Matakitakit, but it was a misplaced attachment, and I find you can only make use of these fellows as you would of a useful handy machine; and for the future I will lavish my kindnesses on the two much superior animals, horses and dogs, in spite of the missionaries dunning it into me that a black man is my brother. I could see yesterday that the good Samaritan was secretly annoyed and displeased that I would not shake hands with a parcel of his baptised singing heathens."

"Poor Gyp, I grieve to say, was taken by a tiger. I had ridden forwards to water, and she came after me on the spoor, before the waggons. It was night, and Adonis heard the scuffle, and poor Gyp's last breath, which left her carcase, not in the shape of a yell, but rather of a fierce angry whine that she could not gripe the brute in return. She was the gamest of the game, and had had numberless escapes, wonderful, lucky, or providential, whatever you like to call them."

Baldwin speaks of wild-dogs, but these probably were the wild-hoonden, and no true breed of dog:

"I missed an excellent right and left shot at wild-dogs this morning, owing to my after-rider being a long way behind-hand with my gun. They were great big fellows, and trotted away as coolly as possible." possible." A large wild dog, native name Inja, and also a small wild-dog, are likewise mentioned.

In Africa, the dog, like the ox and horse, dies from the bite of the tsetsé-fly, from whose fatal powers both man and wild animals are exempt.

No author has done more grateful justice to the character of the dog than Burchell in his Travels in Africa :'—

"Our pack of dogs," says Mr. Burchell, "consisted of fiveand-twenty of various sorts and sizes. This variety, though not altogether intentional, as I was obliged to take any that could be procured, was of the greatest service in such an expedition, as I observed that some gave notice of danger in one way, and others in another. Some were more disposed to watch against men, and others against wild beasts; some discovered an enemy by their quickness of hearing, others by that of scent; some for speed in pursuing game; some were useful only for their vigilance and barking; and others for their courage in holding ferocious animals at bay. So large a pack was not indeed maintained without adding greatly to our care and trouble, in supplying them with meat and water, for it was sometimes difficult to procure for them enough of the latter; but their services were invaluable, often contributing to our safety, and always to our ease, by their constant vigilance, as we felt a confidence that no danger could approach us at night without being announced by their barking. No circumstances could render the value and fidelity of these animals so conspicuous and sensible as a journey through regions which, abounding in wild beasts of almost every class, gave continual opportunities of witnessing the strong contrast in their habits, between the ferocious beasts of prey, which fly at the approach of man, and these kind but too often injured companions of the human race. Many times, when we have been travelling over the plains where those have fled the moment we appeared in sight, have I turned my eyes towards my dogs to admire their attachment,

and have felt a grateful affection toward them for preferring our society to the liberty of other quadrupeds. Often, in the middle of the night, when all my people have been fast asleep around the fire, have I stood to contemplate these faithful animals lying by their side, and have learnt to esteem them for their social esteem of mankind. When wandering over pathless deserts, oppressed with vexation and distress at the conduct of my own men, I have turned to these as my only friends, and felt how much inferior to them was man when actuated only by selfish views.

"The familiarity which subsists between this animal and our own race is so common to almost every country of the globe, that any remark upon it must seem superfluous; but I cannot avoid believing that it is the universality of the fact which prevents the greater part of mankind from reflecting duly on the subject. While almost every other quadruped fears man as its most formidable enemy, here is one which regards him as its companion, and follows him as its friend. We must not mistake the nature of the case; it is not because we train him to our use, and have made choice of him in preference to other animals, but because this particular species feels a natural desire to be useful to man, and from spontaneous impulse attaches itself to him. Were it not so, we should see in various countries an equal familiarity with various other quadrupeds, according to the habits, the taste, or the caprice of different nations. But everywhere it is the dog only takes delight in associating with us, in sharing our abode, and is even jealous that our attention should be bestowed on him alone; it is he who knows us personally, watches for us, and warns us of danger. It is impossible for

the naturalist, when taking a survey of the whole animal creation, not to feel a conviction that this friendship between two creatures so different from each other must be the result of the laws of nature; nor can the humane and feeling mind avoid the belief that kindness to those animals, from which he derives continual and essential assistance, is part of his moral duty."

"The people of the Sahara (of Northern Africa) have great love for the slougui or greyhound. There, as in all Arab countries, the dog is looked upon as a servant in disgrace, troublesome, and cast off, no matter how useful he may be in guarding the douar or in looking after the flocks. The greyhound alone enjoys the esteem, the consideration, the tender attention of his master. The rich as well as the poor regard him as a companion of their chivalrous pastimes; while for the latter he is also the purveyor that supplies them with food. They do not grudge him, therefore, the most assiduous care. The couplings are as scrupulously superintended as those of their horses. A Saharene will go twenty or thirty leagues to couple a handsome greyhound bitch with a dog of established reputation; for one that is really famous will run down a gazelle. When he perceives a gazelle cropping a blade of grass, he overtakes her before she has time to swallow what she already holds in her mouth.' This is a hyperbolical expression, no doubt, but still it is based on a certain degree of truth.

"When the slouguià, or bitch, has pupped, the litter is never lost sight of for an instant. The women will sometimes give their own milk to them. Visitors arrive in troops, the more

VOL. I.

X

numerous and eager according to the reputation of the mother. They surround the owner, offering him dates, kouskoussou, &c. There is no sort of flattery they will not lavish upon him in the hope of obtaining a pup: I am thy friend. Prithee, give me what I ask of thee. I will attend thee in thy hunts,' &c. To all these solicitations the owner usually replies that he will not decide upon what pups he means to keep for himself until after seven days. This reservation has its motive in a very singular observation, or fancy, of the Arabs: in every litter one of the pups gets upon the back of the others. Is it a sign of greater vigour? or is it mere chance? To ascertain this point they remove it from its habitual position, and if it returns to it for seven consecutive days, the owner builds upon it such extravagant expectations that he would not accept a negress in exchange. A prejudice causes them to attach the greatest value to the first, third, and fifth pups-in fact, to all the odd numbers.

"The pups are weaned at the end of forty days, but are still fed with goat's or camel's milk, thickened with dates or kouskoussou. In the Sahara the flocks are so numerous and milk so abundant, that it is not at all surprising that wealthy Arabs, after having weaned their greyhound pups, should set aside so many she-goats for their nourishment. When the pups are three or four months old their education commences. The boys drive out of their holes the jerboa, or the rat called boualal, and set the pups at them. The latter by degrees get excited, dash after them at full speed, bark furiously at their holes, and only give up the pursuit to begin another. At the age of five or six months they are assigned a prey more difficult to catch the hare. Men on foot lead the greyhound