188 SHEEP AND SHEPHERDS. 



and ill the vicinity of every mountain where 

 water was to be had. Even upon the arid 

 and desert plains, ai^ji many miles away from 

 brook or pond, immense flocks were driven 

 out to pasture, and only taken to water once 

 in two or three days. On these occasions it 

 is customar}- for the shepherds to load their 

 burros with gvages filled with water, and re- 

 turn again with their folds to the plains. The 

 guage is a kind of gourd, of which there are 

 some beautiful specimens with two bulbs; 

 the intervening neck serving to retam the 

 cord by which it is carried. 



These itinerant herds of sheep generally 

 pass the night wherever the evening finds 

 them, without cot or enclosure. Before night- 

 fall the principal shepherd salhes forth in 

 search of a suitable site for his hato, or tem- 

 porary sheep-fold ; and building a fire on the 

 most convenient spot, the sheep generally 

 draw near it of their own accord. Should 

 they incline to scatter, the shepherd then seizes 

 a torch and peiforms a circuit or two around 

 the entire fold, by which manoeuvre, in their 

 efforts to avoid him, the heads of the sheep 

 are all turned inwards ; and in that condition 

 they generally remain till morning, without 

 once attempting to stray. It is unnecessary 

 to add that the flock is well guarded during 

 the ^ night by watchful and sagacious dogs 

 agauist prowling wolves or other animals of 

 prey. The weU-trained shepherd's dog of this 

 country is uideed a prodigy : two or three of 



them will follow a flock of sheep for a dis- 



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