Successful Importation of the Llama. 6^ 



in Chili, was a chief promoter of the undertaking. In 

 1852 another Englishman had undertaken to convey 500 

 alpacas to England, but, despite the utmost care during the 

 voyage, only three were landed alive. Waddington attri- 

 buted this disaster to the want of fresh food, and therefore 

 hit upon the expedient of accustoming those animals which 

 he intended to send to Australia to the use of dry fodder, 

 such as barley, bran, and hay, for some time before their 

 embarkation. As soon as they had become somewhat in- 

 ured they were shipped at Caldera, near Copiapo, and en- 

 trusted to the care of Mexican Indians accustomed to their 

 habits, for transport to Australia. The vessel was of 800 

 tons burthen, and was chartered at 6000 dollars for the 

 voyage. The fitting up of the vessel for her novel cargo 

 cost about 300 dollars. Each animal, in addition to its 

 ration of dried food, had a quart of water per diem. The 

 voyage from Caldera to Sydney took 70 days. Of 316 

 llamas shipped or born on the voj^age only 36 died, 280 

 arriving in excellent health at Sydney, and were with all 

 speed turned into a large pasture on the Government do- 

 main.* For weeks the negotiations remained in an anxious 

 suspense, in consequence of the original projector of the un- 

 dertaking, an adventurous Yankee, named Ledger, who had 

 purchased the animals in the interior of Peru, and after four 

 years of unwearied assiduity had accompanied his charge 



* The sheep-breeders of the colony competed for the honour of purchasing these 

 valuable animals. 



VOL. III. P 



