150 
A CRUSADE IN THE EAST. 
basking in the sun, and in some of the narrow passages he is 
often compelled to step over whole families of them. These 
animals abound in every quarter, Frank, Jewish, Armenian, 
and Turkish, and are formed into communities like their two- 
legged neighbors. Certain invisible lines determine the extent 
of territory belonging to each community, and so distinctly 
defined are these boundaries, that every member, down to the 
most illiterate cur, knows precisely how far he can venture, 
and what his inherent rights are. But let it not be supposed 
that dogs are more sensible than men ; they have their ter¬ 
ritorial disputes as well as human beings, and very much on 
the same general principle. A strong community crowds over 
into the possessions of a weaker one ; a quarrel ensues, and 
whichever cur can maintain the disputed territory by force of 
teeth and paws, holds it till some stronger one interferes and 
settles the difficulty by dispossessing both the others. There 
are various minor grades of difficulty between these canine 
communities, petty infringements upon the rights of others, 
such as cases of trespass, prowling beyond the lines in search 
of food, snatching up bones and the like, just as with us; but 
these infractions of the law are settled at once, which makes 
justice more terrible to evil-doers, and costs less in the way of 
fees to sheriffs, courts, and lawyers. The community fights 
its battles and defends its rights, punishes offenders within its 
own limits, and commits depredations upon others, very much 
after the fashion of the most respectable human communities; 
but I never knew an instance of one dog giving a bone to an¬ 
other for arguing a case, or of two dogs involved in a private 
quarrel drawing upon the resources of the community to com¬ 
pensate them, or pay the expenses of an appeal to a higher 
tribunal. I am not prepared to say what religious doctrines 
these dogs of Constantinople entertain, but they have a very 
pious hostility to all Franks, and bark or growl at Christians 
just as we do at the Mohammedans and other Oriental sects; 
and I have no doubt they are quite as firmly convinced that 
not one of us will reach heaven, as we are that the gates will 
be closed against all who disbelieve in our doctrines. We are 
good haters of other sects, and why should the dogs be con- 
