BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, January 7th, 1845."MY DEAR SIR:--In the fall of 1807 I was on board of the ship Canton,
belonging to my uncle, the late Hugh Thompson, of Baltimore, when we
fell in, at sea, near the termination of a very heavy equinoctial
gale, with an English brig in a sinking condition, and took off the
crew. The brig was loaded with codfish, and was bound to Poole, in
England, from Newfoundland. I boarded her, in command of a boat from
the Canton, which was sent to take off the English crew, the brig's
own boats having been all swept away, and her crew in a state of
intoxication. I found on board of her two Newfoundland pups, male and
female, which I saved, and, subsequently, on our landing the English
crew at Norfolk, our own destination being Baltimore, I purchased
these two pups of the English captain for a guinea a-piece. Being
bound again to sea, I gave the dog-pup, which was called Sailor, to
Mr. John Mercer, of West River; and the slut-pup, which was called
Canton, to Doctor James Stewart, of Sparrow's Point. The history which
the English captain gave me of these pups was, that the owner of his
brig was extensively engaged in the Newfoundland trade, and had
directed his correspondent to select and send him a pair of pups of
the most approved Newfoundland breed, but of different families, and
that the pair I purchased of him were selected under this order. The
dog was of a dingy red colour, and the slut black. They were not
large; their hair was short, but very thick coated; they had dew
claws. Both attained great reputation as water-dogs. They were most
sagacious in everything, particularly so in all duties connected with
duck-shooting. Governor Lloyd exchanged a Mexican ram for the dog at
the time of the merino fever, when such rams were selling for many
hundred dollars, and took him over to his estate on the eastern shore
of Maryland, where his progeny were well known for many years after,
and may still he known there, and on the western shore, as the Sailor
breed. The slut remained at Sparrow's Point till her death, and her
progeny were, and are still, well known through Patapsco Neck, on the
Gunpowder, and up the bay, amongst the duck-shooters, as unsurpassed
for their purposes. I have heard both Doctor Stewart and Mr. Mercer
relate most extraordinary instances of the sagacity and performances
of both dog and slut, and would refer you to their friends for such
particulars as I am unable, at this distance of time, to recollect
with sufficient accuracy to repeat.Yours, in haste,

GEORGE LAW."

These dogs are represented as being of fine carriage, broad-chested, compact figure, and in every respect built for strength and activity.

Their patience and endurance were very great when pursuing wounded ducks through the floating ice, and when fatigued from extraordinary exertions were known to rest themselves upon broken portions of ice till sufficiently recovered again to commence the chase. We have seen some of the descendants of these sagacious animals on the Chesapeake, engaged, not only in bringing the ducks from the water when shot, but also toling them into shore within range of the murderous batteries concealed behind the blind.