The Placer herald., 1860-11-24
An Adventure with Esquimaux Dogs.


"Arctc Boat Journey" The writer sailed
on second expedition the past Summer
and is again in those hyperborean regions
battling with cold and darkness and hard
ships, in the prosecution of the search for
an open Polar Sea-
"The dogs were fastened by their long
traces, each team being tied to separate
stake. Having been exposed to all the fnry
of the storm, with no ability to run about,
they had grown cold; and, as their masters
tol US, having had nothing to eat during
thirty-six hours, they must have been saw
agely hungry. One of them had already
eaten his traces; but we came out, fortuna
tey, at the proper moment to prevent an
attack upon the sledges
Leaving the hunters to look after their
team, returned to the hut. The binding
snow which had battered my face made me
insensble to everything except The idea Of
getting ont Of it; and thinking of no danger,
| was in the act of STOPPING to enter the
doorway, when sudden noise behind me
caused me to look behind, and there close
al my heels, was the whole pack of thirteen
hungry dogs, snar'ing, swapping, and show
INC their teeth, like a drove of ravenous
wolves. 1t was fortunate that had not
got down on my knees, or they would have
been upon my back. In fact so mpe,uous
was their attack that one of them had al
ready sprung when | faced around.
caught him on my arm and kicked him
down hill. The others were for moment
in,imidated ny the sudlenness Of my move
ment, and at seeing the summary manner in
a., bi,.b tb.,ir I,,.l hal a a.,
they were in the act Of sneaking away,
when they perceived that was powerless to
do them any harm, having nothing in my
hand. Again they assumed the offensive;
they we're all around me; an instant more
and should have been torn to pieces.
had faced death in several shapes before, but
never had felt as then; my blood fairly
urdled in my veins. Death down the red
throals of pack of wolfish dogs had some
thing about it peculiarly y unpleasant. Con
scious of my weakness, they were preparing
for a spring; | had not time even to halloo
for he p--tp run would le the readiest means
of bringing the wretches upon me-My
eyes swept around the group and caught
sight Of something buried in the snow
about ten feet distant. Quick as q flash
sprang, as never sprang before or since,
over the back of u huge fellow who stood
before me, and the next instant | was whirl
ing about me the lash of long whip, cut
ting to the right aud to the left. The dogs
retrea,ed before my blows and the fury of
onset, and then sullenly skuked behind the
rocks. The whip had clearly saved my life;
there was nothing else within my reach; and
it had been dropped there quite accidentally
by KBlu,unah as he went down to the
sledges
"My principal object in mentioning this
little incident is to show the savage propen
sity of these dogs, which are to the Esqui
el to the Arab. Savage they are, however,
only when hungry. The night without food
had developed all lheir latent wolish appe
tites. Reclaimed wolves they doubtless are;
and AS shown by the boldness of their at
tack when my back was turned and when
had nothing in my hand, and their timidity
when had possession of a slender whip.
they have all OF VOLTS cowardco. Their
masters keep them in suhjection by their in
timidaton; they will do nothing for man
they do not fear; and even the hunter who
has leen accustomed to them for years, and
has fed them and driven them, has to watch
them closely when they are hungry. His
whip is then bis constant companion. They
are capable of no attachment to their mas
ter, be he ever so kind, except in rare cases;
and they will follow the man who last fed
them. A little child or a disabled person is
never safe amongst them in times Of scar
city"