1044 



THE DOG. 



servitude. The Esquimaux torture their dogs most inhumanly for 

 the most trivial offenses, and feed them upon, the merest offal. The 

 poor creatures have been known, when suffering from long-continued 

 hunger, to devour their tough leather harness, and, as if excited by 

 the imperfect meal, to fly upon the weaker members of the team and 

 tear them in pieces ; and during this paroxysm of fury their mas- 



Fig. 1392.— Bull-dog. 



ters would only escape by means of the use of a deadly weapon. 



When harnessed to the sledge the Esquimau dogs obey the 

 movements of the leader, who is always a faithful and experienced 

 old dog. This leader is generally allowed to pursue his own course, 

 as he can follow the right path with wonderful accuracy, even in the 

 midst of blinding snow-storms.- When placed under kind treatment, 

 there is no gentler and more amiable dog in the entire species than 

 the Esquimau, and his intelligence, amounting almost to reason, is 

 most remarkable. 



