Dr. Richardson, in his "American Fauna," mentions as a curious fact,
that those Indian nations who still preserve their ancient mode of
life, have dogs which bear a strong resemblance to wolves. Thus it is
with the Esquimaux dogs. They are extremely like the grey wolves of
the Arctic Circle in form and colour, and nearly equal to them in
size. They also bear some resemblance to the Pomeranian breed,
although the latter are much smaller.
It is curious that almost every nation on earth has some particular
traditions regarding the dog. The Esquimaux, a nation inhabiting the
polar regions, have a singular fable amongst them respecting the
origin of the Dog-Rib Indians, a tribe which inhabits the northern
confines of the American continent. It is thus detailed in Captain
Franklin's "Second Journey to the Polar Sea:"--
"For a long time Chapawee's descendants were united as one family, but
at length some young men being accidentally killed in a game, a
quarrel ensued, and a general dispersion of mankind took place. One
Indian fixed his residence on the borders of the lake, taking with him
a dog big with young. The pups in due time were littered, and the
Indian, when he went out to fish, carefully tied them up to prevent
their straying. Several times, as he approached his tent, he heard a
noise of children talking and playing; but on entering it, he only
perceived the pups tied up as usual. His curiosity being excited by
the voices he had heard, he determined to watch; and one day
pretending to go out and fish, according to custom, he concealed
himself in a convenient place. In a short time he again heard voices,
and rushing suddenly into the tent, beheld some beautiful children
sporting and laughing, with the dog-skins lying by their side. He
threw the skins into the fire, and the children, retaining their
proper forms, grew up, and were the ancestors of the Dog-Rib nation."
Captain Lyon, who had so many opportunities of studying the habits of
the Esquimaux dog, has given so interesting an account of it that I
cannot do better than quote his own words:--
"Having myself possessed, during our hard winter, a team of eleven
fine dogs, I was enabled to become better acquainted with their good
qualities than could possibly have been the case by the casual visits
of the Esquimaux to the ships. The form of the Esquimaux dog is very
similar to that of our shepherds' dog in England, but it is more
muscular and broad-chested, owing to the constant and severe work to
which he is brought up. His ears are pointed, and the aspect of the
head is somewhat savage. In size a fine dog is about the height of the
Newfoundland breed, but broad like a mastiff in every part except the
nose. The hair of the coat is in summer, as well as in winter, very
long, but during the cold season a soft, downy under-covering is
found, which does not appear in warm weather. Young dogs are put into
harness as soon as they can walk, and being tied up, soon acquire a
habit of pulling, in their attempts to recover their liberty, or to
roam in quest of their mother. When about two months old, they are put
into the sledge with the grown dogs, and sometimes eight or ten little
ones are under the charge of some steady old animal, where, with
frequent and sometimes severe beatings, they soon receive a competent
education. Every dog is distinguished by a particular name, and the
angry repetition of it has an effect as instantaneous as an
application of the whip, which instrument is of an immense length,
having a lash from eighteen to twenty-four feet, while the handle is
one foot only; with this, by throwing it on one side or the other of
the leader, and repeating certain words, the animals are guided or
stopped. When the sledge is stopped they are all taught to lie down,
by throwing the whip gently over their backs, and they will remain in
this position even for hours, until their master returns to them. A
walrus is frequently drawn along by three or four of these dogs, and
seals are sometimes carried home in the same manner, though I have in
some instances seen a dog bring home the greater part of a seal in
panniers placed across his back. The latter mode of conveyance is
often used in summer, and the dogs also carry skins or furniture
overland to the sledges when their masters are going on any
expedition. It might be supposed that in so cold a climate these
animals had peculiar periods of gestation, like the wild creatures,
but, on the contrary, they bear young at every season of the year, and
seldom exceed five at a litter. Cold has very little effect on them;
for although the dogs at the huts slept within the snow passages, mine
at the ships had no shelter, but lay alongside, with the thermometer
at 42 deg. and 44 deg., and with as little concern as if the weather had been
mild. I found, by several experiments, that three of my dogs could
draw me on a sledge, weighing one hundred pounds, at the rate of one
mile in six minutes; and as a proof of the strength of a well-grown
dog, my leader drew one hundred and ninety-six pounds singly, and to
the same distance, in eight minutes. At another time seven of my dogs
ran a mile in four minutes, drawing a heavy sledge full of men.
Afterwards, in carrying stores to the Fury, one mile distant, nine
dogs drew one thousand six hundred and eleven pounds in the space of
nine minutes. My sledge was on runners, neither shod nor iced; but had
the runners been iced, at least forty pounds weight would have been
added for each dog."
Captain Lyon, in another passage, observes:--"Our eleven dogs were
large, and even majestic-looking animals; and an old one of peculiar
sagacity was placed at their head by having a longer trace, so as to
lead them through the safest and driest places, these animals having
such a dread of water as to receive a severe beating before they would
swim a foot. The leader was instant in obeying the voice of the
driver, who never beat, but repeatedly called to him by name. When the
dogs slackened their pace, the sight of a seal or bird was sufficient
to put them instantly to their full speed; and even though none of
these might be seen on the ice, the cry of "a seal!"--"a bear!"--or "a
bird!" &c., was enough to give play to the legs and voices of the
whole pack. It was a beautiful sight to observe the two sledges racing
at full speed to the same object, the dogs and men in full cry, and
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 inexperienced 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."
Such is the Esquimaux dog, an animal of the greatest value in the cold
regions of the Arctic circle. In addition to Captain Lyon's very
interesting account of them, it may be mentioned that they are of
great use to their masters in discovering by the scent the winter
retreats which the bears make under the snow. Their endurance, too,
never tires, and their fidelity is never shaken by blows and starving:
they are obstinate in their nature, but the women, who treat them with
more kindness than the men, and who nurse them in their helpless
state, or when they are sick, have an unbounded command over their
affections.
I am indebted to Colonel Hamilton Smith for the following account of
an Esquimaux dog brought to this country, and which he received from
Mr. Cleghorn, the owner of the animal:--
"The Esquimaux dog is possessed of very great sagacity--in some
respects, more than any dog I have ever seen. I may mention an
instance. In coming along a country road a hare started, and in place
of running after the hare in the usual way, the dog pushed himself
through the hedge, crossed the field, and, when past the hare, through
the hedge again, as if to meet her direct. It is needless to remark,
that the hare doubled through the hedge; but had it been in an open
country, there would have been a fine chase. One particular
characteristic of the dog is, that he forms a strong attachment to his
master, and however kind others may be, they never can gain his
affection, even from coaxing with food or otherwise; and, whenever set
at liberty, he rushes to the spot where the individual of his
attachment is. I may give one or two instances among many. One morning
he was let loose by some of the men on the ground, when he instantly
bounded from them to my house, and the kitchen-door being open, found
his way through it; when, to the great amazement of all, he leaped
into the bed where I was sleeping, and fawned in the most affectionate
manner upon me. Another instance was, when the dog was with me going
up the steep bank of the Prince's Street garden, I slipped my foot and
came down, when he immediately seized me by the coat, as if to render
assistance in raising me. Notwithstanding this particular affection to
some, he was in the habit of biting others, without giving the least
warning or indication of anger. He was remarkably cunning, for he was
in the practice of strewing his meat around him, to induce fowls or
rats to come within his reach while he lay watching, as if asleep,
when he instantly pounced upon them, and always with success. He was
swift, and had a noble appearance when running."
[Illustration: OTTER HUNTING.]