Essay on Sheep, 59 



Sj3ain at the London market, and the red some- 

 what higher. Either there must have been 

 some mistake as to the phice from which the 

 ram came, or Persia must possess two distinct 

 breeds of sheep: indeed, it is not Improbable 

 that the southern parts of Persia, upon the In- 

 dian Ocean, and Gulf of Ormus, may contain 

 the large coarse-woolled sheep that are com- 

 monly found in Africa. For the Smith's Island 

 wool we are also indebted to the researches of 

 Mr. Custis; from whose valuable pamphlet 1 

 have extracted the following account of it: 



'^ I come now to speak of Smith's Island wool, 

 *' a discovery from which will arise the happiest 

 ^* effects to my country, and yield the most 

 '^ grateful sensations to myself. This island 

 ** (which is the property of Mr. Custis) lies in 

 '^ the Atlantic Ocean, immediately at the east- 

 *^ tern cape of Virginia, and contains between 

 *' three and four thousand acres. The soil, 

 '* though sandy, is in many parts extremely 

 " rich, and productive of a succulent herbage, 

 '' which supports the stock at all seasons. About 

 '' one half of the island is in wood, which is 

 ** pierced with glades running parallel with the 

 *' sea, and of several miles in extent. These 

 " glades arc generally wet, and being completc- 

 ^' ly sheltered by the wood on either side, pre- 



