University of Virginia Library

2. CHAPTER II.

In no affairs of mere prejudice, pro or con, do we deduce
inferences with entire certainty even from the most
simple data. It might be supposed that a catastrophe
such as I have just related would have effectually cooled
my incipient passion for the sea. On the contrary, I
never experienced a more ardent longing for the wild
adventures incident to the life of a navigator than within
a week after our miraculous deliverance. This short
period proved amply long enough to erase from my memory
the shadows, and bring out in vivid light all the pleasurably
exciting points of colour, all the picturesqueness
of the late perilous accident. My conversations with
Augustus grew daily more frequent and more intensely
full of interest. He had a manner of relating his stories
of the ocean (more than one half of which I now suspect
to have been sheer fabrications) well adapted to
have weight with one of my enthusiastic temperament,
and somewhat gloomy, although glowing imagination. It
is strange, too, that he most strongly enlisted my feelings
in behalf of the life of a seaman, when he depicted his
more terrible moments of suffering and despair. For
the bright side of the painting I had a limited sympathy.
My visions were of shipwreck and famine; of death or
captivity among barbarian hordes; of a lifetime dragged
out in sorrow and tears, upon some gray and desolate
rock, in an ocean unapproachable and unknown. Such
visions or desires—for they amounted to desires—are
common, I have since been assured, to the whole numerous
race of the melancholy among men—at the time of
which I speak I regarded them only as prophetic glimpses
of a destiny which I felt myself in a measure bound to
fulfil. Augustus thoroughly entered into my state of
mind. It is probable, indeed, that our intimate communion
had resulted in a partial interchange of character.

About eighteen months after the period of the Ariel's
disaster, the firm of Lloyd and Vredenburgh (a house connected
in some manner with the Messieurs Enderby, I
believe, of Liverpool) were engaged in repairing and fitting
out the brig Grampus for a whaling voyage. She was
an old hulk, and scarcely seaworthy when all was done
to her that could be done. I hardly know why she was
chosen in preference to other good vessels belonging to
the same owners—but so it was. Mr. Barnard was
appointed to command her, and Augustus was going
with him. While the brig was getting ready, he frequently
urged upon me the excellency of the opportunity
now offered for indulging my desire of travel. He
found me by no means an unwilling listener—yet the
matter could not be so easily arranged. My father
made no direct opposition; but my mother went into
hysterics at the bare mention of the design; and, more
than all, my grandfather, from whom I expected much,
vowed to cut me off with a shilling if I should ever
broach the subject to him again. These difficulties,
however, so far from abating my desire, only added fuel
to the flame. I determined to go at all hazards; and,
having made known my intention to Augustus, we set
about arranging a plan by which it might be accomplished.
In the meantime I forbore speaking to any of
my relations in regard to the voyage, and, as I busied myself
ostensibly with my usual studies, it was supposed
that I had abandoned the design. I have since frequently
examined my conduct on this occasion with
sentiments of displeasure as well as of surprise. The
intense hypocrisy I made use of for the furtherance of
my project—an hypocrisy pervading every word and action
of my life for so long a period of time—could only
have been rendered tolerable to myself by the wild and
burning expectation with which I looked forward to the
fulfilment of my long-cherished visions of travel.

In pursuance of my scheme of deception, I was necessarily
obliged to leave much to the management of
Augustus, who was employed for the greater part of
every day on board the Grampus, attending to some

arrangements for his father in the cabin and cabin hold.
At night, however, we were sure to have a conference,
and talk over our hopes. After nearly a month passed
in this manner, without our hitting upon any plan we
thought likely to succeed, he told me at last that he had
determined upon everything necessary. I had a relation
living in New Bedford, a Mr. Ross, at whose house
I was in the habit of spending occasionally two or three
weeks at a time. The brig was to sail about the middle
of June (June, 1827), and it was agreed that, a day
or two before her putting to sea, my father was to receive
a note, as usual, from Mr. Ross, asking me to
come over and spend a fortnight with Robert and
Emmet (his sons). Augustus charged himself with the
enditing of this note and getting it delivered. Having
set out, as supposed, for New Bedford, I was then to
report myself to my companion, who would contrive a
hiding-place for me in the Grampus. This hiding-place,
he assured me, would be rendered sufficiently comfortable
for a residence of many days, during which I was
not to make my appearance. When the brig had proceeded
so far on her course as to make any turning
back a matter out of question, I should then, he said, be
formally installed in all the comforts of the cabin; and
as to his father, he would only laugh heartily at the
joke. Vessels enough would be met with by which a
letter might be sent home explaining the adventure to
my parents.

