very mindful of an injury, nor does it, like a spaniel, crouch under the lash; but if
it is conscious of having deserved punishment, it will hover round the tent of its
master the whole day, without coming within his reach, even when he calls it. Its
howl, when hurt or afraid, is that of the wolf; but when it sees any unusual object,
it makes a singular attempt at barking, commencing by a kind of growl, which is
not, however, unpleasant, and ending in a prolonged howl. Its voice is very much
like that of the prairie wolf. The larger dogs, which we had for draught at Fort
Franklin, and which were of the mongrel breed in common use at the fur-
jposts, used to pursue the Hare Indian Dogs for the purpose of devouring them;
but the latter far outstripped them in speed, and easily made their escape. A
young puppy, which I purchased from the Hare Indians, became greatly attached
to me, and when about seven months old ran on the snow by the side of my sledge
for nine hundred miles, without suffering from fatigue. During this march it frequently,
of its own accord, carried a small twig or one of my mittens for a mile or
two; but, although very gentle in its manners, it shewed little aptitude in learning
any of the arts which the Newfoundland -dogs so speedily acquire, of fetching and
carrying when ordered. This Dog was killed and eaten by an Indian, on the
Saskatchewan, who pretended that he mistook it for a fox.
Canis f . var. C. Canadensis. North American Dog.
Attim. 'Cb.ee I ndian's. Animous. 'Aegonqitins. •
Watts. Sxouaccouss Indians. Shong. Stone Indians.
Hudtlier. Fall I ndians. Ametoo. Black-feet Indians.
Hey. Sabsees, or Cibcees. Titling. Chepewyans.
By the above title I wish to designate the kind of Dog which is most generally
cultivated by the native tribes of Canada, and the Hudson’s Bay countries. It
is intermediate in size and form between the two preceding varieties; and by
those who consider the domestic races of dog to be derived from wild animals,
this might be termed the offspring of a Cross between the prairie and gray wolves.
This breed wants the strength of the Esquimaux dog, and does not possess the
affectionate and playful disposition of the Hare Indian variety. It is used at
certain seasons in the chase, and by some tribes as a beast of burthen or draught;
but it has all the sneaking habits of the wolf, with less courage, and without the
intelligence of that animal. It unites with its companions to assail a stranger on
his approach to the hut of its master; retreats on the least show of resistance,
or endeavours to get behind him, and silently snaps at his legs. When opposed
to another dog, it curls the upper lip very much, shews the whole of its teeth,
and snarls for a long time, before it ventures to bite. A little Scotch terrier,
that accompanied us on the last expedition, disconcerted the largest of them by the
smartness of his attack, and used to send an animal, more than four times his own
size, howling away, although the density of its woolly covering prevented his short
teeth from wounding the skin. When they fight among themselves, the dog that
is vanquished, is not unfrequently torn in pieces by the rest of the pack. They
hunt the larger domestic animals in packs, snapping at their heels and harassing
them until worn out, but scarcely ever venture to seize them by the throat. All
the dogs of a camp assemble at night to howl in unison, particularly when the
moon shines bright.
The fur of the North American Dog is similar to that of the Esquimaux breed,
and of the wolves. The prevailing colours are black and gray, mixed with white.
Some of them are. entirely black. Their thick woolly coat forms an admirable
protection against the cold, and when they are fat they can lie all night on the snow
without inconvenience during the most intense cold. In the summer time they are
fond of making deep holes in sandy ground; :and this habit is retained by the mongrel
breed which the Canadian voyagers rear for draught. These often burrow
completely underneath the out-buildings of a fort, and will in a single night make
their way beneath the door of a store-house, if the precaution has not been taken of
flooring it with wood. The flesh of these Dogs is esteemed before that of almost
any other animal by the Canadian voyagers, and is eaten by some of the Indian
tribes on the Saskatchewan and shores of the Great Lakes; but the Chepewyan
tribes: hold the practice in abhorrence, because they consider themselves to be
descendants of a dog. I quote Theodat’s account of this variety of dog, written in
the year 1630, because it applies pretty correctly to the North American dogs of
the present day, and shews that at that early period, and perhaps even before the
arrival of Europeans, they formed an esteemed article of the food of the natives:—
“ Les chiens du Canada sont un peu differens des nostres, sinon au naturel et au
sentiment, qui ne leur est point mauvais. Ils hurlent plustost qu’ils n’abayent, et
ont tous les oreilles droictes comme renards, mais au reste tout semblables au matins
de mediocre grandeur de nos villageois; ils arrestent l’eslan et descouvurent la
M