The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-10-30
NO. S51
DOGS OF AMERICA.
THE THEORY OF THEIR PRE- E-coLuM-
BlAN ORIGIN.
Esquimau Dogs Eot Much Unlike
Wolves I'm the Shell Heaps Of Casco
Bay-Types Of the "Newfound-
land "-Mongrels.

The impression tnat the uomestic doS OF
the old world has descended from wild
species distinct from the wolf may be well
founded, but in America the evidence tends
10 prove that the Esquimau and other
domestic varieties of dogs were domssticated
by the aboriginss and used by them long
anterior to the discovery of the continent by
the Europeans the varieties in question
originating from the grey wolf Or prairie
w.af. Fret to tho Esauiaa" dog
From the following extract from Fro
bisher it appears evident that the
Esauimaux had the present breed OF do
nestle dogs long anterior to the year 1877.
Frobisher's account Of the Esquimaux them
selves is SO far as we know, the first extant,
and Is full and characteristic. After de-
scribing the natives he goes on to say:
@They FRANKIE or keere certaine dogs not
much vnlike wolves, which they yoke to-
gither as we do oxen and horses, to sled
or traile; and so carry their necessaries over
the yce and snow from place to place; as
the captive whom we haue, made perfect
signes. And when those dogs are not apt
for the same vse; or when with hunger they
are constrained for lack Of other victuals,
they cate them, so that they are as needful
for them in respect of their bignesse as our
oxen are for va"
Confirmatory of the theory OF the pre-
Columbian origin Of the Indian dog may be
cited the following extract from Hakluyes
voyages regarding the dogs seen on Cape
Breton island: "Here divers OF our
men went on land upon the very cape,
where, at their arivall they found the spittes
of Oke Of the saw ges which had roasted
meate little before. And as they viewed
the countrey they save divers beastes and
foules, as blacke foxes, deere, otters, great
foules with red legges. pengwynS and GER
tain Others. Thereupon nine or tenne OF his
fellows running right vp over the bushes
with great agilitis and swiftness came to-
wards VS. with white staues in their hands
like halle pixies, and their dogges Of colour
blacke not so bigge as grayhounde fol-
lowed them at the hesles; but wee retired
vnto our boate without any hurt at all re-
ceived."
1t is probably this variety the bones of
which have been found by DIR. j. Wyman,
in the shell heaps Of Casco bay, Me.
"The presence of the bones of the dog
might be account ted for on the score Of its
being domesticated animal, but the fact
that they were not only found mingled with
those of the edible kinds, but like them were
broken up. suggests the probabilit of their
having been used as food. We have not
seen it mentioned, however, by any OF the
earlier writer's that such was the case along
the coast though it appears to have been
otherwise with regard to some OF the in
terror tribes, as the Hurons. With them,
game being scarce, venison was luxury
found only at feasts, and dog flesh was in
high esteem"
It is possible that the Newfoundland dog
was indigenous on that island, and also an
offshoot Of the grey wolf, allied to the E'qui-
mau. In their Newfoundland" Messrs.
Hatton and Harvey say that there are few
fine specimens Of the world renowned "New-
foundland dog" to be met with now in the
aThe origin Of this fine breed Is lost In OBJ
scurity. 1t Is doubtful whether the abori-
pipes possessed the dog at all: and it is
highly improbable that the Newfoundland
dog is indigenous Some happy crossing of
breeds may have produced it here Tho old
settlers say that the ancient genuine
breed consisted of a dog about twenty
six inches high, with black ticked
body, grey muzzle and grey or
white stockinged legs, with deer
claws behind" ut is now generally
admitted that there are two distinct types
of the Newfoundland dog one considerably
larger than the other, and reckoned as the
true breed; the other being named the Lab
rador, or St Johns, or Lesser Newfound-
land. The latter is chiefly found in Labra-
dor, and specimens are also to be met with
in Newfoundland"
Regarding the dogs OF the Mexican In
dians, Nada aillac says in his Prehistoric
America:" "The European dog, our faith.
full companion, also appears to have been
stranger to them His place was very in
adequately filed by the coyote, or prairie
wolf, which they kept in captivity and had
succeeded In tanning to certain extent"
In q recent visit to Mexico, not only along
the railroads, but in the course Of stage
ride of about 500 miles through provincial
Mexico, from Saltillo to San Miguel, we
were struck by the resemblance OF the dogs
to the coyote; there can be little doubt but
thai they are the descendants Of q race
which sprang from ths partly tanned coyote
Of the ancient Mexican Indians. At one
village, Montezuma, wa saw q hairless oI
Carib dog, as We supposed 1t to be; similar
dogs are sometimes seen in the United
States.
Finally, that the domestic dog and grey
IS well as the prairie wolf, will hybridize
has been well established. DR.. Coues ha
observed by birds between the coyote am
domestic dog on the Upper Missouri T
this we may add our own observations mad
ut Fort Claggett, on the upper Mis-
souri,, in June, 1877. We then were mucl
struck by the wolf-like appearance Of tn
dogs about an encampment Of Grow Ind
ans, as we'll as the fort; they were Of tn
sise and color Of the coyote, but less hair.
and with less bushy tail They wer
much like those lately observed in Mexico
and have never seen such dogs elsewhere
Their color was whitish tawny, like tha
of the Esquimau dog.
Conarmatory Of these observations Is th
following note by J. l. Workman in the re
port Of the geological survey Of Indiana TO
1884: "During extended travel in wester
United States my experience has been th
same as that recorded by DR.. Couea
IL by no mems uncommon to fin
mongrsl dogs among many Of th
western Indian tribes, notably anon
the Umatillas, Bannocks, Shoshonss, Araps
hoes, Crows and Sioux which to one fsmi
lar with the color, physiognomy and haiti
of the coyote, have every appearance {
blood relationship, II not In many cases, th
animal itself In q state OF semi-domestics
tion. The fres inter- breeding Of these an
mails has bsen so often repeated to mo b.
thoroughly reliable authorities, and who's
opportunities for observation were ampls
ss.. feel perfectly willing to accept D'
Mr.. Milton r. Pierce, published In Fores
and Stream, as followp 4Hybrid volve
have always bssn very common along on
western frontiera have seen several
them, sired both by dogs and wolves. an
all 1 have seen have resembled wolvs
rather than dogs." It II to be hoped ths
our mammaloeists may collect and exam
inc this subject, particularly tho skulls an
skins OF numerous specimens both Of dog
and wolves and Of the hybrids bstwes
them
Over TOO Kinds Of Baskets.
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