[ Ballantyne / Ungava: A Tale of Esquimaux-land ]
Ungava Bay is a large bay between the eastersn Canadian territory of Nunavik and Baffin Island.
From Ballantyne's introduction: "The following story is intended to illustrate one of the many phases of the fur-trader's life in those wild regions of North America which surround Hudson's Bay.
Most of its major incidents are facts — fiction being employed chiefly for the purpose of weaving these facts into a readable form.
If this volume should chance to fall into the hands of any of those who acted a part in the first settlement of Ungava, we trust that they will forgive the liberty that has been taken with their persons and adventures, remembering that transpositions, modifications, and transformations are necessary in constructing a tale out of the "raw material."
First published in 1858 (London: T. Nelson), this novel mentions Newfoundlands twice:
The first mention occurs in Chapter 5, when an expedition is about to set out. One of the dogs has been forgotten:
"Oh! oh! papa, mamma — Chimo! — we've forgot Chimo! Oh me! don't go away
yet!"
"So we have!" said her father; "dear me, how stupid to forget our old
friend! — Hallo! Frank, Frank, we've forgot the dog," shouted Stanley to his young comrade, who was on the point of starting.
On hearing this, Frank gave a long, shrill whistle. "That'll bring him
if he's within ear-shot."
When the well-known sound broke upon Chimo's ear, he was lying coiled up in front of the kitchen fire, being privileged to do so in consequence of his position as Edith's favourite. The cook, having gone out a few
minutes previously, had left Chimo to enjoy his slumbers in solitude, so that, when he started suddenly to his feet on hearing Frank's whistle, he found himself a prisoner. But Chimo was a peculiarly strong-minded and strong-bodied dog, and was possessed of an iron will! He was of the Esquimau breed, and bore some resemblance to the Newfoundland, but was
rather shorter in the legs, longer in the body, and more powerfully made. Moreover, he was more shaggy, and had a stout, blunt, straightforward appearance, which conveyed to the beholder the idea that he scorned flattery, and would not consent to be petted on any consideration.
The second mention is in Chapter 22:
The tribe of Esquimaux who resided near Fort Chimo at this time were possessed of an enormous stone kettle, in which they boiled an entire deer at one time; and while the good people luxuriated on the flesh of the animal in their tents, the dogs assembled round the boiler to await the cooling of the soup — thus verifying the assertion formerly made by
Massan on that head.
The dogs resembled those of the Newfoundland breed in some respects, but were scarcely so large or good-looking, and had erect instead of pendent ears. There were about a dozen of them; and it was wonderful to observe
the patience with which they sat in a circle round the kettle, gazing earnestly at the soup, licking their chaps the while, in anticipation of the feast.