54 
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 the 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 bred. 
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 was from home, as soon as the lantern was fixed in 
his mouth, and the command given, “ Go fetch thy mas- 
ter,” he would immediately set off, and proceed 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, which 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 Capt. 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‘ In tyre in Edinburgh, possesses a half-bred 
Newfoundland Dog, of which the author, after relating 
6ome 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, 
arises from their being unaccustomed to such objects, and 
