THE COMMON SHEEP. 363 



he was stooping, raised his body erect, and grasp- 

 ing the short broomstick in both hands, held it over 

 his head. He stood for a few seconds in this position, 

 when the Sheep made a spring, and jumped fairly 

 over him, without touching the broom. The first 

 had no sooner cleared this impediment, than another 

 followed, and another, and another, in such quick 

 succession, that the man, perfectly confounded, 

 seemed to lose all recollection, and stood, in the 

 same attitude, till the whole had jumped over 

 him, not one of them attempting to pass on either 

 side, though at the sides the street was quite clear. 

 As this took place during wet weather, the man was 

 entirely bespattered over with dirt before they had 

 all passed; and it is impossible to conceive a more 

 ludicrous appearance than the poor fellow made on 

 the occasion*. 



The bodies of Sheep, instead of the hair usual on 

 other animals, are clad by nature with a kind that is 

 almost peculiar to themselves, called wool. This is so 

 curled as to be closely matted together; and, when 

 pulled strait, it is from four or five lines, to twelve 

 or fifteen inches, and upwards, in length. The dis- 

 tinguishing characteristic of wool is this, that when 

 even the coarsest sort is manufactured into cloth, 

 it thickens in the milling, and forms a close tex- 

 ture; whereas the finest possible hair, under the 



* Anderson's Essays in Agriculture. &c. iii. p. 366. 



same 



