AN EXPERIENCE OF BLOOD HOUNDS.
I have been much interested in the recent discussion on the use of bloodhounds as detectives, and particularly pleased with the editorial comments on the subjects The Field, of October 6. Although somewhat late, I venture to make public my experience of bloodhounds. As far back as 18561 cherished the idea of gettiug up a pack of bloodhounds in Cape Colony in the fond hope of enlisting canine services which might prove invaluable. Kaffirs were continually stealing my sheep and goats at night time from the ' kraals,' or folds, and the ' tiger' as we miscall him at the Cape (really the true leopard, Leopardus varius) and the jackal levied regular toll ou our flocks Now, if bloodhounds would but scent the Kaffir to his hut, track the 'tiger' to his lair, the jackal to his hiding-place, what a boon to myself aud my neighbours at large .' With a view to accomplish these objects, I purchased tkree purebred bloodhounds, which had recently been imported into the colony. I was afterwards joined in the formation of a p\ck by the late Mr Edgar Howell, J.P., Schiet Fontein, now known as Aberdeenroad station, Midland Railway. We bred from the imported an'mals until we were in possession of fifteen couple of full-grown bloodhounds, besides a goodly number of puppies. They were a splendid lot of the correct, characteristic type, and several of them of a style equal to that of many champion bloodhouuds on the English show beuch of to day.
We commenced early to train the nucleus of the pick, and for seven long years persevered in a fruitless endeavour to make bloodhounds track either Kaffirs, tigers, or jackals. They would follow the scent of their masters or attendants as any dog would do. but no better than common mongrels. We nover could get them to follow the track of a stranger, however recently he had got over the ground. We adopted various methods iu our attempts to educate them. One was to employ a man to trail a dead lamb or kid along the ground, and direct him to lift it at intervals on his route, and carry it a few hundred yards before again trailing it. The hounds took up the scent of the dead lamb keenly enough, but at first they were completely at fault at the point where the man's track alone had to be followed. Bv shortening the distances between the lifting and retrailing of the dead lamb we eventually taught what was required so far, and by afterwards gradually lengthening the uutrailed spaces, they became adepts at such simple work as following a man under those conditions. The man, whoever he might be, was one of our own servants, although to the hounds many of them were strangers. The hounds got thoroughly acquainted with this kind of game by continual practice. A pack of curs with such training, long-continued and varied as it was might have become equally as accomplished. This was play only ; but with all our efforts we never got them to take up the serious work of man-huuti:ig. One lesson further thau that which I hive described they would not learn, although they had every chance and encouragomeut to do so.
Kaffirs, when sheepstealing at night from the kraal*, usually carry the sheep on their shoulders to a short distance, where they disembowel them so as to make their burden lighter. The entrails are buried in the sand, hidden in a bush, or elsewhere, and thr* blood cleared away or covered over. Sheep do no not bleat while bt'injj carried on the xhmilder. but gouts invariably do. Therefore, to maintain silence, the goat when caught is immediately bled, and the blood covered over with dry kraal manure, while the disembowelling takes place outside. The "spoor" of the thief may be generally tracked for some distance, and a careful search will probably result in the discovery of the entrails of the stolen animal. Here one would think the conditions arc perfeot for the cuccoasful use of bloodhound*, especially for those which have undergone any kind of preliminary training. The bloodhounds, however, would not go n yard on the track in such cases, in spite of every possiblo encouragement on our part. The experiment was tried at least a score of times, and en eh ti.no with the disappointing re-ult. When we tried to cheer them on to pick up the scent of tho thief's footsteps, iheir iirnorauce and bewilderment were amusing; so much so, that one day a Dutch boer who accompanied us caufjhtone of the hounds by the neck, and shoving his nose into the footprints of the thief in the Baud, shouted out "Kuik inaar owe bleksem's zyn bond?' 1 (ie., "Smell, jou lightning' dojr '") It was of no avail. The hound yelled pitjnusly under the operation. Re was mora fri&rhteued than hurt, and like a coward, he fled in terror, and could not be persuaded to come near that Dutchman for tho remainder of the day. I may say that tho words "thunder" and "lightning '" are the most terrible of oaths in the Dutch language.
"Tigers" were contiuually harassing my stocks iu the kraals. I have seen as many as eleven sheep and goats hung up in the forks of trees near a lair—as is the wont of tho " tiger," who likes his meat well hung, like every epicurean. His daintiest pieces arc the breast and the udder, or that portion of flesh which is between tho hind legs. When a' 'tiger's" prey was found hanging in his larder 1 usually poisoned these choice portions of flesh, for his sole use and benefit. On one occasion I went up tho mountain to see the effect, if any, of my strychnine. The hounds were hunting about carelessly at some distance in advance of me. Suddenly they came back to me with a rush, with bristling and loud, sonorous sounds of anything but a martial nature. They had absolutely smelt a dead "tiger," and had seen the point of his tail poking out from a buali. On going to tho place where the body lay stretched, no iuducement could prevail on thorn to entor tho bush, while a little bull terrier did, and although it*would not worry the corpse, barked at it inside for several minute.". On ray way home the bull terrier drew an enormous puff-adder out of a bush and killed it, tho terriiiod bloodhounds meanwhilo looking on at a respectful distance. It was a fatal fight, and ended in the death of both disputants, for the puff-adder revenged his molestation by using his deadly fangs on the head of his plucky antagonist. The only timo I ever knew a bloodhound kill a " tiger " was after one of my hounds had. been accidentally poisoned with strychnine, His dead body was further impregnated with strychnine, and hung up in a tree as bait —for tigora dearly loVo tho jjesb. of, dogs.
Of that houud it smiy be said, as of Sampson in the " Book of Judges : "So the dead which he fdew in his death were more than they which he slew in his life."
Before concluding, I may be permuted to tell another .snake story. My bloodhounds were considerably more prone to sheep-killing than to man-hunting-, and a few were inveterate sheep-killere. One morning a Dutchman came full gallop to my door to inform me he had seen the trail of an immense python on my farm, some six miles distant. I saddled my horse, shouldered my guu, and accompanied him to the place denoted. There, mire enough, was a deep hollow, semicircular trail winding along the sand. How that Dutchman swore when J pointed out to him the footprints of a dog on either side of the trail is not to be translated. It was the trail of a clog fastened to the neck of one of my bloodhounds to prevent him, when self-hunt-ing, running fast enough to kill a sheep. From the foregoing it will be quickly gathered that I do not believe in a tithe of the stories told of bloodhounds tracking criminals in England, or runaway slaves in America. Any dogs that may have usefully served either purpose were certainly not of the type or temper of the bloodhound of to-day. Since writing the above I have received my Cape letters and newspapers for the week. I perceive from the (iraaf-Keiuet Advertiser that Mr John Booysen, of Klip Drift. Graaf-Reinet, is continually losing ostriches by the depredations of natives who steal the birds for the sake of their flesh. Mr Booysen says that within a few months about lOOof his birds have been killed by natives, solely for their meat to be consumed fresh, or as •' biltong"—dried flesh. The editor of the Advertiser asks, " Why cannot Mr Booysen get a couple of bloodhounds out from England ?" Let Mr Booysen take timely warning from experience not to embark in such a foolish undertaking. J. B. E.
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Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue XXXII, 9 March 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)
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1,502AN EXPERIENCE OF BLOOD HOUNDS. Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue XXXII, 9 March 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)
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