356 Importation into France of the Cachemire Goat. 



steppes that separate Astracan from Oremburg, which satisfied 

 him that he needed not to penetrate further. He had besides 

 observed, that in the language of the country they gave the name 

 of Thibet-goat to the animal which furnished this fine fleece. 

 He therefore bought of the Kirghis in this district, from the 

 hordLS called Cnra-Jgadgi and Kaisacks, twelve hundred and 

 •eighty-nine of these animals, and directed his course homewards 

 with them by Tsaritzin, where he brought them across the Wolga. 

 After making all the deductions from this number occasioned by 

 losses on the road, by the shipment of them at Kaffa, and the 

 passage home, there now exist in France four hur.drcd of this 

 stock of Cachemire-wool goats. 



During a short stay which M. Joubert made at Constantinople, 

 in his passage homewards with his goats, he held a conversation, 

 through the second interpreter to the French embassy, with an 

 Armenian named Khodja-Youssnf, who was sent eighteen years 

 ago by a house in Constantinople into Cachemire to procure shawls 

 made after patterns which he carried with him. This Armenian 

 resided a long time in Cachemire, Lahore, and Pichawer, and in 

 learning the language of these countries, he obtained much po- 

 sitive information as to the manufacture of these valued articles. 

 He stated to M. Joubert, that the animal which yields this beau- 

 tiful material is neither a camel nor a sheep, as some have re- 

 ported, but is a goat, resembling the common goat in appear- 

 ance, having straight horns, and a white or dear brown coat. 

 A coarse hair covers the fine downy wool, which last is the only 

 iTiaterial from which the shawls arc wove. 



Khodja-Youssuf had seen at Cachemire twenty or thirty of 

 these goats, which were kept there for curiosity. The women 

 and children pick out the fine wool from the coarse hair, and 

 other heterogeneous matter ; which is afterwards carded by 

 young girls with their fingers on India muslin, to lengthen the 

 fibre, and clean it from dirt and foulness ; and in this state it is 

 delivered to the dyers and spinners. The loom that is used is 

 horizontal and very simple ; the weaver sits on the bench, a child 

 is placed below him with his eyes on the pattern, and gives him 

 notice after every throw of the shuttle, of the colours wanted, 

 and the bobbins to be next employed. The finest shawls cost 

 from 5 to 600 ru,Dces (12 to 1500 francs). The most beautiful 

 wool comes from the provinces of Lassa and Ladack in Thibet j 

 and also a good deal of it is imported into Thibet and Cache- 

 mire, from Casgar and Bucharia, all of which goes to form the 

 fine shawls, of which there is such a great demand throughout 

 Asia. The fine wool is brought into Cachemir.e in balesj mixed 

 with coarse hair. 



LIX. Re- 



