836 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



wool, is clear, from all the experi- 

 ments tried in other countries, and 

 in Spain also, for Burgoyne tells 

 us, that there are stationary flocks, 

 both in Leon and in Estremadura, 

 which produce wool quite as fine as 

 that of the Trashumantes. 



The sheep lately presented to 

 his majesty are of the Cavana of 

 Paular, one of the very finest in 

 point of pile, and esteemed also 

 above all others for the beauty of 

 carcase. In both these opinions, 

 Mr. Lasteyrie, a French writer on 

 sheep, who lived many years in 

 Spain, and paid diligent attention 

 to the Merino sheep, entirely 

 agrees ; he also tells us, that the 

 Cavafia of Negrette, from whence 

 the sheep imported by his majesty, 

 in the year 1791, were selected, is 

 not only one of the finest piles, but 

 produces also the largest carcased 

 sheep of all the Merinos. Mr. 

 Burgoyne agrees with him in as- 

 serting, that the piles of Paular, 

 Negrette, and Escurial, have been 

 withheld from exportation, and re- 

 tained for the royal manufactory 

 of Guadalaxara, ever since it was 

 first established. 



The Cavana of Paular consists 

 of 36,000 sheep ; it originally be- 

 longed to the rich Carthusian 

 Monastery of that name, near Se- 

 govia ; soon after the prince of the 

 peace rose into power, he purchas- 

 ed the flock from the monks, with 

 the land belonging to it, both in 

 Estremadura and in Leon, at a price 

 equal to twenty French francs a 

 head, 16s. 8d. English. All the 

 sheep lately arrived are marked 

 with a large M. the mark of don 

 Manuel. 



The number sent from Spain to 

 the king was 2,000, equal to two 

 subdivisions of the original Cavana; 



to make the present the mare valua- 

 ble, these were selected by theshep- 

 herds from eight subdivisions, in 

 order to choose young, well-shaped, 

 and fine-wooUed animals. This 

 fact is evident, from the marks 

 which are placed on eight ditt'erent 

 parts of the bodies of the sheep 

 now at Kew. 



The whole number embarked 

 was 2,214; of these, 214. were 

 presented, by the Spaniards, to 

 some of his majesty's ministers, 

 and 4'27 died on the journey, either 

 at sea, or on their way from Ports- 

 mouth to Kew. His majesty was 

 graciously pleased to take upon 

 himself the whole of the loss, which 

 reduced the royal flock to 1,573; 

 several more have since died. As 

 the time of giving the jam in Spain 

 is July, the ewes were full of lamb 

 when they embarked, severalof them 

 cast their lambs when the weather 

 was bad at sea, and are rendered so 

 weak and infirm by abprtion, that 

 it is much to be feared more will 

 die, notwithstanding the great care 

 taken of them by his majesty's 

 shepherds. A few have died of the 

 rot. This disease must have been 

 contracted by halting on some 

 swampy district, in their journey 

 from the mountains to the sea of 

 Gijon, where they were embarked, 

 as one sheep died rotten at Ports- 

 mouth ; there is every reason how- 

 ever to hope, that the disease will 

 not spread, as the land on which 

 they are now kept has never been 

 subject to its ravages, being of a 

 very light and sandy texture. 



It is well worthy of observation, 

 that although the Swedes, the Sax- 

 ons, the Danes, the Prussians, the 

 Austrians, and of late, the French, 

 have, either by the foresight of 

 their governments, or the patriotic 



exertions 



