THE COMMON GOAT. 355 



it from the hair, and manufacturing it into gloves, 

 stockings, &c. on which they set a very high value. 

 The first specimen of this kind of wool that Dr. 

 Anderson ever saw, was sent to him by a Russian 

 lady, with a request that he would get it woven 

 for her into shawls. The quantity, which, unsorted, 

 did not weigh much more than a pound, was too 

 small to admit of being made into a web by itself: 

 the chain was, therefore, formed of silk, and the 

 woof of fine yarn made from that wool. The fabric 

 was compared with the finest of the Indian shawls; 

 and notwithstanding the hardness of the silk chain, 

 (the wool being infinitely softer than that sub- 

 stance,) it was decidedly more soft and beautiful 

 than any of these. Of the above-mentioned small 

 quantity of wool, three full-sized shawls and one 

 waistcoat were made, all of which were exceed- 

 ingly admired by every person who saw them. 

 The colour was a dull white; with a delicate, 

 scarcely perceptible glance of red through it. The 

 ingenious narrator of this account informs us, that, 

 if he could have been furnished with a hundred of 

 them for sale, he does not doubt that he should 

 have obtained as high a price as twenty guineas 

 each for the whole. On being sent into Russia, 

 they were deemed a proper present for the em- 

 press, who expressed herself greatly pleased with 

 them. Dr. Anderson examined many of the long- 

 haired English Goats, on which he found the very 

 same substance. In some, the quantity was con- 

 B b 2 siderable. 



