THE KENNEL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VIII, Issue 386, 16 December 1897, Page 16

THE KENNEL.

Mr E. Court-Rice, the well-known breeder and judge of Mastiffs, is leaving England at the end of the j ear for .Australia. He is bringing with him some select specimens, and will do his utmost to revive interest in the Mastiff in the colonies. Mr Court-Rice had already despatched the celebrated dog, Ethelwulf, by the s.s. Banffshire. Unfortunately, the animal died on the voyage out, so that fanciers will deplore the loss of a valuable stud dog. Mr Rice has, by this time, received the news of his great loss, and he is certain to obtain another dog to take Ethelwulf’s place. I have no doubt that Mr Court-Rice .will do much to put the Mastiff high in the estimation of colonial fanciers. For many years he has been a successful breeder and exhibitor, and he has judged the breed at the big Home shows. The Mastiff is a grand variety, and is worthy of more attention than it has received from fanciers for a long time past. The writer in canine affairs in the Australasian has received a photograph of C. B. Nell, the curly-coated Retriever belonging to Mr W. G. Bavard of Dunedin. Ihe photo is much admired by the recipient who says that the bitch is of good type, and substantially, though actively built. The Australasian man thinks C. B. Nell would be a decided acquisition to Victorian fanciers. A fancier who goes in for Gordon Setters reports a very unusual occurrence. He has two bitches, mother and daughter, the latter had a litter of pups recently. Almost as soon as they were born the old bitch went for the young one and forcibly took possession of the pups, and used every means to persuade the pups to suckle her. This, they eventua'ly did, and in the course of four-and-twenty hours there was a full supply of milk. More than twelve months bad elapsed since the old bitch had whelped. I have known the same to happen in the case of an old Pug; but in this case, the fostermother had been barren for some years owing to old-age. She was allowed to keep one pup, and as the natural condiment was forthcoming she was successful in rearing it.

The fortitude and stsium-hness of “ our iriend the dog ” has over and over again been proved. The latest proof of service faithfully rendered is to be found in the story of the Jackson Hamesworth expedition in search of the North Pole. A famous dog of recent years was Tschingel belonging to Miss Marguerite Brevoort, a lady who accomplished some marvellous mountaineering feats. This lady made some most formidable journeys in the Alps, and that at a time when convenient Alpine huts were non-existent. So noted was this lady for climbing that two Alpine eminences bear her name, Pointe M aguerite and Pointe Brevoort. She is also stated to have inaugurated the “sp«rt” (?)> of -winter mountaineering by ascending the Wetterhorn and the Jungfrau in the month of January, an achievement which created a profound sensation in the climbing world. So unsophisticated, indeed, were tie Alps of Dauphine when Miss Brevoort penetrated their recesses that the innocent inhabitants could not comprehend lor what reason she had come among them. The village wise-acres, therefore, took solemn counsel together, and concluded that her party was a party of gold-seekers, and that Miss Brevoort herself was a witch who, by the exercise of the black art, would discover where the precious metals lay. Miss Brevoort, however, did not, like the witches, travel with a cat; she travelled with a dog. Tschingel was this dog’s name. It was presented to its mistress by Christian Aimer, the guide ; it accompanied her upon almost all her great ascents; and anecdotes of its sagacity may be heard from almost every climb<r. Tschingel could find his way through an ice-fall by himself ; Tschingel once acted as guide to his party, when they had lost their bearings ; Ttdiingel, on returning from Monte Rosa, was acclaimed honorary member of the Alpine

Club: Tschingel’s life has been written by a French climber, M. Jean Venon; and in a bottle at the top of the Grande Ruine, there is to be found a card bearing this inscription : —“ Miss Brevoort, Coolidge, Tschingel (Hon. A.C.-), Christian Aimer, Peter Michel, Christian Roth, Peter Blauer, made the first ascent of the highest point of the Grande Ruine, July 19, 1873.” Miss Brevoort’s last climb —the first ascent of the second peak of the Furshorn—was made in September, 1876. In December of the same year she died. Her faithful dog, who had taken part in 53 out of her 82 grandes courses, survived till 1879.