CAPE OF GOOD HOPE AND ANGOLA SHEEP. 57 



told, was brought from the island of Madagascar, and that 

 all the sheep found on the island were of the same sort." 



CAPE OF GOOD HOPE SHEEP. 



The British colony of the Cape of Good Hope occupies 

 the extreme verge of Southern Africa, between the 30th and 

 35th degrees of south latitude. 



The native sheep are of the broad-tailed breed. Barrow* 

 says " they are of every variety of color, black, brown, bay, 

 but mostly spotted ; their necks are small, their ears long 

 and pendulous. They are covered with strong frizzled 

 hair, of which little use is made, except for cushions and 

 mattrasses." 



When the Cape was in possession of the Dutch, an ex- 

 periment was made with the Merinos, which, from the un- 

 favorable climate, prejudice and bad management, resulted 

 in utter failure. After its cession to the English, a more 

 extensive and fairer trial was made with Merinos, which 

 was attended with better success. Much good wool is now 

 sent over to the mother country, which amounted in 1833 

 to nearly 100,000 lbs. The number of sheep, of all kinds, 

 in the colony, exceeds two millions. 



ANGOLA SHEEP. 



Angola is situated on the south-western coast of Africa. 

 Here is to be found a very singular sheep, which is thus de- 

 scribed in the " Animal Kingdom." " It is called the Zenu. 

 Its legs are long and slender, but the arms and shanks are 

 muscular and strong. There is a slight elevation at the 

 withers, the chest is narrow and flat, and falling in between 

 the arms ; the false ribs project, and give to the carcass a 

 strong resemblance to that of the Zehu. The fat is most 

 singularly disposed. It is taken from the tail or rump, and 

 is distributed over three parts of the animal. A small por- 

 tion of it is spread over the posterior part of the loin and the 

 commencement of the haunch. A more decided accumula- 

 tion is found on the poll, and precisely of the semi-fluid 

 character which the fat assumes in the tail, or the rump of 

 other Eastern sheep. This mass commences from the base 

 of the ears, and extends backwards, in the form of a rounded 

 projection, half way down the neck. Under the jaw, ex- 



* Barrow's Southern Africa. 