The middle of June at length arrived, and everything
had been matured. The note was written and delivered,
and on a Monday morning I left the house for the New
Bedford packet, as supposed. I went, however, straight
to Augustus, who was waiting for me at the corner of a
street. It had been our original plan that I should keep
out of the way until dark, and then slip on board the
brig; but, as there was now a thick fog in our favour,
it was agreed to lose no time in secreting me. Augustus
led the way to the wharf, and I followed at a little
distance, enveloped in a thick seaman's cloak, which he
had brought with him, so that my person might not be

easily recognised. Just as we turned the second corner,
after passing Mr. Edmund's well, who should appear,
standing right in front of me, and looking me full in the
face, but old Mr. Peterson, my grandfather. “Why,
bless my soul, Gordon,” said he, after a long pause,
“why, why—whose dirty cloak is that you have on?”
“Sir!” I replied, assuming, as well as I could, in the exigency
of the moment, an air of offended surprise, and
talking in the gruffest of all imaginable tones—“sir! you
are a sum'mat mistaken—my name, in the first place,
bee'nt nothing at all like Goddin, and I'd want you for
to know better, you blackguard, than to call my new obercoat
a darty one!” For my life I could hardly refrain
from screaming with laughter at the odd manner in which
the old gentleman received this handsome rebuke. He
started back two or three steps, turned first pale and
then excessively red, threw up his spectacles, then, putting
them down, ran full tilt at me, with his umbrella
uplifted. He stopped short, however, in his career, as
if struck with a sudden recollection; and presently, turning
round, hobbled off down the street, shaking all the
while with rage, and muttering between his teeth, “Won't
do—new glasses—thought it was Gordon—d—d good-for-nothing
salt water Long Tom.”

After this narrow escape we proceeded with greater
caution, and arrived at our point of destination in safety.
There were only one or two of the hands on board, and
these were busy forward, doing something to the forecastle
combings. Captain Barnard, we knew very well,
was engaged at Lloyd and Vredenburg's, and would remain
there until late in the evening, so we had little to
apprehend on his account. Augustus went first up the
vessel's side, and in a short while I followed him, without
being noticed by the men at work. We proceeded
at once into the cabin, and found no person there. It
was fitted up in the most comfortable style—a thing
somewhat unusual in a whaling-vessel. There were
four very excellent staterooms, with wide and convenient
berths. There was also a large stove, I took notice,
and a remarkably thick and valuable carpet covering

the floor of both the cabin and staterooms. The
ceiling was full seven feet high, and, in short, everything
appeared of a more roomy and agreeable nature than I
had anticipated. Augustus, however, would allow me
but little time for observation, insisting upon the necessity
of my concealing myself as soon as possible. He
led the way into his own stateroom, which was on the
starboard side of the brig, and next to the bulkheads.
Upon entering, he closed the door and bolted it. I
thought I had never seen a nicer little room than the one
in which I now found myself. It was about ten feet
long, and had only one berth, which, as I said before,
was wide and convenient. In that portion of the closet
nearest the bulkheads there was a space of four feet
square, containing a table, a chair, and a set of hanging
shelves full of books, chiefly books of voyages and travels.
There were many other little comforts in the room,
among which I ought not to forget a kind of safe or refrigerator,
in which Augustus pointed out to me a host
of delicacies, both in the eating and drinking department.

He now pressed with his knuckles upon a certain spot
of the carpet in one corner of the space just mentioned,
letting me know that a portion of the flooring, about sixteen
inches square, had been neatly cut out and again
adjusted. As he pressed, this portion rose up at one
end sufficiently to allow the passage of his finger beneath.
In this manner he raised the mouth of the trap
(to which the carpet was still fastened by tacks), and I
found that it led into the after hold. He next lit a small
taper by means of a phosphorus match, and, placing the
light in a dark lantern, descended with it through the
opening, bidding me follow. I did so, and he then pulled
the cover upon the hole, by means of a nail driven into
the under side—the carpet, of course, resuming its original
position on the floor of the stateroom, and all
traces of the aperture being concealed.

