Intelligence and Miscellanies. 391 



12. Dog Trains of the North West — with a Print. 

 Extract of a Letter from Dr. Lyman Foot, from Canton- 

 ment Brady, Sault St. Marie, Lake Superior, to the Editor. 



Thinking it might be some amusement to you, to see 

 the mode of travelling in the Northwest, Mrs. Foot, has 

 sketched a dog train, which I enclose you. Three dogs will 

 carry a man and his provisions. The traders travel all over 

 the wilderness with them, over unbeaten snow, generally fol- 

 lowing the course of rivers. 



As night approaches, the traveller seeks a thicket, to pro- 

 tect him as much as possible from the wind. He then digs 

 an elliptical hole in the snow, with a snow shoe, at one end 

 of which a fire is built. The bottom is covered with ever- 

 green boughs, on which he spreads a blanket, and wraps 

 himself up, with his feet to the fire. If the night is stormy, 

 large evergreen boughs are placed across the hole, support- 

 ed by the walls of snow on each side. Thus the traveller 

 and his dogs sleep comfortably, in the coldest weather. 



A more particular notice contained in a letter from Dr. 

 Foot, to the Editor is subjoined : — 



The dogs are easily trained to turn, halt, and go by word 

 of command. The whip is only meant to crack at them or 

 give any one of them a severe whipping if he is obstinate. 

 When the traveller wishes his dogs to turn to the left, he 

 says " chuck," or " chuch, 11 and cracks his little whip on the 

 right side of his train ; if to the right he says "ge," and cracks 

 it on the left side. When they wish them to start or quicken 

 their gate, he says "march," or "avance;" (avancez,) when 

 they wish to turn short about, they most commonly get out, 

 or put one foot out, slew the train partly round and say, " vena 

 isse," (venez ici,) or as the Canadians pronounce it " vena issit," 

 making a motion with the little whip at the same time. It 

 is astonishing to see with what facility dogs are taught and 

 managed. I own a train of dogs, one of which. I broke my- 

 self. They are a great amusement to me in winter. I fre- 

 quently ride over the river, and a mile or two round for 

 amusement, and have, with three dogs, taken my wife and 

 little boy a mile, to make calls on a genteel family, over the 

 river, (a Mr. Erwatingen,) who has resided here ten years, 

 carrying on the fur trade. 



As to the traveller's sleeping, you will hardly believe what 

 I tell you. Those who travel with trains, think no more of 

 sleeping in the woods, in the coldest nights, than you would of 

 sleeping on your dining room carpet. There is a little man- 



