350 Dr. Parry's Essay on the Nature, Produce, Origin, 



The beginning of the journey of each flock is in some measure regulated by the 

 distance which it has to travel. Those which go from Estremadura to the Asturias 

 have a march of at least 550 English miles. They proceed towards the mountains 

 at the rate of from 5 to 16 miles a day, according to the pastures which they meet 

 with by the way ; and more slowly before than after shearing. A road is left for 

 them, which is held, as it were, sacred, of 80 or 90 varas, or about 75 yards 

 in breadth, often marked out or bounded by stones. There are several of these 

 roads, through which pass different divisions of those immense flocks, so as to arrive 

 about the same time at the place of their ultimate destination. This variety per- 

 mits them also to choose or avoid, on their march, thore districts of land which are 

 sown with various kinds of grain, according as they have been gathered or not. 



Each Cavana, or great flock, lias a Mayoral, or principal shepherd ; and each 

 subdivision of such a flock, which, for convenience of travelling, consists of from 

 1000 to 1500, has its leading shepherd, who goes at its head, and is accompanied 

 by two others, who proceed respectively on each flank. Each leader has for his 

 companions one or more Mansos, which are old wethers, or, what is more extraor- 

 'dinary, frequently old castrated goats, each of which is furnished with a large bell 

 about its neck. These bell-wethers being much caressed, become extremely do- 

 cile; and are very useful in guiding the flocks to which they are attached. 



The shepherds are accompanied with dogs ; which are not, as ours of the present 

 day, intended to regulate the movements of the flock, but are large and fierce mas- 

 tiffs, like those of the Pyrenees, solely calculated to protect the sheep against wolves 

 and robbers. 



The rams, ewes, and lambs travel together till they reach the mountains. There 

 the flock is ultimately divided into parts, and an allotment of pasturage made to 

 each. The rams are separated from the ewes, and the lambs of each division are 

 incorporated with the ewes of other divisions. 



Thus each cohort from time to time changes its place amgng the mountains, 

 according to its want of food ; dispersing itself abroad in the cool of the day, and 

 carelully collected during the extreme heat of the sun ; and at night, under the 

 pro ection of the shepherds and their dogs, and sometimes, though larely, sur- 

 rounded with an incK'Sure of sirong nets. Once a da), the sheep are regularly led 

 to drink. It is calculated that a fancga of land, or about -l-^ of an English acre, 

 is required for the summer keep of each sheep. 