The taper gave out so feeble a ray, that it was with
the greatest difficulty I could grope my way through the
confused mass of lumber among which I now found myself.
By degrees, however, my eyes became accustomed

to the gloom, and I proceeded with less trouble, holding
on to the skirts of my friend's coat. He brought me, at
length, after creeping and winding through innumerable
narrow passages, to an iron-bound box, such as is used
sometimes for packing fine earthenware. It was nearly
four feet high, and full six long, but very narrow. Two
large empty oil-casks lay on the top of it, and above
these, again, a vast quantity of straw matting, piled up
as high as the floor of the cabin. In every other direction
around was wedged as closely as possible, even up
to the ceiling, a complete chaos of almost every species
of ship-furniture, together with a heterogeneous medley
of crates, hampers, barrels, and bales, so that it seemed
a matter no less than miraculous that we had discovered
any passage at all to the box. I afterward found that
Augustus had purposely arranged the stowage in this
hold with a view to affording me a thorough concealment,
having had only one assistant in the labour, a man
not going out in the brig.

My companion now showed me that one of the ends
of the box could be removed at pleasure. He slipped it
aside and displayed the interior, at which I was excessively
amused. A mattress from one of the cabin berths
covered the whole of its bottom, and it contained almost
every article of mere comfort which could be crowded
into so small a space, allowing me, at the same time,
sufficient room for my accommodation, either in a sitting
position or lying at full length. Among other things,
there were some books, pen, ink, and paper, three blankets,
a large jug full of water, a keg of sea-biscuit, three
or four immense Bologna sausages, an enormous ham, a
cold leg of roast mutton, and half a dozen bottles of cordials
and liqueurs. I proceeded immediately to take
possession of my little apartment, and this with feelings
of higher satisfaction, I am sure, than any monarch ever
experienced upon entering a new palace. Augustus now
pointed out to me the method of fastening the open end
of the box, and then, holding the taper close to the deck,
showed me a piece of dark whipcord lying along it. This,
he said, extended from my hiding-place throughout all

the necessary windings among the lumber, to a nail
which was driven into the deck of the hold, immediately
beneath the trapdoor leading into his stateroom. By
means of this cord I should be enabled readily to trace
my way out without his guidance, provided any unlooked-for
accident should render such a step necessary. He
now took his departure, leaving with me the lantern, together
with a copious supply of tapers and phosphorus,
and promising to pay me a visit as often as he could contrive
to do so without observation. This was on the
seventeenth of June.

I remained three days and nights (as nearly as I could
guess) in my hiding-place without getting out of it at all,
except twice for the purpose of stretching my limbs by
standing erect between two crates just opposite the opening.
During the whole period I saw nothing of Augustus;
but this occasioned me little uneasiness, as I knew
the brig was expected to put to sea every hour, and in
the bustle he would not easily find opportunities of coming
down to me. At length I heard the trap open and
shut, and presently he called in a low voice, asking if all
was well, and if there was anything I wanted. “Nothing,”
I replied; “I am as comfortable as can be; when
will the brig sail?” “She will be under weigh in less
than half an hour,” he answered. “I came to let you
know, and for fear you should be uneasy at my absence.
I shall not have a chance of coming down again for some
time—perhaps for three or four days more. All is going
on right aboveboard. After I go up and close the
trap, do you creep along by the whipcord to where the
nail is driven in. You will find my watch there—it may
be useful to you, as you have no daylight to keep time
by. I suppose you can't tell how long you have been
buried—only three days—this is the twentieth. I would
bring the watch to your box, but am afraid of being
missed.” With this he went up.

In about an hour after he had gone I distinctly felt
the brig in motion, and congratulated myself upon having
at length fairly commenced a voyage. Satisfied with
this idea, I determined to make my mind as easy as possible,

and await the course of events until I should be
permitted to exchange the box for the more roomy, although
hardly more comfortable, accommodations of the
cabin. My first care was to get the watch. Leaving
the taper burning, I groped along in the dark, following
the cord through windings innumerable, in some of which
I discovered that, after toiling a long distance, I was
brought back within a foot or two of a former position.
At length I reached the nail, and, securing the object of
my journey, returned with it in safety. I now looked
over the books which had been so thoughtfully provided,
and selected the expedition of Lewis and Clarke to the
mouth of the Columbia. With this I amused myself for
some time, when, growing sleepy, I extinguished the
light with great care, and soon fell into a sound slumber.

