Essay on Sheep. 21 



manufacturer. The more sedentary men be- 

 came, the greater were their wants and depen- 

 dence upon each other; and In those wants 

 and that dependence originated civihzation 

 and polished societies. 



The sheep which approaches nearest to the 

 original stock, and has suffered less by the art 

 of man, is the Adiman or African sheep. 

 These are large, active, and covered with hair 

 without any intermixture of wool. It is ob- 

 servable, that the Mouflon or Argali has a fleece 

 composed of hair and wool in the cold climate 

 of Tartary ; yet those in warmer climates have 

 no wool. It is probably from this stock that 

 the sheep of Guinea have been reared ; and as 

 they belonged to a people to whom woollen 

 clothing would be of no use, who formerly 

 went naked, and if they now wear a slight and 

 partial covering, it consists of lighter materials 

 than wool would afford; it is, therefore, not sur- 

 prising that they have not added to the degene- 

 racy of their flocks by rendering them wool- 

 bearers. Half savage themselves, they are 

 content that their domestic animals should re- 

 semble them; since in that state they are fitter 

 to furnish food than if part of their suste- 

 nance went also to the supply of clothing. 

 It is generally supposed that the want of wool 



