SPANISH SHEPHERDS. 63 



must lead his flock in the right way ; see that their 

 wants are provided for ; protect them from their ene- 

 mies ; always desire their welfare, and be ready to ex- 

 pose himself to danger and difficulty for their sake. 

 But the highest honour ever put upon the shepherd's 

 life, was when our Lord and Saviour chose the charac- 

 ter of a shepherd to describe his love and pity for man- 

 kind, saying, " I am the good Shepherd, and know my 

 sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth 

 me, even so know I the Father ; and I lay down my life 

 for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not 

 of this fold : them also I must bring, and they shall hear 

 my voice ; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." 

 (Johnx. 14, 15, 16.) 



The shepherd's life in this country is a much easier 

 one than in some other parts of the world, where the 

 flocks are obliged to be taken long journeys every 

 spring and autumn, in order to give them shelter 

 and food. 



In Spain, where the celebrated Merino flocks are bred, 

 there are ten millions of sheep to be led twice in the 

 year to a great distance, in search of pasture, or of a 

 warmer climate. Forty or fifty thousand shepherds 

 guide these sheep in their wanderings, and travel with 

 them many hundred miles. Those shepherds have a 

 very hard life, compared with ours ; but they are so 

 much attached to their flocks that they would not leave 

 them, even if they could get better pay and less work 

 elsewhere. As many as thirty thousand dogs accom- 

 pany the flocks in their wanderings, and put up with 

 hard fare like their masters. The Spanish shepherds 

 live chiefly on bread seasoned with oil or grease ; and 

 though they sometimes procure mutton from their old 

 or diseased sheep, it is not their favourite food. Their 

 dress is a jacket and breeches of black sheep-skin ; a red 

 silken sash tied round the waist; long leather gaiters; a 

 slouched hat ; a staff with an iron point, and a mania, 

 or brown blanket, slung over the left shoulder. When 



