The Penn's Grove record., 1884-06-28
2esquImaux Dogs.

When at Fort Albany in the Hudso
Bay region, says a correspondent, W
saw several Esquimaux dogs. a specie
Of canine unknown in civilized commu.
mites. These dogs are very large, lar
ger than our Newfoundland, and much
stronger when in condition. Their
strength, however, varies. In the win
ter, when they are well fed for driving,
Ghey are much stouter and stronger than
in summer, when they are poorly fed,
without exercise, and languid from the
heat, which is very telling upon them,
as their native climate far to the north
is invariably severe. Their colors are
white and yellow-while impure breeds
are white and black-the hair thick and
bushy, and the tail long, bushy, and
curling up at the end. at times they
are very quiet, at others very savage.
They are driven ordinarily five in num-
Der, but often many more, before sleds,
one, invariably a female. leading, for
the others will follow her more readily.
Each dog has a separate rein, which ia
held by the driver, who has also q great
long whip made of sealskip, plated as
ordinary whips, but with the heavy part
of the lash about the thickness of a
mans wrist. The lash is from six to
nine fathoms long, and the handle
made of wood-from a foot to a foot
and a half In length. When a dog is
not drawing properly or misbehaving in
any way he or she Is drawn by his orher
separate rein out from the rest of the
pack to receive ehastisement with the
whip, and so well do they know what Is
coming that just as soon as the rein is
pulled the victim begins yelping and
struggling to correct his or her ways be-
fore the whip comes laundering along.
Great skill is required in the use OF
these whips, for if not properly handled
the great heavy lash cracks around the
manipulator's body and legs, inficting
very painful and sometimes severe
wounds. But in the hands Of a person
skilled In the use Of them these whips
can be used with great precision and
effect, sometimes completely cutting a
dogs ear off.
Very remarkable stories are told
about the manner in which the Esqui-
maux handle their whips, but are, l
imagine, slightly exaggerated. 1t is
said that they have frequently attacked
I'D killed xhite bears, the most feroci-
GUS animals In the vicinity of James
bay, with a knife attached to the end OF
a whip. One of our party 'tried his
hand" with one of these dog-whips,
and succeeded in Furnishing his legs
rather severely, while a Hudson Bay
company's officer used ii with as much
ease and precision as a horseman would
have used an ordinary whip. Some
EsQuimaux dogs at Fort Albany had to
be tied a long distance apart with long
chains, while whole fish were thrown to
them, which they'd devour with a sud-
denness which was astonishing, lest in
their greed they'd turn upon each other.
They are quite unmanageable when
they get on the track Of a deer, and no
person can check them in their wild ca
reer as they gallop sup hill and down
dale" wei ice and snow, and through
bush, with the sled behind them in pur-
suit Of their prey. Ordinarily they
make about sixty miles a day, and very
pleasantly and comfortably does a man
travel in these northern regions wrap
ped up in blankets and furs upon a dog
sled.