Upon awaking I felt strangely confused in mind, and
some time elapsed before I could bring to recollection
all the various circumstances of my situation. By degrees,
however, I remembered all. Striking a light, I
looked at the watch; but it was run down, and there
were, consequently, no means of determining how long
I had slept. My limbs were greatly cramped, and I was
forced to relieve them by standing between the crates.
Presently, feeling an almost ravenous appetite, I bethought
myself of the cold mutton, some of which I had
eaten just before going to sleep, and found excellent.
What was my astonishment at discovering it to be in a
state of absolute putrefaction! This circumstance occasioned
me great disquietude; for, connecting it with the
disorder of mind I experienced upon awaking, I began to
suppose that I must have slept for an inordinately long
period of time. The close atmosphere of the hold might
have had something to do with this, and might, in the
end, be productive of the most serious results. My head
ached excessively; I fancied that I drew every breath
with difficulty; and, in short, I was oppressed with a
multitude of gloomy feelings. Still I could not venture
to make any disturbance by opening the trap or otherwise,
and, having wound up the watch, contented myself
as well as possible.

Throughout the whole of the next tedious twenty-four
hours no person came to my relief, and I could not help
accusing Augustus of the grossest inattention. What
alarmed me chiefly was, that the water in my jug was
reduced to about half a pint, and I was suffering much
from thirst, having eaten freely of the Bologna sausages
after the loss of my mutton. I became very uneasy, and
could no longer take any interest in my books. I was
overpowered, too, with a desire to sleep, yet trembled at
the thought of indulging it, lest there might exist some
pernicious influence, like that of burning charcoal, in the
confined air of the hold. In the mean time the roll of
the brig told me that we were far in the main ocean, and
a dull humming sound, which reached my ears as if from
an immense distance, convinced me no ordinary gale was
blowing. I could not imagine a reason for the absence
of Augustus. We were surely far enough advanced on
our voyage to allow of my going up. Some accident
might have happened to him—but I could think of none
which would account for his suffering me to remain so
long a prisoner, except, indeed, his having suddenly died
or fallen overboard, and upon this idea I could not dwell
with any degree of patience. It was possible that we
had been baffled by head winds, and were still in the
near vicinity of Nantucket. This notion, however, I
was forced to abandon; for, such being the case, the
brig must have frequently gone about; and I was entirely
satisfied, from her continual inclination to the lar-board,
that she had been sailing all along with a steady
breeze on her starboard quarter. Besides, granting that
we were still in the neighbourhood of the island, why
should not Augustus have visited me and informed me
of the circumstance? Pondering in this manner upon
the difficulties of my solitary and cheerless condition, I
resolved to wait yet another twenty-four hours, when, if
no relief were obtained, I would make my way to the
trap, and endeavour either to hold a parley with my
friend, or get at least a little fresh air through the opening,
and a further supply of water from his stateroom.
While occupied with this thought, however, I fell, in

spite of every exertion to the contrary, into a state of
profound sleep, or rather stupor. My dreams were of
the most terrific description. Every species of calamity
and horror befell me. Among other miseries, I was
smothered to death between huge pillows, by demons of
the most ghastly and ferocious aspect. Immense serpents
held me in their embrace, and looked earnestly in
my face with their fearfully shining eyes. Then deserts,
limitless, and of the most forlorn and awe-inspiring character,
spread themselves out before me. Immensely
tall trunks of trees, gray and leafless, rose up in endless
succession as far as the eye could reach. Their
roots were concealed in wide-spreading morasses, whose
dreary water lay intensely black, still, and altogether terrible,
beneath. And the strange trees seemed endowed
with a human vitality, and, waving to and fro their skeleton
arms, were crying to the silent waters for mercy, in
the shrill and piercing accents of the most acute agony
and despair. The scene changed; and I stood, naked
and alone, amid the burning sand-plains of Zahara. At
my feet lay crouched a fierce lion of the tropics. Suddenly
his wild eyes opened and fell upon me. With a
convulsive bound he sprang to his feet, and laid bare his
horrible teeth. In another instant there burst from his
red throat a roar like the thunder of the firmament, and
I fell impetuously to the earth. Stifling in a paroxysm
of terror, I at last found myself partially awake. My
dream, then, was not all a dream. Now, at least, I was
in possession of my senses. The paws of some huge
and real monster were pressing heavily upon my bosom
—his hot breath was in my ear—and his white and
ghastly fangs were gleaming upon me through the gloom.

