1802.) - 
this important news to Rochefoucault, the 
French minifter at the court of Drefden, 
and to the other illuftrious ftrangers then 
at Leipzig. What advantages would fome 
of our fpeculating ftockjobbers have reap- 
ed from this golden fecret, to which 
Frege alone potlefied the key during fix 
hours! Macnab actually, gained fome 
thoufands of dollars, by quickly buying 
up Englifh bills, &c. for, from fivedollars 
fifteen grofchens, the courfe of exchange 
rofe in forty-eight hours to five rix-dollars 
twenty-three grofchens: but it again fell 
confiderably, in confequence of large quan- 
tities of Englifh paper being poured into 
the market from:Ruilia, and tromthe corn- 
countries near the mouth of the Viftula. 
a . 
To the Editor of the Mouthly Magazine. 
SIR, | 
\ Vy © tpecies of information is received 
more generally and with greater 
pleafure than natural hiftory, particulacly 
the hiftory of the inferior animals. We 
are delighted to obferve the fuperiority of 
the human mind to the reft of the creation; 
and with a con{cious pride we behold in- 
fting&t employing its utmoft efforts in vain 
to emulate the operations of reafon. Hence . 
it comes, that we are moft furprifed and 
delighted by thofe aétions of animals that 
approach neareft the actionsof man. ‘The 
bird that fings, the parrot that chatters, 
and the monkey that mimicks our gef- 
tures, all obtain a peculiar place in our 
regard. | But thofe animals who difcover 
a fagacity approaching to reafon are our 
favourites. - The horfe, the cat, and, 
above all, the dog, is our friend and com-~ 
panion. This Jaft animal emulates not 
only the mental powers of man, but even 
_fomeof the human virtues. The amazing 
fagacity of the dog, his gratitude, his un- 
fhaken fidelity, that acute fenfe of fhame 
which often betrays his faults, and that : 
confcioufnefs of good defert with which he 
comes to claim the reward of his fervices, 
all thefe circumftances approximate very 
clofely to what we obferve in the human 
character, Thefe qualities, together with 
his great utility for various purpofes, have 
‘rendered him the conftant attendant and 
principal favourite of man. Every anec- 
dote therefore that tends to elucidate the 
nature and powers of this very fuperior 
animal, mutt be particularly amufing and 
interefting to all the lovers of natural hif- 
tory. The following are completely au- 
thentic, which is, perhaps, one of the 
firft recommendations to anecdotes of this 
Mature.“ A gentleman who ulually 
Inflances of Sagacity in Dogs. 
211 
fpent the winter months in the capital of ° 
“North Britain, having gone with his fa- 
mily to pafs the fummer at his country 
feat, left the care of his town-refidence, 
together with a favourite houfe dog, to 
fome fervants, who were placed at board- 
wages. ‘The dog foon found board-wages 
very fhort allowance ; and to make up the 
deficiency, he had recourfe to the kitchen 
of a friend of his mafter’s, which in bet- 
ter days he had occafionally vifited. By 
a hearty meal, which he received here 
daily, he was enabled to keep himfelf in 
good condition, till the return of his maf 
ter’s family to town’ on the approach of 
winter.. Though now reftored to the en- 
joyment of plenty at home, and ftanding 
in no need of foreign liberality, he did 
not forget that hofpitable kitchen where 
he had found a refource in his adverfity. 
A few days after, happening te faunter 
about the fireets, he fell in with a duck, 
which, as he found it in no private pond, 
he probably concluded to be no private 
property. He fnatched up the duck in 
his teeth, carried it to the kitchea where 
he had been fo hofpitably fed, laid it at 
the cook’s feet, with many polite move- 
ments of his tail, and then fcampered off 
with much feeming complacency at hav- 
ing given this teftimony of his grateful 
fenfe of favours”? _ 
The following anecdote is an inftance 
of that fagacity and attachment which 
fo juftly contribute to make the dog 
our favourite. * Thofe valleys, or 
glens, as they are called by the -na- 
tives, which interfeét the (Grampian 
mountains, are chiefly inhabited by flep- 
herds. The pattures, over which each 
flock is permitted to range,’ extend many 
miles in every dirveétion.. The fhepherd - 
never has a view of his whole flock at 
once, except when they are collected for 
the purpofe of fale or fhearing. His oc- 
cupation is to make daily excurfions to 
the different extremities of his paftures in 
fucceffion ; and to turn back, by .means 
of his dog, any ftragglers that may be 
approaching the boundaries of his neigh- 
bours. In one of thefe excurfions, a 
fhepherd happened to carry along with him 
one of his children, an infant about three 
years old. iis is an ufual practice 
among the Highlanders, who accuftom 
their children from the earlieft infancy to 
endure the'rigors of the climate. After 
traverfing his paftures for {ome time, at- 
tended by his dog, the fhepherd found 
himfelf under the neceffity of afcending a 
fummit at fome diltance, to have a more 
extenfive 
