The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-06-06
An ADVENTURE WITH RsQUIMAVx
DOGS.

! The following extract from DIR. Hayess
Arctic Boat Journey" will be read with
interest at the present time, when the wri.
ter's proposed Polar Expedition is one of
the topics Of the day -
The dogs were fastened by their long
traces each team being tied to separate
stake. They were bowling pi,eously-
Having been exposed to all the fury of the
storm. with no ability to run about, they
had grown cold and, as their masters told
us, having had nothing to eat during thirty.
six hours, they must have been savagely
hungry. One of them had already eaten
his trace but We came out. fortunately, at
the proper moment to prevent an attact up
on the sledges.
Leaving the hunters to look after their
teams, | returned to the hut. The blind
ing snow which battered my face made
me insensible to everything except the idea
Of getting out Of it: and thinking of no
danger. l was in the act Of STOPPING to en-
ter the doorway. when a sudden noise be.
hind me caused me to look around, and
there, close at my heels, was the whole pack
of thirteen hungry dogs, snarling, snapping,
and showing their sharp teeth like drove
of ravenous wolves l. was fortunate that
had hot got down upon my knees. or they
would have been upon my back. In fact.
go impetuous was their attact. that ono of
them had already sprung, when l faced
round. l caught him on my arm and
kicked him down the hill The others
were for the moment intimidated by the
suddenness of my movement, and at seeing
the summary manner in which their leader
had been dealt with and they were in the
act of sneaking away when they perceived
that l was powerless to do them any harm,
having nothing in my hand Again they
assumed the offensive they were all around
me; an instant more and should be torn
to pieces. l had faced death in several
shapes before, but never had l felt as then
my blood fairly curdled in my veins.
Death down the red throats of q pack Of
wol6sh dogs had something about it peculi.
arly unpleasant Conscious Of my week
ness. they were preparing for spring; l
had not time even to halloO for help-to
run would be the readiest means of bring.
ing the wretchcs upon me. My eye swept
round the group and caught something ly.
ing half buried in the snow, about ten feet
distant. Quick as fash sprang. as | new.
er sprang before or since. over the back Of
huge fellow who stood before and the
next instant l was whirling about me the
lash of long whip. cutting to right and
left. The dogs retreated before my blows
and the fury Of my onset, and them sullen
ly skulked behind the rocks. The whiI
had clearly saved my life there was moth
ing else within my reach and it had beer
dropped there quite accidentally by Kalut
unah as be went down to the sledges.
My principal object in mentioning thi
little incident is to show the savage propen
sity of these dogs, which are to the Esqui
; naux more than the horse to us or th'
camel to the Arab Savage they are. how
!. : ever. only when hungry. The night with
out food had developed all their latent vol
fish qualities. Reclaimed wolves the,
! doubtless are; and, as shown by the bold
, ness of their attack when my back wa
turned aud when I had nothing in m,
> hand. and their timidity when l had pcs
e session of a slender whip. they have all Of
VOLTS cowardlce. Their masters keep then
in subjection only by intimidation the
will do nothing for man they do not fear
. and even the hunter who has been accus
toned to them for years. and has fed ther
and driven them, has to watch them close
;. ly when they are hungry. His whip
I then his constant companion. They ar
II capable Of no attachment to their master
r. be he ever SO kind, except in rare cases
u and they will follow the man who last fe
Il them. A lutte child or disabled perso
is never safe among them in times of seal
city"