﻿92 FIELD AND FOREST. 



laws against their shipment from the Peruvian Coast. In the official 

 reports on agriculture for 1857 it is stated that Hon. Daniel Webster, 

 when Secretary of State, received several as a present from the Peru- 

 vian Government; and that in the early part of the winter of 1857 a 

 cargo of Llamas and Alpacas were shipped to Baltimore for Guayaquil 

 on speculation. Either these or others shipped about the same date 

 were received in New York, (though the latter are reported as Llamas) 

 kept till Spring and sold at less than $100 each, some of them subse- 

 quently going to Australia. In July 1868, a Mr. Ledger succeeded in 

 evading the Peruvian restriction by taking a flock into the Argentine 

 Provinces, then into Chili, and embarking them at Copiapo for Aus- 

 tralia. Of 292 animals, (46 male and 38 female Alpacas, the remainder 

 Llamas and few Vicunas) 276 were safely landed at Sidney, New South 

 Wales. They were first sent to Liverpool, a point about 20 miles dis- 

 tant, and afterwards to Arthursleigh, a sheep-station. A winter of 

 mismanagement had reduced their number to 200, but with better 

 care they began to thrive, and at the end of 18 months they numbered 



253- 



The latest importation into this country was made by Hon. Francis 



Thomas, (since deceased) late minister to Peru, and formerly a mem- 

 ber of Congress form Maryland. Mr. Thomas thus writes concerning 

 them to the Commissioner of Agriculture, October 8, 1875: "The fiber 

 of a fleece of twelve months' growth often exceeds fifteen inches in 

 length, and the fleeces average from 7 pounds to 10 pounds each in 

 weight. The animals live to the age of twenty, twenty-five and some- 

 times thirty years ; are too large and bold to be worried by dogs, and 

 are very docile and tractable. I think you will concur with me in the 

 opinion that this experiment which I am conducting is well worth the 

 expense which I have incurred, especially when we consider the pub- 

 lic benefit which would accrue in case of my success." The illus- 

 tration here given is from a photograph of several of the flock, 

 in Frankville, Maryland. 



The successful establishment of this race as a textile-producer in this 

 country is by no means assured, but no effort should be spared to test 

 its adaptation to some portion of the country. It is doutful if they can 

 become acclimated east of the Missouri river, but the Rocky moun- 

 tains afford a better promise of ultimate success. 



J. R. Dodge. 



