150 THE MERINO, 



saw no place for fire, but they have it, since they 

 dress here the flesh of their sheep, and in the night 

 sometimes keep off the hears by whirling firebrands : 

 tour of them, belonging to the flock mentioned above, 

 lie here. I viewed their flock very carefully, and, 

 by means of our guide and interpreter, made some 

 inquiries of the shepherds, which they answered 

 readily and very civilly. A Spaniard at Wnesque, 

 a city in the Pyrenees, gives 600 livros French (the 

 livre is lO^d. English) a-year for the pasturage of 

 this flock of 2000 sheep. In the winter he sends 

 them into the lower part of Catalonia, a journey of 

 twelve or thirteen days ; and when the snow is melt- 

 ed in the spring, they are conducted back again. 

 They are the whole year kept in motion, and mov- 

 ing from spot to spot, which is owing to the great 

 range they everywhere have of pasture. They are 

 always in the open air, never housed or under cover, 

 and never taste of any food but what they can find 

 on the hills. 



" Four shepherds, and from four to six large Spa- 

 nish dogs, have the care of this flock : the latter are 

 in France called of the Pyrenees breed ; they are 

 black and white, of the size of a large wolf, a large 

 head and neck, armed with collars stuck with iron 

 spikes. No wolf can stand against them ; but hears 

 are more potent adversaries ; if a bear can reach a 

 tree, he is safe ; he rises on his hind legs with his 

 back to the tree, and sets the dogs at defiance. In 

 the night the shepherds rely entirely on their dogs ; 



