The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-31
Ships Dog Was
Real Sailor

There is nothing more commen0able
than kindness to dumb animals and
often that kindness is repaid a hun
pected. In the course of my sea life
have often picked UP a homeless and
friendless dog and taken 1T on board
of my ship as companion, and in sew
eral instances have owed my life to
that dog. who by his sense of hearing
and keen scent has warned me Of i'm
pending danger that 1 could not fore
see, and has saved not only human
lives. but the ship itself. 1 could tell
of half a dozen cases where dogs that
1 had befriended were the direct means
of avoiding a disaster that probably
would have brought death to me. A
close companionship begets mutual
understanding, and while the dog I'M
doubtedly can understand almost ev-
erything that is said to it, on the other
hand the close observer will soon I'M
derstand by its barkings and actions
what the dog wishes you to understand,
and / have found this to be true in
reference to other animals, notably the
horse, and even in animals classed as
wild animals. Kindness is the key to
the affection of most all animals, do
nestle or even wild ones.
I think that the deck Of a ship at
sea Is the real place to bring out the
fine points of a dog, to test his INTEL
Egence and to teach him those things
that show how capable he is of acquir-
ing knowledge that endears him to his
human master. For more than 20 years
of my life at sea I have had a dog
for my companion, not always the same
dog. of course, but several of them, and
in every case they developed a knowl-
edge that in some cases was superior
to the men that We're their companions
and shipmates, and I could relate in
stances of these dogs, that, except to
seafaring man, would be classed as
fish stories.'' A friend in Glasgow,
Scotland, gave me a collie dog named
''Jack"-a very appropriate name for a
ship dog-that was of most marked
intelligence coupled with the most low
able disposition and winning ways. I
think the most marked trait in his
character was his acquaintance with
names of men and things. He seemed
to acquire them without any great
mental effort and to retain them under
all circumstances. In fortnight after
person on board, and when told to
bring Bill. Ben. Bob or Joe would trot
off and giving a gentle bark to attract
the attention of the man wanted. would
take him by the hand and start aft
with him. He would only perform this
service when told to do so by myself
or some of my officers.
We discovered this peculiar trait in
him when only few days out OF port.
when ] csanC,sd TO say to the mate: !
Please ask Mr.. Roberts to come here"
Jack, who had been sitting by my side.
bounded off forward where Mr.. Roberts
was experimenting a Job, and who
at once was convinced that the dog
was message bearer. and leading the
second mate by the hand, they came
aft together. and Mr. Roberts said:
Captain, did you send Jack for me?''
I was greatly surprised and patted the
dog for his intelligence, and then sent
the mate forwa ID and after a short
interval said: Jack, tell Mr.. Christie
to come here" and off Jack trotted
with the message and brought the mate
aft. The men had watched this pecu-
liar action of the dog and took great
interest in ii. Then I sent both off,
GERS forward and sent Jack for Mr.
Christie, and he went direct to the off,
Ger named, ignoring Mr.. Roberts.
Then I began testing his intelligence
upon the crew and sent him for one
and another. calling them by name,
and he made no mistakes. Tell Jack
to 'call the watch and he would go
to the forecastIe door and bark loud
and long-in fact until every man had
turned out. Tell him to "call all hands
to put a reef in the topsail." and he
would call them as surely as the Off
GERS Of the watch could.
His higher intellect was discovered
when we We're signallin~ 10 passing
vessels: he seemed to take great inter-
est in the signal flags One day we
were drying the flags and pointed out
E 20 him the national ensign. the Union
Jack and the House fiags. and re-
peated the name 81 each several times.
and "a each one was rolled ur t0 be put
I'm the locker ! again called their names
Ia bal 80,