[ Sydenham Edwards / Cynographia Britannica ]
This book, the full title of which is Cynographia Britannica: consisting of coloured engravings of the various breeds of dogs existing in Great Britain; drawn from the life, with observations on their properties and uses, by Sydenham Edwards (1768-1819), was printed serially from 1800-1805 (London: printed by C. Whittingham, for the author, Chelsea; and sold by J. White; J. Robson; H. D. Symonds; L.B. Seeley; T. Curtis; and A. and J. Arch).
Edwards was an illustrator of natural history works, primarily botanical; his work was quite popular and appeared not only in books but in prints and on decorative stoneware.
This book is one of the high-water marks of canine literature in the 19th Century. The first part of Edwards' book was published in 1800, with the remaining 5 sections appearing over the next 4 years. For unknown reasons the book ends abruptly, in the middle of the discussion of mastiffs. The very first entry deals with Newfoundlands, labeled by Edwards as "Canis natator" ("swimming dog").
The work's importance lies in the fact it is the first published book on dogs to have color plates.
Note the prick ears on the dog at right, and the curly coat so often seen on early-19th-Century Newfoundlands.
Edwards remarks, in the passage quoted below, that the most common color of Newfoundlands is black-and-white — the color pattern that, some thirty or forty years later, would come to be known as "Landseer."
THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG
[ Bewick Hist. Quad. 326 ]
IS now universally admired and bred all over Europe, to nearly the extermination of many others. In this country we ought particularly to lament the rarity, if not the loss of the venerable Mastiff, for which England was once so famous, whose situation he now supplies, as a trusty and important guard to the person and property of his master.
The size, sagacity, and well known fidelity of these, deservedly entitle them to the most distinguished rank of all the canine race, although novelty should with the greatest caution be allowed to supersede long services and worth.
Their name is derived from the country of which they are supposed to be natives, but more probably introduced by the Spaniards, and great numbers have been imported into England, and various parts of the world, by vessels trading to and from Newfoundland, on board of which they are often kept, for the purpose of recovering any thing that has accidentally fallen into the sea, where they are not unfrequently lost, together with the object of their pursuit. It is the northern part of the island from which the true breed is brought; they are procured by the ships stationed there, and sent to the southern side, from whence they are transported to Europe and elsewhere.
"The settlers on the coasts of Newfoundland find them of the greatest service in bringing down the sledges loaded with wood, from the interior parts of the country to the sea-shore; they tie or yoke several of them together, and three or four will draw two or three hundred weight with much ease, for several miles; when once taught, they require no person to guide or drive them, and after having delivered their loading, return back to the place from whence they came, where they are rewarded with fish, of which they are very fond, both dried and fresh, and with which the country abounds from the great cod-fisheries carried on upon the coasts." But these are not the only kinds now to be found in Newfoundland, for there are many others, probably carried there by trading vessels, the natural consequence of an intercourse with different nations.
The Dutch make use of various Dogs for the purpose of draft, and place several a-breast in harness fastened to little barrows or carts loaded with fish or merchandize, which they draw from Scheveling to the Hague, and often return loaded even with men and boys. * Tradespeople in London also employ them in a somewhat similar manner; they are fastened under their trucks or hand carts, where we often see them tugging like little horses, with their tongues hanging out of their mouths almost sweeping the ground; and were not the horse so common and so favourite an animal amongst the English, great advantages might doubtless be derived from their use in draft, which is exemplified in the more northern nations, where horses are not so commonly met with.
In some parts of England, large Dogs are accustomed to drawing water up from deep wells. Two of them usually work together within a large wheel, to turn which their exertions are truly wonderful, barking and disputing with each other for the greatest share of labour. I was much pleased with a scene of this kind in Hampshire, where one of the Dogs, at intervals, quitted the wheel, and ran to the mouth of the well, looking down to examine if the bucket was near the surface, then, jumping again into the wheel, redoubled his efforts till it was quite drawn up.
With us, the Newfoundland-dog seems to retain all its original purity, this climate being congenial to its nature and disposition; but when transported to a hot country, they gradually lose their vigour and beauty; one sent to Jamaica experienced a total change, by his waving coat falling off, and a very short smooth one succeeding, but upon his being taken to Canada, the hair resumed its former length and appearance; a similar circumstance is also related in Brown's History of Jamaica, as taking place with the sheep brought there by the Spaniards, the wool becoming short hair, but changing again upon their returning to their native place.
They sometimes grow to a very large size, but the general height is five or six and twenty inches, measuring from the top of the shoulder to the ground: large Dogs are sometimes higher behind than before, that is, from the highest part of the rump to the ground; but in speaking of their height, it ought to be considered as measured from the highest part of the shoulders to the ground. The length from the nose to the end of the tail is more than five feet. The most common colour is black and white, sometimes red and white, and more rarely of one colour, or black and white with tanned spots about the face.
The coat differs in various individuals, being in some short and curly, in others long and waving; the tail is large and bushy, and carried gracefully over the back; the ears, which it is customary to cut off, are short and pendulous; and the head in form strongly resembles that of a bear, from which they are often termed bear-headed.
The vulgar notion, that they are web-footed, will be found to be erroneous, the connecting part of the toes being similar to other large Dogs.
To the fowler on the sea-coasts their services are particularly necessary for fetching the wild fowl out of the water when shot, and their great strength and hardiness enable them to bear the severity of the weather, and fatigue of the sport, better than most others; nor are they deficient in scent, as many of them hunt tolerably well.
In swimming and diving, few equal, none excel them, and as their docility is so great, they most readily learn to fetch and carry small burdens in their mouths, of which employment they soon become fond; and these qualifications, added to the sincere attachment they shew to their masters, cause them to be highly esteemed.
Among the many instances of their great sagacity, which might be adduced, those related by Mr. Bewick are well deserving our notice:
"During a severe storm, in the winter of 1789, a ship belonging to Newcastle was lost near Yarmouth, and a Newfoundland-dog alone escaped to the shore, bringing in his mouth the Captain's pocket-book; he landed amidst a number of people who were assembled, several of whom in vain endeavoured to take it from him. The sagacious animal, as if sensible of the importance of the charge, which in all probability was delivered to him by his perishing master, at length leaped fawningly against the breast of a man who had attracted his notice amongst the crowd, and delivered the book to him.
"The Dog immediately returned to the place where he had landed, and watched with great attention for every thing that came from the wrecked vessel, which he seized, and endeavoured to bring to land.”
"A gentleman walking by the side of the river Tyne, and observing, on the opposite side, a child fall into the water, gave notice to his Dog, which immediately jumped in, swam over, and catching hold of the child with its mouth, brought it safe to land."
To which the following may be added:
"A Newfoundland-dog, fighting with a Bull-dog at Bank-side near the Thames, appeared to be very hard put to it, and finding his adversary as obstinate as he was powerful, was observed to unite all his art and strength to draw the Bull-dog into the water, which he at length accomplished, and then very speedily drowned him."
"At the commencement of the gallant action which took place between the Nymph and Cleopatra, there was a large Newfoundland Dog on board the former vessel, which the moment the firing began, ran. from below deck, in spight of the efforts of the men to keep him down, and exhibited the most violent rage during the whole of the engagement. When the Cleopatra struck, he was among the foremost to board her, and there walked up and down the decks, seemingly conscious of the victory he had gained."
When crossed with the Bull-dog, Wolf, or Mastiff, the produce becomes very furious and makes a useful Yard-dog, or Bear-dog, but should rarely be trusted loose without a muzzle, as they are apt to seize without discrimination horses, cattle, etc.
Crossed with the Setter they make an excellent sporting Dog for marshy countries.