The St. Bernard, both before and since its introduction into England, has been surrounded with a halo of romance. The stories related of these magnificent dogs, their picturesque appearance, noble bearing, and romantic history, so appeal to the imagination, that it seems natural they should claim the title of "holy breed" as belonging to a grander group than other varieties of the canine race. Before speaking more fully of the introduction of the St. Bernard into England, it will be as well to give in detail an interesting account furnished by H. Schumacher, of Switzerland, at one time the largest breeder and exporter of these animals, and whose thorough knowledge of the subject was to be relied upon at the time. Mr. Schumacher writes in 1886 as follows: -

"Compiled from Traditions of the Monks of the Hospice and Recollections of Heinrich Schumacher.

"In kynological circles there prevails the erroneous idea that the so-called St. Bernard breed of dogs died out in 1815. This depends upon the way in which the matter is regarded, because a double explanation is possible. The first notion, that the breed of dogs does not exist in the same purity as before 1815, arose from a belief that in the great snowstorms which then prevailed the breed was destroyed. Although, indeed, in the Maison St. Bernard, in Martigny, and in the monastery on Simplon, stocks were always kept up, from which the losses sustained in the mountains were made good, yet the monks of that time observed that the breed of dogs deteriorated through continual in-breeding, and there was a loss in strength which incapacitated the dogs from developing the activity and endurance needed in the difficult service of the mountains in winter time. In the beginning of 1830 the monks tried, therefore, to renew the old breed by crossing with strong, intelligent dogs, to recover the weakened good qualities - size, strength, and endurance. This crossing was done with long-haired Newfoundland females, which are recognised as the strongest and most suitable dogs. The crossing was also tried with German or Danish dogs.

"The assumption that the breed, as it existed for five hundred years, still exists, is in relation to the outward signs and to the usefulness and performances. Even to-day the Monastery of Great St. Bernard could not exist without the services of its dogs. In winter the daily service of the dogs consists in tracing the passes. On one series, from the Cantine au Proz (on the Swiss side) to the Hospice and back, and the other series, from the Hospice to St. Remy and back (on the Italian side), the peculiar formation of the mountains causes mistakes, so that the most experienced monks and their servants have to be guided after every fresh fall of snow by the sharp senses, especially that of smell, of the dogs. I give this explanation to show that the breed of St. Bernard dogs, with the necessary strength of body and intellectual qualities, still exists as it has existed for centuries, and that the old breed was improved by crossing with Newfoundland dogs, with systematically strict choice of the offspring, giving preference to those which most resembled the parents in hair, colour, and build. The result of the first crossing showed a disadvantage in the long hair proving unsuitable to the winter service, because it collected so much snow that the dogs could not move about, and thus lost their lives. This is why the long-haired puppies were sold as unserviceable, or were presented to benefactors of or donors to the monastery.

"The celebrated Barry, now in the Natural History Museum at Berne, was taken alive to Berne in 1815, and afterwards stuffed. Barry is a representative of the old breed before crossing with the Newfoundland dogs, and he must remain the purest type of the original St. Bernard breed of dogs. Whence come the number of so-called St. Bernard dogs which are to be found in the middle of Switzerland, and nearly always of the long-haired type ? It is this question that I am happy partly to answer. Amongst the most prominent donors to the Hospice who received as presents dogs resulting from the long-haired crossing with Newfoundland dogs were Mr. Pourtales, Berne; Mr. Rougement, Morat; Prince Von Russland, Berne; a breeder at Bussy; Colonel Risold, Berne; and Messrs. Cornaz, Morat. These dogs, presented from the St. Bernard Hospice, and their offspring I have known mostly since 1838. All of these were red, with white marks, black face, black neck, and double wolf-claws, and of a height not since attained, strongly built, deep chested, and with large and noble heads. The dogs in Mettlen were long-haired, with fine, high-worn feather tail, and their offspring, I have observed since 1850, were trained in the same way as the parents had been. From these were bred the dogs of Marchligen, Deisswyl, and Riggisberg. Most of the long-haired so-called St. Bernard dogs are to be found in a degenerate state in Berne. The dogs of Bussy were short-haired, red, with white marks. Amongst them was the most beautiful and most powerful female I ever saw, which I knew from 1846 to 1849. I tried to get puppies from the owner, but could not do so. Its offspring are to be found on the Nauenburgischen estate, La Chaux de Fonds, etc. Colonel Risold, of Berne, had only one dog from 1830 to 1840 - short-haired, the same colour and markings as the others, and with an enormous head. It was so courageous as to be the terror and master of all other dogs in Berne. The dogs of Prince Von Russland were similar to those of Mettlen, with similar offspring and similarly dispersed. The dogs of Messrs. Cornaz I did not recognise as being amongst the progenitors received from the Hospice. Their offspring I knew from 1845 to 1856. These were erect, long-haired, double-clawed, white, with reddish brown heads. Several were stump-tailed, from which descended the Utzenstorf breed, which exists still in Bernese Oberaargau, and are owned by the peasant proprietors, and distinguished for their size and beauty. The dogs from Lowenberg I have known since 1838, passing some time in Murten. There have been several generations, always long-haired like the others.