ITS INTRODUCTION INTO ENGLAND. 25 



country, or that tlie infected animals slionld be disposed 

 of without a sus):)icion being entertained of the true 

 state of their health. 



We have ascertained that the fifty-six Merino sheep 

 purchased by JNlr. Statham were brought by the ship 

 " Trident " from Tonningen, on the coast of Denmark. 

 When disembarked they appeared to be in health, and 

 were sold by the salesman to whom, A\ith other sheep, 

 they were consigned. We have not succeeded in 

 tracing the subsequent distribution of each separate lot 

 of this cargo, but w^e are assured that many of the ani- 

 mals still continue well. It is, therefore, evident that, 

 in this particular instance, the malady was imported 

 from Denmaik, but this unfortunately did not prove to 

 be a solitary case of its introduction. 



Within a day or two of the arrival of the Trident, 

 the "Mountaineer" and the "Princess Royal" came 

 into port, each vessel having on board a number of 

 Merino sheep brought from Hamburgh. The whole 

 number of sheep which anived by the Princess Royal 

 was 507, and these were exported by three different 

 persons in the follo^^^ng proportions: 216 by A.; 200 

 by B. ; and 91 by C. ; so that the fact of some of these 

 sheep having escaped the disease, is easily accounted 

 for; as they, in all probability, came from different 

 locahties, and were free, when exported, from small- 

 pox in its incubative stage, and were not exposed to 

 infected animals at a time when the disease was com- 

 municable. Some of the 507 sheep above referred to 

 were sold to the butchers ; and others to farmers as 

 "stock sheep:" the latter were bought, in several 

 quantities, on the 26th of July, by Mr. B. Weall, of 

 Woodhall, Pimier; Mr. Goodchild, of Kingsbury; 



£ 



