52 



of the journey ; the others with their dogs follow, and flank 

 the cavalcade, collect the stragglers, and keep off the wolves, 

 who regularly follow at a distance and migrate with the flock. 

 A few asses or mules accompany the procession, in order to 

 cany the little clothing and other necessaries of the shepherds, 

 and the materials for the fold at night. Several of the sheep, 

 principally wethers, are perfectly tamed, and taught to ohey 

 the signals of the shepherds. These follow the leading shep- 

 herd, having been accustomed to be fed from his hand ; they 

 lead the flock — there is no driving — and the rest quietly follow. 



" When passing through the enclosures, they sometimes travel 

 eighteen or twenty miles a day ; but when they reach an open 

 country, with good pasture, they proceed more leisurely. 

 Their whole journey is usually more than four hundred miles, 

 which they usually accomplish in six weeks, and thus spend, in 

 going and returning, nearly one-quarter of the year in this in- 

 jurious manner. 



" The shepherds and the sheep equally know when the pro- 

 cession has arrived at the point of its destination. It is neces- 

 sary to exert great vigilance over the flock during the last three 

 or four days, for the animals are eager to start away, and often 

 great numbers of them make their escape. If they are not 

 destroyed by the wolves, there is no great danger of losing 

 them ; for they are found on their old pasture, quietly waiting 

 the arrival of their companions, and it would be difficult to 

 make any of them proceed a great way beyond this spot. The 

 shepherds are immediately employed in constructing pens for 

 the protection of the sheep during the night, and which are 

 composed of ropes made by twisting certain rushes together, 

 which grow plentifully there, and attaching them to stakes 

 driven into the ground. They next build, with branches of 

 trees roughly hewn, rude huts for themselves. 



*' When the sheep arrive at their summer pasture, which at 

 first is very luxiu'iant, the mayoral endeavors to guard against 

 the possible ill effects of the change from the uncertain and 

 scanty pasturage found on the journey, by giving the flocks a 



