundland Dog. 

 This terror of Dogs at the sight of persons without clothes, 

 ai-ises from their being unaccustomed to such objects, and 