Had a thousand lives hung upon the movement of a
limb or the utterance of a syllable, I could have neither
stirred nor spoken. The beast, whatever it was, retained
his position without attempting any immediate violence,
while I lay in an utterly helpless, and, I fancied, a dying
condition beneath him. I felt that my powers of
body and mind were fast leaving me—in a word, that I
was perishing, and perishing of sheer fright. My brain

swam—I grew deadly sick—my vision failed—even the
glaring eyeballs above me grew dim. Making a last
strong effort, I at length breathed a faint ejaculation to
God, and resigned myself to die. The sound of my
voice seemed to arouse all the latent fury of the animal.
He precipitated himself at full length upon my body;
but what was my astonishment, when, with a long and
low whine, he commenced licking my face and hands
with the greatest eagerness, and with the most extravagant
demonstrations of affection and joy! I was bewildered,
utterly lost in amazement—but I could not forget
the peculiar whine of my Newfoundland dog Tiger, and
the odd manner of his caresses I well knew. It was
he. I experienced a sudden rush of blood to my temples—a
giddy and overpowering sense of deliverance
and reanimation. I rose hurriedly from the mattress
upon which I had been lying, and, throwing myself
upon the neck of my faithful follower and friend, relieved
the long oppression of my bosom in a flood of the most
passionate tears.

As upon a former occasion, my conceptions were in
a state of the greatest indistinctness and confusion after
leaving the mattress. For a long time I found it nearly
impossible to connect any ideas—but, by very slow degrees,
my thinking faculties returned, and I again called
to memory the several incidents of my condition. For
the presence of Tiger I tried in vain to account; and
after busying myself with a thousand different conjectures
respecting him, was forced to content myself with
rejoicing that he was with me to share my dreary solitude,
and render me comfort by his caresses. Most
people love their dogs—but for Tiger I had an affection
far more ardent than common; and never, certainly,
did any creature more truly deserve it. For seven
years he had been my inseparable companion, and in a
multitude of instances had given evidence of all the
noble qualities for which we value the animal. I had
rescued him, when a puppy, from the clutches of a malignant
little villain in Nantucket, who was leading
him, with a rope around his neck, to the water; and the

grown dog repaid the obligation, about three years afterward,
by saving me from the bludgeon of a street-robber.

Getting now hold of the watch, I found, upon applying
it to my ear, that it had again run down; but at this
I was not at all surprised, being convinced, from the peculiar
state of my feelings, that I had slept, as before,
for a very long period of time; how long, it was of
course impossible to say. I was burning up with fever,
and my thirst was almost intolerable. I felt about the
box for my little remaining supply of water; for I had
no light, the taper having burnt to the socket of the
lantern, and the phosphorus-box not coming readily to
hand. Upon finding the jug, however, I discovered it to
be empty—Tiger, no doubt, having been tempted to
drink it, as well as to devour the remnant of mutton, the
bone of which lay, well picked, by the opening of the
box. The spoiled meat I could well spare, but my
heart sank as I thought of the water. I was feeble in
the extreme—so much so that I shook all over, as with
an ague, at the slightest movement or exertion. To add
to my troubles, the brig was pitching and rolling with
great violence, and the oil-casks which lay upon my box
were in momentary danger of falling down, so as to
block up the only way of ingress or egress. I felt, also,
terrible sufferings from sea-sickness. These considerations
determined me to make my way, at all hazards, to
the trap, and obtain immediate relief, before I should be
incapacitated from doing so altogether. Having come to
this resolve, I again felt about for the phosphorus-box
and tapers. The former I found after some little
trouble; but, not discovering the tapers as soon as I had
expected (for I remembered very nearly the spot in
which I had placed them), I gave up the search for the
present, and bidding Tiger lie quiet, began at once my
journey towards the trap.

In this attempt my great feebleness became more
than ever apparent. It was with the utmost difficulty I
could crawl along at all, and very frequently my limbs
sank suddenly from beneath me; when, falling prostrate

on my face, I would remain for some minutes in a state
bordering on insensibility. Still I struggled forward by
slow degrees, dreading every moment that I should
swoon amid the narrow and intricate windings of the
lumber, in which event I had nothing but death to expect
as the result. At length, upon making a push forward
with all the energy I could command, I struck my
forehead violently against the sharp corner of an iron-bound
crate. The accident only stunned me for a few
moments; but I found, to my inexpressible grief, that
the quick and violent roll of the vessel had thrown the
crate entirely across my path, so as effectually to block
up the passage. With my utmost exertions I could not
move it a single inch from its position, it being closely
wedged in among the surrounding boxes and ship-furniture.
It became necessary, therefore, enfeebled as I
was, either to leave the guidance of the whipcord and
seek out a new passage, or to climb over the obstacle,
and resume the path on the other side. The former
alternative presented too many difficulties and dangers
to be thought of without a shudder. In my present
weak state of both mind and body, I should infallibly
lose my way if I attempted it, and perish miserably
amid the dismal and disgusting labyrinths of the hold.
I proceeded, therefore, without hesitation, to summon up
all my remaining strength and fortitude, and endeavour,
as I best might, to clamber over the crate.

