NOTES ON THE DOG TRIBE. 



173 



Not long ago, our dogs were used to draw the 

 poor man's vehicle ; — but this privilege seems 

 lately to have been withdrawn by an order from 

 the magistrates, on the score of cruelty ; although, 

 in every surrounding country, we observe dogs 

 dragging little carts ; and I myself can testify, that 

 I have never seen a lame dog in harness. France 

 and Belgium are famous for the breed of dogs 

 to be used as horses. 



If the modern Solons, who have deprived the 

 poor man of this ancient privilege of using his dog 

 in carts, had studied well the nature of a dog's 

 foot, they would have seen, that each toe is move- 

 able ; and that the whole foot, as well as every toe, 

 is admirably defended by a very thick and tough 

 skin, quite adapted to walk on pavements or 

 macadamised roads. Moreover, the dog in harness, 

 has no superincumbent weight, pressing on his 

 withers, as is the case with the horse, when a man 

 is astride of it. The act, forbidding to the poor 

 man, the use of his dog to draw a little cart, is 

 a bad one, and ought to be repealed. 



I once witnessed in the streets of Ghent, a most 

 laughable fray, betwixt two kitchen -garden women, 

 and two dogs. By bad driving, these worthy 

 dames had let their dogs get too near each other, 

 A desperate fight ensued. The carts were upset,— 



