" Her Britannic Majesty's Consular Agency. 



"Angora {old Constantinople), 



" 31st December, 1873. 

 ** Dr. E. Swarbreck Hall, Hobart Town, Tasmania. 



"Dear Sir, — At the suggestion of E. Pears, Esq., I propose writing 

 you with regard to some special products of Asia Minor, as I under- 

 stand from Mr. P. that you take an interest in introducing the products 

 of other countries into your own highly-favoured soil and climate. 



" The products referred to, which could be easily and profitably 

 transferred, are the mohair goat, Persian or yellow berries, gum 

 tragacanth, and tobacco. 



" The Mohair Goat. — From a very early date has been bred in this 

 district, and has supplied an unrivalled staple, ranking next in value 

 to silk itself. Several attempts have been made to introduce it into 

 Europe, always resulting in failure, but of late years they have been 

 successfully introduced into Cape Colony, California, and Melbourne. 

 In all these places they thrive, in the latter particularly they promise 

 ere long to increase more rapidly, and yield finer hair than they do in 

 Asia Minor. Here they are tended in flocks of from 100 to 1,000 head 

 mixed with the common goat and sheep. One shepherd has 80 to 100 

 head allotted him. During spring they browse upon the young leaves of 

 a stunted oak common in the district, and upon the coarse tufted grass 

 peculiar to most high lands. When all herbage is burnt up by the hot sun 

 in summer, or the ground covered with snow during the short but severe 

 winter, they are then fed with chopped straw and hay, and thrive 

 thereon. The clip begins here in March. Kids produce l^lb. weight ; 

 ewes, 31b. ; males, from 3 to 61b., the average per goat being 2jlb. 

 weight. 75% (seventy-five per cent.) of this is available, as what is called 

 " Fair Average," in Bradford, and is saleable in that market at from 3s. 

 to 3s. 9d. per lb., according to quality and market rate ; 25% (twenty-five 

 per cent. ) being seconds and inferiors, worth from 9d. to 2s. 6d. per lb. 

 At the beginning of winter the fleece becomes so heavy that the animals 

 have to be partly clipped to enable them to walk. An average of 12oz. 

 per full grown goat is obtained in this way, and because of its extra 

 length is valued at 15% (fifteen per cent.) more than " Fair Average." 

 The Turkish " rentchpayer " or grazier is, perhaps, the most ignorant 

 and impracticable producer in the world. He persists in drenching the 

 fleeces with water thus destroying the true lustre in order to make an extra 

 profit out of the Christian merchants, who are his only customers ; he is 

 oppressed with heavy and constantly increasing taxation, and yet most 

 of them not only make a living, but accumulate wealth. The reason is that 

 the demand for the staple usually exceeds the supply, and were the trade 

 once in the hands of British growers and capitalists, there is no doubt 

 it would receive an immense development. The goats hitherto shipped 

 from Asia Minor to the'colonies, already referred to, have all been of the 

 ' Kastambol ' breed, a showy but inferior species, the reason being that 

 that district is nearer the sea, and the original cost and outlay on the way 

 are much lighter. The ' Angora ' species, which is undoubtedly the 

 thorough-bred, has not yet been exported. Were it thought desirable, I 

 consider I am in a position to execute orders for the choicest Angora 

 goats. The post I have the honour of holding as Her Majesty's repre- 

 sentative here, and the fact of my buying goats' hair largely, for some of 

 the most enterprising Bradford spinners, gives me every facility and 

 advantage in dealing with the natives. At present prices the animals 

 could be delivered at the ports of Enneboli Ismatt, or Constantinople for 

 £5 (five pounds sterling) a head ; delivered in London the additional 

 expense, insurance, freight, &c, would bring the price up to £9 to £10 



