ANECDOTES OF DOGS.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 1, Issue 20, 27 September 1849, Page 2

ANECDOTES OF DOGS.

There are few topics more calculated to interest the general reader, than that portion of the natural history of animals which is illusrated by their instinctive capacities and directions. Of those attributes, embodying wh;>t may, ])erlia|is, be aptly termed th« suciul worth of the lior>e, we furnished some pleasing examples in the last number of thia Journal. Tlic supply of such illustrations is as fertile ns the subject is instructive, and from lb it supply Me shall be tempted occasionally to draw. 111 .order, however, to impart variety to our pnges, and to exhibit to our native readers the varied virtues of-the lower animals, we shall ulcip to dill'erent subjects before exhausting one, selecting, 011 the present occasion, one or two instances of the sagacity and fidelity of the dug, that devoted and unswerving friend of man. " Tho dog," says n modern writer, " has not unaptly been described aJ a gilt of Providence to man." Certain it i» that be has more than oucc proved to be a remarkable instrument ordained ,by providence to unravel man's secret guilt towards his fellow mail. Of this there are many well nuihentii.\'Ucd nariaiives,—none probably more stirring than the following, which has furnished abundant matter for the poet, the painter, and the playwright. The Doo ok Mon'tahgis. A gentleman named Macaire, an officer of the body guard of Charles the Fifth, King of France, entertained, for some reason, a bitter butted against another gentleman, named Aubrey do iMonldidier, his comrade in service. These t»o having met in the l f orest of lioudy, near Paris, Macaire touk nn opportunity of treacherously murdering bis brother officer, and burU d him in a ditch. iMontdidier was unaccompanied nt the moment, excepting by a greyhound, with which be had probably gone out to hunt, It is not known whether the dog was muzzled, or from v/hat oilier cause it permitted the deed to be accomplished without its interference. He this as it might, the hound lay down on the grave of its innster, nnd there remained till hunger compelled it to ri9o. It then went to the kitchen of one of Aubrey do Montdidiei's dearest friends, where it was welcomed warmly, and fed. As soon as its hunger was appeasad the dog disappeared. For several days this coming and going was repeated, till at last the curiosity of those who saw its movements was excited, and it was resolved to follow the animal, and see if anything could be learned in explanation of AJontdidier's sudden disappearance, Tliu dog was accordingly followed, and was seen to come to a pause on some uewly-turucd-up earth, where it set up the most mournful waitings and bowlings. These cries were so touching, that passengers were attracted ; nnd <ll v digging into the ground at the spot,

tlicy found there the body of Aubrey de Montdidier. It was raided nnd conveyed to Paris, where it was soon afterwards interred in one of the city cemeteries. The dog attached itself from this time forth to tlie friend, already mentioned, of its Into master. While attending on him, it chanced several times to get a sight of Macaire, and on every occasion it sprang upon him, and would have strangled him, had it not been taken ofl by force. This intensity of hale on the part of the animal awakened a suspicion that Macaire had lind some share in Mnntdidier's murder, for his body showed him to have met a violent death. Charles the Fifth, on beingf informed of the circumstances, wished to satisfy himself of ihcir truth. lie caused IVlacnire and the dog to be brought before *' iin.aml beheld the animal again spring upon r.T»o6ject of its hatred, 'i'lie Kin.; interrogated Macaire closely, but the latter would not admit that he had been in any way connected with Montdidier's murder. Being strongly impressed by a conviction that the conduct of the dog was based 011 some

guilty act of Alacaire, the King ordered a combat to take place between the ollicer and his dumb accuser, according to the practice, in those days, between human plaintiffs nnd defendants. This remarkable combat took place on the isle of Notre-Dame at l'aris, in presence of the whole Court. The King allowed Macaire to have a strong club, as a defensive weapon ; while, on the other hand, the only self-preservative means allowed to the dog consisted of an empty cask, into which it could retreat if hard pressed. The combatants appeared in the lists. The dog seemed perfectly aware of its situation nnd duty. For a short time it leaped actively around Macaire, and then, at one spring, it fastened it-ielf upon his throat, in so firm a maimer that lie could not disentangle himself, lie would have been strangled had he not cried for mercy, and avowed his crime. The dog was pulled from him; hut lie wits only liberated from its fangs, lo perish by the hands of tlie executiouei. The dog which attracted »uch celebrity has been usually called the Dog of Montiirgis, from the combat having taken place at the chateau of Momargis.

