[ The Menageries: Quadrupeds Described and Drawn from Living Subjects ]
Published in 1829 by Charles Knight, London. Authorship is ascribed to James Rennie, a prolific British writer of natural history books, under the auspices of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. The Society, a British organization founded in 1826, was committed to making inexpensive texts, primarily scientific or otherwise educational, available to individuals unable to afford much in the way of formal education. The Society formally dissolved in 1848.
Below is the primary discussion of the Newfoundland, from Volume 1, pp. 47 - 48. There are no illustrations of Newfoundlands in this volume, though there are of other animals.
The Newfoundland dogs, one of the most active and sagacious varieties, are employed in their native districts to draw carts and sledges, laden with wood and fish, and to perform a variety of useful offices, in the place of the horse. In many of the northern countries, the bold and powerful races of dogs are thus rendered peculiarly valuable. A century ago, nearly all the travelling intercourse of Canada was carried on by dogs. The superiority of the Newfoundland dogs in swimming is well known: they are semi-webbed between the toes, which mechanism of the foot is of the greatest advantage to them; presenting, as it does, an extended surface to press away the water from behind, and then collapsing, when it is drawn forward, previous to making the stroke. The hereditary habits of these dogs, too, eminently qualify them for swimming, or rowing through the water, as the action is more correctly described by Sir Everard Home. It is thus that we have the most abundant instances of human life being saved by these generous and courageous animals. All dogs, however, can swim; although some dislike the water, and take to it with difficulty at the bidding of their masters. The bull-dog would appear the least likely to combat with a heavy sea, as the Newfoundland dogs often do; and yet the following circumstance is well authenticated: — On board a ship, which struck upon a rock near the shore during a gale, there were three dogs, two of the Newfoundland variety, and an English bull-dog, rather small in growth, but very firmly built and strong. It was important to have a rope carried ashore; and as no boat could live for an instant in the breakers towards the land, it was thought that one of the Newfoundland dogs might succeed; but he was not able to struggle with the waves, and perished. The other Newfoundland dog, upon being thrown overboard with the rope, shared a similar fate. But the bull-dog, though not habituated to the water, swam triumphantly to land, and thus saved the lives of the persons on board. Among them was his master, a military officer, who still has the dog in his possession.
The last half of the above paragraph was republished, almost verbatim, as part of a brief "Anecdotes Concerning Dogs" which appeared in the Feb. 1830 issue of Cottager's Monthly Visitor, a religiously-oriented journal of instruction, entertainment, and advice. The entire paragraph was also reproduced verbatim in Natural History of Quadrupeds (New York: Harper and Brothers), which reprints almost verbatim much of The Menageries.
Newfoundlands are mentioned several other times in The Menageries:
A dog is thus valuable for watching property, in proportion to the ease with which he is alarmed. One of the greatest terrors of a domesticated dog is a naked man, because this is an unaccustomed object. The sense of fear is said to be so great in this situation, that the fiercest dog will not even bark. A tan-yard at Kilmarnock, in Ayrshire, was a few years ago extensively robbed by a thief, who took this method to overcome the courage of a powerful Newfoundland dog, who had long protected a considerable property. The terror which the dog felt at the naked thief was altogether imaginary — for the naked man was less capable of resisting the attack of the dog, than if he had been clothed. But then the dog had no support in his experience. His memory of the past did not come to the aid of that faculty, which saw an unknown danger in the future. (p. 77)
The above anecdote was also included in the "Anecdotes Concerning Dogs" which appeared in the Feb. 1830 issue of Cottager's Monthly Visitor. It also appeared verbatim (75 - 76) in Natural History of Quadrupeds, mentioned above.
That amusing anecdote is followed on the very next page by one proportionately grim:
The faculty by which animals can communicate their ideas to each other is very striking; in dogs it is particularly remarkable. There are many curious anecdotes recorded, illustrative of this faculty; but we prefer giving one from our own knowledge. At Horton, in Buckinghamshire, (a village where Milton passed some of his early days,) about the year 1818, a gentleman from London took possession of a house, the former tenant of which had moved to a farm about half a mile off. The new inmate brought with him a large French poodle, to take the duty of watchman, in the place of a fine Newfoundland dog, which went away with his master: but a puppy of the same breed was left behind; and he was incessantly persecuted by the poodle. As the puppy grew up, the persecution still continued. At length, he was one day missing for some hours; but he did not come back alone: he returned with his old friend, the large house-dog, to whom he had made a communication; and in an instant the two fell upon the unhappy poodle, and killed him before he could be rescued from their fury. In this case, the injuries of the young dog must have been made known to his friend; a plan of revenge concerted; and the determination to carry that plan into effect formed and executed with equal promptitude.
The anecdote just above does NOT appear in Natural History of Quadrupeds, mentioned above, though it is borrowed, with only minor edits, in Frederick Shoberl's 1829 multi-volume Natural History of Quadrupeds (XIV: 42). Shoberl does credit The Menageries. The passage also appears verbatim in Natural History of Quadrupeds for the Edification & Amusement of Youth, no author, published in Hamilton, Ontario: Ruthven Book and Job Office, 1840. I believe this may be a later reprint of a volume of the same name first published in 1824 by H. & E. Finney, Cooperstown, NY.
The final mention of Newfoundlands comes on page 96, during a discussion of wolves attacking dogs. The "Captain Parry" referred to is the famed Arctic explorer William Parry (1790 - 1855) and his account of his second voyage in search of the Northwest Passage. (See the separate entry for this work here at The Cultured Newf.)
We have other instances of the disposition which wolves have to make the dog their prey. Captain Parry, in a subsequent passage of the same journal, mentions that a Newfoundland dog belonging to one of the Discovery ships, being enticed to play with some wolves, who were prowlmg upon the ice, would have been carried off by them, had not the sailors gone in a body to his rescue.
This anecdote also appeared verbatim (87) in Natural History of Quadrupeds (Harper and Brothers, not the Shoberl book of the same name), mentioned above.