EAST OP THE MISSISSIPPI RIVEK. 201 



The issues of the Connecticut Journal of January 10, 17, 24, and 

 l''ebruary 7, 1811, contain an advertisement by Oapt. William Fairchild 

 of " GO full-blooded Merino sheep selected from the Duke Infantado's 

 flock, imported in the brig Geres, Oapt. William Paircliild, direct from 

 Spain, to be sold at private sale. Inquire of the subscriber, in Wooster 

 street." 



These sheep were undoubtedly a part of the purchase made by 

 Charles Henry Hall of the Duke de Infantado, of which, as he says, he 

 sent a part to New York and Philadelphia. Mr. Hall's letter regarding 

 this purchase was published in 1844, and is here partially given : 



The Duke del Infantado, it is true, joined the yiatriot cause, and went ambassa- 

 dor to England from the Cortes at the time Ferdinaiul was detained in Prance, and 

 returned to Cadiz, when that city was in a, state of siege. There I was introduced 

 to the duke by tlie United States ambassador, Mr. Erving. His flocks, he informed 

 me, were in positions of safety from the contending armies in various parts of Spain, 

 some of them in Andalusia. The result of my interview was a purchase from the 

 duke of a iiock of 400 sheep by myself and associates, which were shipped to Vir- 

 ginia, consigned to Messrs. Brown & Eives, at Richmond. Subsequently there 

 were obtained from the duke 2,000 more sheep having this mark (a brand of Y upon 

 the side of the face of the sheep) which were shipped to New York and Philadelphia 

 for account of Commodore Charles Stewart, Consul Richard Hackley, myself, and 

 others. Of one of the cargoes Chancellor Livingston had a large lot of my Infan- 

 tado sheep which he purchased of my agent, Mr. Henry Ward, and I think in some 

 of his writings he speaks of the high estimation in which he held the flocks of the 

 above-named duke. 



~ In noting the large importation of Infantado sheep from Spain during 

 1810 and 1811, and commenting upon this letter of Mr. Hall's, Albert 

 Chapman makes these remarks: 



Some things in this letter are corroborated by other circumstances. H. Ward is 

 given as one of the consigners of Merino sheep that arrived at New York on board 

 the Maria Theresa from Cadiz and thirty-eight days from Villa Real, Spain. She 

 arrived October 19, 1810. The brand on the face of the sheep is the same as was 

 upon the sheep imported into New Haven in 1810, as described by Jacob N. Blakeslee, 

 a more full account of which we shall publish hereafter. Another coincidence is 

 that both vessels sailed from Villa Real, not from Lisbon, where most of the con- 

 fiscated flocks— perhaps all— were shipped. 



And Mr. Chapman concludes by admitting that there are several 

 reasons for believing that the importation by the Geres was from the 

 Infantado stock, and probably a part of the purchase described by Mr. 

 Hall. The account as given by Mr. Blakeslee, referred to by Mr. Chap- 

 man, may here be produced, as stated by Prof W. H. Brewer, of New 

 Haven, in 1868 or 1870: 



There were two importations into New Haven. In 1810 an importation by Peck 

 & Atwater of New Haven. In 1811 another by Abraham Heaton & Co., John De 

 Forrest supercargo. Merino sheep fell in price about that time. These were sold 

 at auction, at least some of them were. I saw all the sheep of both these impor- 

 tations. Both had the same brand on the nose, a V or Y, fork upwards; no hair 

 where the mark was put on. I was then told that this was the Infantado brand. 

 Capt. Peck told me that they were the best flock in Spain, and weie called the Infan- 



