244 Oil ihe Wool and Sheep of Crichemlre and Boulan. 



do\ibt that, b\- crossing the Cachemirian breed of sheep wltfi 

 our own sht-ep or the Merino?, it would be possible to obtain 

 in France superfine wool as beautiful as that employed in 

 nianulacniring the uiaonificent sWawls, the fineness, silky 

 texture, and whiteness of which we so much admire. I 

 may even assert without prejudging too much, that this 

 Mool would become superior to that of Cachemirc; it wovild 

 •carry our cloths, known to be the most beautiful in the 

 world, to the hiiihcst degree of perfection. 



It perhaps will be objected, that admitting the possibility 

 of introducina; and naturalising in France this breed of fine- 

 woolled sheep, the most l>eautiful on the earth, there would 

 be some disadvantage in regard to the weight of the fJeece j 

 since it is well known that Merinos, brought from Spain 

 and bred in France, con)monlv produce twelve pounds of 

 Avnol, while the Cacheniiriah breed produce only seven or 

 ei2;ht. Bat the di-fference in the fine'ne^s might perhaps 

 make up for this deficiency ; because the same quantity of 

 stirff can be m-ade with a fourth or a third less of Vigonhi 

 v;ool, {ban with the finest Spanish wool, in consequence of 

 the superior fineness of the former. It would be a matter 

 nf indiffererice, therefore, to have a few pounds less of pro- 

 duce, provided the same quantity of cloth were obtained, 

 besides, the Cachemirian wool being much finer, and abso- 

 lutely free from any coarse par*, a great benefit would arise 

 from rcarivig this breed, whidi require less nourishment,- 

 and are fed with straw; which is never the case with the 

 'French sheep or the Merinos. 



■ The loss \X'hich the merchants sustain b\- purchasing un- 

 ^coured wool, would not exist were the Cachemirian sheep 

 tiatuTalised in France. As Daubcnton was probably mis- 

 taken, when he said, in hi? Instri/cf ion (Cix Bergers, that go- 

 vernment sent for Cachemirian sheep at the same time that 

 ■Pt procured sheep from Roussillon, Spain, and England, I 

 am the mare inclined to believe that my conjecture respect- 

 in'g this error is well founded ; because, having had an op- 

 portunity, dnring'my residence in India from 17^9, to 179^ 

 v.'hcn I returned to Eurojje, of seeing the correspondence of 

 the old EaKt India company, whose privilege ceased in 1770> 

 and, since that period, the correspondence of the royal ad- 

 ministration, I found nothing which had any relation to 

 this circumstance. 



' To bring sheep from Cachemire is certainly not impos- 

 sible ', but though such an attempt docs not present the same 

 ri.-k as thee ipedition of Jason, it would, however, be very 

 riifiicult, especially to one unacquainted with the Indian lan- 

 guages. 