Upon standing erect, with this end in view, I found the
undertaking even a more serious task than my fears had
led me to imagine. On each side of the narrow passage
arose a complete wall of various heavy lumber, which
the least blunder on my part might be the means of
bringing down upon my head; or, if this accident did
not occur, the path might be effectually blocked up
against my return by the descending mass, as it was in
front by the obstacle there. The crate itself was a long
and unwieldy box, upon which no foothold could be obtained.
In vain I attempted, by every means in my
power, to reach the top, with the hope of being thus enabled
to draw myself up. Had I succeeded in reaching

it, it is certain that my strength would have proved utterly
inadequate to the task of getting over, and it was
better in every respect that I failed. At length, in a desperate
effort to force the crate from its ground, I felt a
strong vibration in the side next me. I thrust my hand
eagerly to the edge of the planks, and found that a very
large one was loose. With my pocket-knife, which
luckily I had with me, I succeeded, after great labour,
in prying it entirely off; and, getting through the aperture,
discovered, to my exceeding joy, that there were
no boards on the opposite side—in other words, that the
top was wanting, it being the bottom through which
I had forced my way. I now met with no important
difficulty in proceeding along the line until I finally
reached the nail. With a beating heart I stood erect,
and with a gentle touch pressed against the cover of
the trap. It did not rise as soon as I had expected, and
I pressed it with somewhat more determination, still
dreading lest some other person than Augustus might be
in his stateroom. The door, however, to my astonishment,
remained steady, and I became somewhat uneasy,
for I knew that it had formerly required little or no effort
to remove it. I pushed it strongly—it was nevertheless
firm: with all my strength—it still did not give
way: with rage, with fury, with despair—it set at defiance
my utmost efforts; and it was evident, from the
unyielding nature of the resistance, that the hole had
either been discovered and effectually nailed up, or that
some immense weight had been placed upon it, which it
was useless to think of removing.

My sensations were those of extreme horror and dismay.
In vain I attempted to reason on the probable
cause of my being thus entombed. I could summon up
no connected chain of reflection, and, sinking on the
floor, gave way, unresistingly, to the most gloomy imaginings,
in which the dreadful deaths of thirst, famine,
suffocation, and premature interment, crowded upon me
as the prominent disasters to be encountered. At length
there returned to me some portion of presence of mind.
I arose, and felt with my fingers for the seams or cracks

of the aperture. Having found them, I examined them
closely to ascertain if they emitted any light from the
stateroom; but none was visible. I then forced the
penblade of my knife through them, until I met with
some hard obstacle. Scraping against it, I discovered
it to be a solid mass of iron, which, from its peculiar
wavy feel as I passed the blade along it, I concluded to
be a chain-cable. The only course now left me was to
retrace my way to the box, and there either yield to my
sad fate, or try so to tranquillize my mind as to admit of
my arranging some plan of escape. I immediately set
about the attempt, and succeeded, after innumerable difficulties,
in getting back. As I sank, utterly exhausted,
upon the mattress, Tiger threw himself at full length by
my side, and seemed as if desirous, by his caresses, of
consoling me in my troubles, and urging me to bear
them with fortitude.

The singularity of his behaviour at length forcibly arrested
my attention. After licking my face and hands
for some minutes, he would suddenly cease doing so,
and utter a low whine. Upon reaching out my hand
towards him, I then invariably found him lying on his
back, with his paws uplifted. This conduct, so frequently
repeated, appeared strange, and I could in no
manner account for it. As the dog seemed distressed,
I concluded that he had received some injury; and,
taking his paws in my hands, I examined them one by
one, but found no sign of any hurt. I then supposed
him hungry, and gave him a large piece of ham, which
he devoured with avidity—afterward, however, resuming
his extraordinary manœuvres. I now imagined
that he was suffering, like myself, the torments of thirst,
and was about adopting this conclusion as the true one,
when the idea occurred to me that I had as yet only
examined his paws, and that there might possibly be a
wound upon some portion of his body or head. The
latter I felt carefully over, but found nothing. On
passing my hand, however, along his back, I perceived
a slight erection of the hair extending completely across
it. Probing this with my finger, I discovered a string,

and, tracing it up, found that it encircled the whole
body. Upon a closer scrutiny, I came across a small
slip of what had the feeling of letter paper, through
which the string had been fastened in such a manner as
to bring it immediately beneath the left shoulder of the
animal.