a certain amount of success. How much or little I don't know. Quite 

 recently, however, facilities have been offered for buying and exporting 

 the goats, such as have not before existed. Even, therefore, if some few 

 goats of the best breeds are now thriving in Australia, it might be advan- 

 tageous to import a considerably larger number. I have had some con- 

 versation on the subject with Mr. Gatheral, the English consular agent 

 at Angora, and have requested him to write to the Royal Society of 

 Tasmania, and also to Melbourne and Sydney. He would himself be 

 prepared to make arrangements for sending down the goats to Ismidt, 

 less than a day's journey by boat .from Constantinople. From Ismidt, 

 or Constantinople, they might be shipped either direct through the Suez 

 canal or to London. I have asked Mr. Gatheral, who knows the subject 

 probably better than any other Englishman, to give particulars as to the 

 goats, their habits, cost of feeding, the climate they require, and the 

 annual value of their wool. From my own experience in this part of 

 the world, I can at least add one fact. The inhabitants of these parts are 

 so entirely barbaric, that if the goats required any special care or know- 

 ledge in their management, the breed must have been long since extinct. 

 I should predict that under the treatment of such scientific agriculturists 

 — as for example the late Mr. Kermode — an animalwould shortly be pro- 

 duced whose annual return to its owner would be double what the 

 present return is. From what I can learn, Australia would be better 

 suited to the goats than Tasmania ; but I believe that the district 

 between Ross and Green Ponds would also be one in which they 

 would thrive. 



"Mr. Gatheral 's position ensures his respectability, but beyond this 

 I know from other sources that he is everywhere regarded as a man 

 of high character ; and that if anybody can be trusted to be successful 

 in obtaining the goats of the true Angora breed, it is he. He is, among 

 other things, the buyer of mohair for the greatest house in the world, 

 that of Titus Salt, of Saltaire, which, if my knowledge of the geography 

 of our county is not out, is not far from Leventhorpe Hall. 



" While I am writing on the subject of what will be of use to the 

 Australias, let me mention also tobacco. I know that you personally 

 would probably say that the best use to which it could be applied 

 would be to make a sheepwash, and that to consume it in the ordinary 

 way is an abuse. But as Turkish tobacco is milder than the kinds 

 used in Australia, even you, on the principle of choosing the least 

 of two evils, would have reason to give it the preference. Turkish 

 tobacco is of a remarkably fine character. In the London shops it 

 commands a high price, and now that Englishmen are rapidly taking to 

 the continental fashion of smoking cigarettes instead of pipes, the 

 demand for it is steadily increasing. I know of no reason whatever 

 derived from soil or climate, why the very best varieties of Turkish 

 tobacco should not be produced in Australia. With the question of 

 the excise duty to be raised from it I have nothing to do. But I can 

 testify that the tobacco is good, and I believe that if it were once fairly 

 introduced into Australia, the demand for the American varieties, as 

 well as for cigars, would almost altogether cease. There are here Eng- 

 lish, American, French, Dutch, German, and other smokers, but all of 

 them have practically abjured pipe and cigars, and taken to the Turkish 

 cigarette. If in the interest of the colony I can supply any information 

 to you or the Royal Society, I shall be happy to be of use, for the sake 

 of many pleasant recollections of old times. 



" Very sincerely yours, 



" Edwin Pears." 