iNTLI.LIiiENCE OF THE Doc. . A gentleman of Suli'olk, being on an excursion with a frien'l, was uttended by n Newfoundland dog, v/hich soon became the subject of conversation. The muster, alter a warm

eulogium upon tlie perfections of bis canine favourite, a«tired his companion that lie would, upon receiving the order, return and fetcb any article be should leave behind, from any distance. To confirm this assertion, a marked shilling wns put under a large sqnaru stone by the side of the road—being lir-u shown to the dog. The gentlemen then rode for three miles, when the dog- received his signal from the master to return for the shilling he had seen put under the stone. The (log turned back ; the gentlemen rode on and reached home ; hut, to their surprise and disappointment, the hitherto faithful messenger did not return during the day. It afterwards appeared that he had gone to the place where the shilling was deposited, but the stone being too large for his strength to remove, he had stayed howling at the place, till two horsemen riding by, and attracted by his seeming distress, st'ipped to look at him, when one of them alighting, removed the stone, and seeing the shilling, put it into his pocket, not at the time conceiving it to be the object of the don'.i search. The dog followed heir horses for twenty miles, remained undisturbed in the room where they supped, followed the chambermaid into the bed chamber, and secreted himself under one of the beds. The possessor of the shilling hung his trowsers on a nail by tire bedside; but when tbo travellers wcro both asleep, the dog took them in his mouth, and leaping out of the window, which was left open on account of the sultry heat, reached the house of his master at four o'clock in the morning with the prize he had mnde free with, iu the pocket of which wcro found a watch and money, that were returned upon being advertised, when the whole mystery was mutually unravelled, to the admiration of all the parties.

f Benevolence of the Dot). A vessel was driven on the beach of Lydd, in Kent. The surf was rolling furiously—eight poor fellows were crying fur hcl|>, hut not a boat could be got off to their assistance. At length a gentleman came on the beach, accompanied by his Newfoundland dog. He directed the attention of the animal to tile vessel, and put a short stick into his mouth. The intelligent and courageous fellow at once understood liis meaning) and sprang into the eea nnd fought his way through the waves, lie could not, however, get close enough to the vessel to deliver that with which he was charged ; but the crew joyfully made fast a rope to another piece of wood, and threw it towards him. lie saw the whole business in an instant; he dropped his own piece, and immediately seized tliut which had been nut

to him, aiul then, with a degree ol* strength am! determination a/most incredible, lie drugged it through ilio surf, ami dr.l'Vercd it to liis master. A (ine of t'oir.iiiunic itiun was thus formed, mid every man 011 board wa.i rescued from a watery grave. AfPCCTIN'U IssTAXCE OF AtT.tCIIMIi.ST. A little girl, 1 lie only and veil beloved

cliild ol her parent*, who are residents of Brooklyn, died a short time. ago, mid was interred in the private family binyiiig-gionnd. A large Newfoundland do:r, tlie companion and play-mate of the child, was frequently missing from the house after the funeral. When seen, lie was observed to lie erest-fillcn and drooping; be refused his foud, moped, and lost flesh tiny by day. These circumstances exciting curiosity, ho was watched ami followed in his stealthy excursions; and it at length appeared that he went daily to the grave of his former friend and playmate, deposited at visit some of the child's playthings, obtained s<cretly from the house, 011 the grassy mound that covered her remain?, in the vain hope of alluring her to Ilia side attain, and then lay down and passed hour after hour, moaning and whining: piteously. His master was obliged finally to chaiD up the nnimnl to put an end to his melancholy vigils, the continuance of which would have cost the faithful mourner his existence. A more touching instance of devotion and attachment has rarely fallen beneath our notice.