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shame the finest and costliest textile fabrics of civilized 

 Europe and America. For many years the texture, even, 

 of these costly shawls was unknown. It was believed that 

 they were made of a fine wool, but examination of the 

 fibres disclosed the fact that it was not wool at all, but hair; 

 and then speculation ran wild as to what animal produced 

 such a silky, glossy coat. The manner and method of man- 

 ufacture were equally unknown, and it was many years be- 

 fore the public was enlightened on these subjects. Even 

 after the origin was made public, it was still many years, in 

 spite of the most strenuous efforts upon the part of indi- 

 viduals and of governments, before the possession of a 

 single animal could be obtained, so jealously was their ex- 

 portation guarded by the shepherd kings of Asia. It was 

 too fruitful a source of revenue to those nomadic people to- 

 be tampered with. Time and patience finally overcame 

 their scruples, though the first animals imported cost fabu- 

 lous sums. They not only had to be paid for at enormous 

 prices, but had to be transported about 1,500 miles over 

 desert and mountain, where no convenient railway offered 

 its services. The hostility of the Arab tribes had to be 

 encountered all the way, and their prejudice had taken such 

 deep root that every individual made efforts to thwart the 

 purpose, and it was only after the most incredible hardships 

 and dangers that at last a few goats were landed on the 

 shores of America. 



Dr. J. B. Davis, of Columbia, South Carolina, has the 

 high honor of having been the first man who brought any 

 here, he having, while consul to Turkey, secured nine 

 thorough blood animals from Thibet, and landed them at 

 last, after many difficulties, in his native city. So valuable 

 were they, that he readily sold the produce of these animals 

 at from one to three thousand dollars a pair. 



Various attempts have been made, both in Europe and 

 America, to manufacture these shawls, but with little suc- 

 cess, the water and atmosphere of Asia being necessary to 

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