the vehicles splashing through the holes of water with the velocity and spirit of
rival stage-coaches. There is something of the spirit of professed whips in these'
wild races; for the young men delight in passing each other’s sledge, and jockeying
the hinder one by crossing the path . In passing on different routes the right hand
is yielded, and should an unexperienced driver endeavour to take the left, he would
have some difficulty in persuading his team to do so. The only unpleasant circumstance
attending these races is, that a poor dog is sometimes entangled and
thrown down, when the sledge, with perhaps a heavy load, is unavoidably drawn
over his body. The driver sits on the fore-part of the vehicle, from whence he
jumps when requisite to pull it clear of any impediments which may lie in the way,
and he also guides it by pressing either foot on the ice. The voice and long whip
answer all the purposes of reins, and the dogs can be made to turn a corner as
dexterously as horses, though not in such an orderly manner, since they are constantly
fighting ; and I do not recollect to have; seen one receive a flogging without
instantly wreaking his passion on the ears of his neighbours. The cries of the men
are not more melodious than those of the animals ; and their wild looks and
gestures, when animated, give them an appearance of devils driving wolves before
them. Our dogs had eaten nothing for forty-eight hours, and could not have
gone over less than seventy miles of ground; yet they returned, to all appearance,
as fresh and active as when they first set out.”
The Esquimaux dogs are likewise useful to their masters in discovering, by the
scent, the winter retreats which the bears make under the snow.
Canis p . var. B. lagopus. Hare Indian Dog.
P la t e v.
This variety of Dog is cultivated at present, so far as I know, only by the Hare
Indians, and other tribes that frequent the borders of Great Bear Lake and the
banks of the Mackenzie. It is used by them solely in the chase, being too small
to be useful as a beast of burthen or draught.
MAMMALIA.
DESCRIPTION.
The Hare Indian Dog has a mild countenance, with, at times, an expression of demureness.
I t has a small head, slender muzzle; erect, thickish ears; somewhat oblique eyes; rather
slender legs, and a broad hairy foot, with a bushy tail, which it usually carries curled over its
right hip. I t is covered with long hair, particularly about the shoulders, and at the roots of
the hair, both on the body and tail, there is a thick wool. The hair on the top of the head is
long, and on the posterior part of the cheek it is not only long, but being also directed backwards,
it gives the animal, when the fur is in prime order, the appearance of having a ruff
round the neck. Its face, muzzle, belly, and legs, are of a pure white colour, and there is a
white central line passing over the crown of the head’ and the occiput. The anterior surface of
the ear is white, the posterior yellowish-gray or fawn-colour. The end of the nose, the eye-*
lashes, the roof of the mouth, and part of the gums, are black. There is a dark patch over
the eye. On the back and sides there are larger patches of dark blackish-gray or lead-colour
mixed with fawn-colour and white, not definite in form, but running into each other. The
tail is bushy, white beneath and at the tip. The feet are covered with hair which almost conceals
the claws. Some long hairs between the toes project over the soles, but there are naked
callous protuberances at the root of the toes and on the soles, even in the winter time, as in
all the wolves described in the preceding pages;. The American foxes, on the contrary, have
the whole of their soles densely covered with hair in the winter. Its ears are proportionably
nearer each other than those of the Esquimaux dog.
The size of the Hare Indian Dog is inferior to that of the prairie wolf, but
rather exceeds that of the red American fox. Its resemblance, however, to the
former is so great, that, on comparing live specimens, I could detect no marked
difference in form, (except the smallness of its cranium,) nor in the fineness of the
fur, and arrangement of its spots of colour. The length of the fur on the neck,
back part of the cheeks, and top of the head, was the same in both species. It,
in fact, bears the same relation to the prairie wolf that the Esquimaux Dog does
to the great gray wolf. It is not, however, a breed that is cultivated in the districts
frequented by the prairie wolf, being now confined to the northern tribes, who
have' been taught the use of fire-arms within a very few years. Before that
weapon was introduced by the fur-traders, a dog, so well calculated by theiightness
of its body and the breadth of its paws, for passing over the snow, must have been
invaluable for running down game, and it is reasonable to conclude that it was
then generally spread amongst the Indian tribes north of the Great Lakes.
The Hare Indian Dog is very playful, has an affectionate disposition, and is soon
gained by kindness. I t is not, however, very docile, and dislikes confinement of
every kind. It is very fond of being caressed, rubs its back against the hand like
a cat, and soon makes an acquaintance with a stranger. Like a wild animal, it is