EAST OP THE MISSISSIPPI 



183 



selected at Lisbon by William Jarvis," were offered for sale by William 

 Osborn, of New York. It is possible that these twenty sheep were 

 brought from New Englanol ports; it is, however, more probable that 

 they were brought direct from Lisbon in one of Mr. Osborn's vessels, 

 for he was a shipowner, and their arrival not chronicled. That many 

 such cases are known leads to this conclusion in this particular case. 



Mr. Jarvis was not the only person shipping the Spanish Merinos to 

 the United States. During the months of June, July, and August, 

 1810, at least nine vessels carrying Merino sheep arrived at American 

 ports from other ports than Lisbon, at which place the Jarvis shipments 

 were made, and one from that port with sheep shipped by other parties. 

 The following table gives such details of these shipments as are attain- 

 able : 



It will be observed that all these clearances, except that of the Cor- 

 poral Trim from Lisbon and the Commerce from some port of Spain, 

 were from Cadiz and adjoining ports. The rapid advance of Napoleon's 

 armies under Prince Victor into southern Spain in the early daj^s of 

 1810 caused many of the inhabitants, rich and poor alike, to flee to the 

 Mediterranean seaports, taking with them their household goods, their 

 cattle, and their flocks. Many of the latter were disposed of to masters 

 of vessels as sea stock, to be eaten by the crews, and, escaping custom- 

 house surveillance, were shipped and landed and sold at good prices. 

 Cadiz was a good field for such operations, and evidence is not wanting 

 to show that due advantage was taken to purchase sheep at $1 to $3 

 per head, to be sold in Philadelphia and New York for prices ranging 

 from $300 to $1,000. A case in point is that of Capt. Page, of the South 

 Carolina, elsewhere mentioned, who, on May 5, 1810, received $510 for 

 one sheep and refused $350 for another, both of which, according to his 

 own statement, were put up by the Cadiz butchers for his sea stores. 

 Not all the sheep shipped from Cadiz were of this class, however, for 

 about this time one of the best cabanas of Spain became available, and 

 another public-spirited American took advantage of it to benefit his 

 country and himself. 



The Duke de Inlantado adhered to the national or patriot cause and 



