FINE WOOL SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 35 



a most intelligent correspondent, that, being an am- 

 bassador, lie was, probably, allowed to draw his sheep 

 from the Escurial flock, and I find that this impression 

 is somewhat prevalent. Those who have read his 

 writings, and observed the old-school ceremonious 

 courtesy, as well as the other tastes developed in 

 them, will have no difficulty in arriving at a very posi- 

 tive conclusion that, had Colonel Humphreys been 

 indebted to any proprietor of a cabana for a selection 

 from his flock, or for any other particular favor in the 

 premises, the fact would have been carefully stated. 

 It is to be presumed he made inquiries in the proper 

 place, and was referred to a thoroughly capable, as 

 well as "respectable" person, to make the purchases 

 for him, and there is no doubt the commission was 

 most intelligently and faithfully 'executed. JSTo flock 

 enjoyed a better early reputation in our country, and 

 none enjoys a better traditional reputation now. With 

 the Spanish ideas in respect to mixing cabanas, such a 

 Spanish agent as he employed would not have pro- 

 cured different varieties as the foundation of a flock. 

 It is singular how few things, in relation to these 

 sheep, can now be agreed on by different recollectors ; 

 and the contemporaneous descriptions are usually so 

 vague and general that they will apply to one variety 

 as well as another. 



In a manuscript letter of Colonel Humphreys, be 

 fore me, he says, as if he thought it worthy of note, 

 that a ram, raised on his farm, yielded 7 Ibs. 5 oz. of 

 washed wool. In an Essay, obviously written by a 

 gentleman, and a man of the first intellig'ence and 

 standing, but whose name is torn from the copy before 

 me, there is a more careful description than I have 



