[ 33 1 



liberal intentions of his millrefs? No precautions 

 have been adopted to guard againft this. We 

 know that the finejl wooled Spanilli flieep have 

 not been fent, becaufe finer Spanilli wool can be 

 bought than any of them carried. And I have 

 very great reafon to believe, from the information 

 of perfons who have feen the flocks in Spain, that 

 there are fine wooled flieep in Spain much fupe- 

 rior in car cafe to any we have got. 



^dly. If any of the gentlemen of the committee 

 knows of anv well-authenticated fa£t, which 

 proves that the fleece degenerates as fpecified 

 in the Weft-Indies, I fliall be glad to be informed 

 of it. I know of none, though I know it has 

 been afferted ten thoufand times, by perfons who 

 never had adverted to the faft; before I did ad- 

 vert to it, I niyfelf believed it firmly; fince I in- 

 veftigated the cafe with attention, I have been 

 obliged to abandon that opinion. When the 

 gentlemen of the committee advert to the num- 

 berlefs opinions that are readily admitted, without 

 proof, as fafts refpefting wool and flieep in Bri- 

 tain, they will not be furprifed at this opinion 

 rcfpe£ling flieep in the Weft-Indies being ad- 

 mitted. 1 have been in the cuftom, for many 

 years paft, of admitting no aflertion, on fubje6ls 

 of this fort, without proofs; and in fearching for 

 proofs on this head, I have found a great number 

 of fa6ts that have obliged me to abandon my 



VOL. VIII. D former 



