They are a match for the dog,-
one to one,- but as the dogs generally went in squads, there was
seldom a fair fight. A smaller dog, belonging to us, once attacked a
coati, single, and got a good deal worsted, and might perhaps have
been killed had we not come to his assistance. We had, however, one
dog which gave them a good deal of trouble, and many hard runs. He was
a fine, tall fellow, and united strength and agility better than any
dog that I have ever seen. He was born at the Islands, his father
being an English mastiff, and his mother a greyhound. He had the
high head, long legs, narrow body, and springing gait of the latter,
and the heavy jaw, thick jowls, and strong fore-quarters of the
mastiff. When he was brought to San Diego, an English sailor said that
he looked, about the face precisely like the Duke of Wellington,
whom he had once seen at the Tower; and, indeed, there was something
about him which resembled the portraits of the Duke. From this time he
was christened "Welly," and became the favorite and bully of the
beach. He always led the dogs by several yards in the chase, and had
killed two coati at different times in single combats.
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