Dinago Ranter Vampire Hypocrite - What the hell is this???

[youcantry]

"Dinago", "Ranter", "Vampire" and "Hypocrite" are branded upon this poor beast! Apart from its human-like voice mimicking the singing of the psalms, it appears to be a meat eater. Is the author saying it is "standing about three feet [long] and a half high"? Or does the author really mean an animal of three and a half feet in height? This would be some tall animal for something that might be branded yet be a meat-eater (ie. neither cow nor horse). And what are the "siftings" to which the author refers and says this beast will eat? If it is in a pound, might it be a dog? What does it say of the society that brands a beast so deeply, with such labels, as to affect its breathing!?

Impounded in the Devil's Jaws, near Jericho, by Brother Tronkes, of the Green Ponds, on the 15th of February last, a misera- ble, wretched-looking animal, standing about three feet and a half high, very much re- sembling a tyger cat, or the devil's dog "DINAGO." It is branded on the rump "RANTER," on the right side J H S, on the left "VAMPIRE," and on the breast "HYPO- CRITE." This last brand is so deep that it effects the animals breathing. Some time ago it was crawling about the burial-ground at Hobart, but creating a disturbance at St. David's Church it was hunted out of the town. It has since been crawling about Green Ponds, carrying away a piece of meat from one person, a pint of siftings from another; and often frightens the inhabitants of the settlement during divine service by mimicking the human voice, and screaming and straining in endea- vouring to imitate the singing of the Psalms. In fact, this animal having become a public nuisance, has been driven to the public pound, and if not reclaimed within one month from the date hereof it will be sold agreeably to the provisions of the Impounding Act. Damages claimed, £50 ; food and water one farthing per diem. Public Pound, Devil's Jaws, near Jericho, 17th of February, 1837. N.B.-This animal would well suit captains of vessels, or any individual wishing to take home a speci- men of natural history. It will live entirely upon sifting and water.-Correspondent.

trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/8649734?searchTerm=tyger&searchLimits=l-state=Tasmania#pstart668883

[Ian Thomas]

I ain't got a clue!

[johannes]

Pliny, Natural History VIII.72 and 107:

"When crossed with this race of animals (hyena?) the Ethiopian lioness gives birth to the corocotta, that mimics the voices of men and cattle in a similar way. It has an unbroken ridge of bone in each jaw, forming a continuous tooth without any gum."

Does he try to describe a shearing plagiaulacoid premolar here ?

[saggitarius]

"Three foot and a half high" is typical 1800s and even early 1900s way of saying "three and a half foot high". It is similar to 'tuppence halfpenny' instead of 'two and a half pence'
As for the rest of the story. It makes little sense to me. Perhaps siftings are the bits of gristle and fat which would be picked out after making a pot stew, but that's just a wild guess.

[youcantry]

Well 3.5 foot high makes it a big animal (assuming that's its back/shoulder/head height and it's a quadruped).

I'm guessing it's a mongrel dog.