The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-05-05 00:00:00

VISITORS TO ENGLAND FROM TIBET,

The Times of Monday gave the following :—lt is a
century since Warren Hastings, whose predilection
for rare animals and desire to acclimatize them
served to occupy and amuse the leisure of his later
years, endeavoured in vain to obtain specimens of the
far•farned dog of Tibet, and we are not aware that any
other person has been subsequently more successful
in introducing the breed into this country. Owing,
however, to the kindness of Count Szechenyi, a
Hungarian nobleman, an account of whose interesting
travels in the Par East was published some two years
ago, the Prince of Wales has become the possessor of a
male and female of the race, and will, probably, with
his wonted liberality, afford the public an opportunity
of seeing them in Regent's-park during the ensuing
season.
Count Szechenyi had heard so many reports in
China—where, however, they are almost as great
strangers as with us—of the size and beauty of these
dogs that he was very anxious to become personally
acquainted with them, and on the first opportunity,
which presented itself at Batang, the frontier town of
China on the route to Lassa, he purchased three, at a
very considerable price it is understood. He found that
they were fully deserving of their reputation in looks,
courage, and sagacity. In some respects they are said
to resemble the handsomest specimens of the New-
foundland breed, but have a head very much larger, to
which, moreover', an air of imposing dignity if not fierce.
ness is added by a thick shaggy mane, which grows
forward so as to encircle the face like a frill. Their for-
miclab:e aspect is still further enhanced in their native
mountains by artificial means, for the shepherds and
herdsmen who employ, and are very proud of these
useful yet dreaded animals, often fasten round their
necks boa-like wregas made of the bristly hair of the
37. k and painted red, a species of decoration which
gives them a still more leonine appearance than that
which they owe to nature. Indeed, some drawings
which we have seen of them strongly recall to mind
the king of beasts as imaged in heraldic devices—e.g,,
In the arms of the Duke of Argyll, The colour of

their coats varies from black to light brown, the
former predominating.
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The people of Tibet find them invaluable either to
guard their flocks, or as house watch dogs. In the
latter capacity they display the utmost fierceneEs and
hostility to intruders on their master's property, and
would be truly dangerous if not tied up by strong
chains during the day ; even when thus secured their
furious barking and mad efforts to escape startle the
passing traveller and warn him to give them a wide
berth. It is curious that the rapid movement or
wagging of the tail is with them a manifestation of
anger and not of friendliness as it is with their
European cousins. As guardians of the sheep and
yak caravans implicit reliance is placed on them ; they
preserve peace and order among their subjects as effec-
Wally as Eastern despots of the better sort, and per-
haps after the same fashion—viv., by short shrift and
heavy tolls; at any rate they gallantly defend them
when attacked by man or beast.
The two individuals who are about to visit our
shores bring with them a good character for docility;
at least they soon became attached to their Hungarian,
as it is to be hoped they will be to their English
master. Their names are Chandu" and "Zama."
The fate and character of the third dog of this in-
teresting group were different from those of Ins com-
panions. Like a true follower of the Lamas, he was a
declared enemy of Europeans, and would accept no
overtures of amity from them. Count Szechenyi, who
strove to propitiate him by feeding him with his own
hand, was repeatedly bitten, and on one occasion very
severely. His antipathy was, however, not confined
to the white faces of the foreign devils, for a poor
Chinese old woman whom he encountered in the
streets of Bhamo was so maltreated by him that she
died almost immediately. This wanton act filled up
the measure of the irreclaimable brute's iniquities,
and was at once avenged by a bullet from his master's
revolver.