The Nevada Democrat., 1860-05-30
An adventure with Esuulmaux Dogs.

| The following extract from DR.. Hayes Arc
tic Boat Journey" will be read with interest at
the present time, when the writer's proposed
Polar Expedition is one of the topics Of the day:
"The dogs we're fastened by their long traces
each team being tied TO a separate stake. They
were howliag piteously. 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 dur
ing thirty-six hours, they must have been saw
agely hungry. One of them had already eaten
his trace but we came cut, fortunately, at the
proper moment 10 prevent an attack upon the
sledges.
Leaving the hnnters to look after their teams
returned TO the hut. The binding snow
which battered my face made me insensbe to
everything except the idea of getting out of III;
and thinking of no danger, was Ia the act Of
STOPPING 10 enter the doorway, when sudden
noise behind me caused me to look around, and
there, close at my heels. was the whole pack Of
thirteen hungry dogs, saarling, ruappiug, and
showing their sharp teeth like drove Of raven-
Gus wolves. II was fortunate that had not
got down upon my knees, or they would have
been upon my back. In fact, so impetuous
was their attack, that one of them had already
sprung when faced round. | caught him on
my arm and kicked him down the Hill The
others were for the moment intinidated 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 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. bad faced death
in several shapes before, but never had felt as
then /; my blood fairly curdled in my veins.
Death down the red throats of pack of wolhsh
dogs had something about ii peculiarly uupleas-
ant. Conscious of my weakness, they were
preparing for a spring had not time even o
hallOo for help--to run would be the readies I
means of bringing the wretches upon me. NY
eye swept round the group and caught some
| thing lying half buried in the snow, about 10
feet distant. Quick rs n flash | sprang as
never sprang before or since, over tho back of
a huge fellow vino stood before and the next
instant was whirling about me the lash of
long whip, cutting to right and left. The dogs
ret reated before my blows and the fury of my
onset, and then sullenly skulked 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
Kalutanah as he went down to the sledges.
My principal objectin mentioning this little
incident is to show the savage propensity of
these dogs, which are to the Esquimaux more
than the horse to us or the camel to the Arab
Savage they are, however, only when hungry.
The night without food had developed all their
latent wollish qualities. Reclaimed wolves they
doubtless are and as shown by the boldness OF
their attack when my back was turned and
when had nothing in my hand. and their tim
idity when had possession Of a slender whip,
they have all of q VOLTS cowardice. Their mas
tiers keep them in subjection only by iniimida-
tion they will do nothing for u man they do
not fear and even the hunter who has been
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 his
constant companion. They arc capable of no
attachment to their master be he ever 40 kind
except 10 rare cases aud they will follow the
man who last fed them A little child or
disabled person, is never safe among them in
times of scarcity"