THE AMERICAN MERINO 495 



from England. Later, in 1797, these were taken to Sydney, 

 New South Wales. Since that period Australia has become the 

 greatest Merino-sheep country in the world. There these sheep 

 thrive and produce a very superior grade of wool. 



The introduction of the Merino to the United States probably 

 occurred in 1793. Mr. William Foster of Boston, Massachu- 

 setts, smuggled from Spain I ram and 2 ewes. These he pre- 

 sented to a friend, who, not realizing their value, used them 

 for meat, though he later purchased a ram for $1000 at auction. 

 In October, 1801, Seth Adams, then of Dorchester, Massachusetts, 

 imported a pair of Spanish Merinos which were conveyed through 

 France to the seaboard. Later, in 1807, Adams moved to Ohio, 

 taking the first Merino sheep west of the Allegheny Mountains. 

 In 1 80 1 M. Dupont de Nemours had 4 ram lambs shipped to 

 America, 3 of which died at sea. The other, Don Carlos, was taken 

 to Dupont's farm along the Hudson River in New York, where for 

 nearly four years he was used on the flocks of that region. Later 

 he was taken to Wilmington, Delaware, and the influence of his 

 blood was extensively felt in New York, Delaware, Maryland, Penn- 

 sylvania, and Virginia. In 1 802 Colonel David Humphreys imported 

 from Spain 21 rams and 70 ewes to his home in Derby, Connecti- 

 cut. In an interesting communication 1 regarding this importation, 

 made to the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture, 

 Colonel Humphreys on August 25, 1802, wrote as follows: 



Convinced that this race of sheep, of which I believe not one has been brought 

 to the United States until the importation by myself, might be introduced with 

 great benefit to our country, I contracted with a person of the most respectable 

 character, to deliver to me at Lisbon, one hundred, composed of twenty-five rams 

 and seventy-five ewes, from one to two years old. They were conducted, with 

 proper passports, across the country of Portugal by three Spanish shepherds, 

 and escorted by a small guard of Portuguese soldiers. On the i oth of April last 

 they were embarked in the Tagus, on board ^the ship Perseverance, of 250 tons, 

 Caleb Coggeshall, Master. In about fifty days twenty-one rams and seventy 

 ewes were landed at Derby, in Connecticut ; they having been shifted at New 

 York on board of a sloop destined to that river. Tlje nine which died were 

 principally killed in consequence of bruises received by the violent rolling of the 

 vessel on the banks of Newfoundland. 



1 Bulletin of the National Association of Wool Manufacturers (September, 1905), 

 p. 241. 



