HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



235 



flieep in general do not thrive, and the flefti of wethers 

 is not good ; at this, however, we need not wonder, as 

 the hot climes in the old continent are fo pernicious 

 to fheep that, as count de BufFon himfelf fays, they 

 become clothed with hair inftead of wool. In the cold 

 and temperate countries of New Spain they have multi- 

 plied fuperiorly to bulls, their wool in many places is 

 as fine as the wool of the flieep in Spain, and their flefli 

 as well tailed as any in Europe ; which all thofe who 

 have vifited thofe countries can teftify. The multiplica- 

 tion of fheep in America has been furprifmg. Acofta 

 relates (/) that before he went to America, there were 

 in that country individuals poffeffing feventy, and fome- 

 times one hundred thoufand flieep ; and at prefent there 

 are perfons in New Spain who own four and five and 

 even feven hundred thoufand flieep (g). Valdebro fays 

 (h) that D. Diego Munoz Camargo, a Tlafcalan noble, 

 of whom we have made mention in our account of the 

 writers of the ancient Hiftory of Mexico, obtained from 

 ten flieep an increafe of forty thoufand in the fpace of 

 ten years. How therefore could the climate be perni- 

 cious to their propagation, if they multiplied fo excef- 

 fively ? With refpeft to fize, we declare fincerely, we 

 have feen no rams in Europe larger than thofe of Mexico. 



GOATS. 



(/) Stor. Nat. e Mor. lib. iv. 33. 



(g) The Europeans who have not been in America are extremely apt to be 

 incredulous with regard to what we fay of the number of oxen, horfes, fheep, and 

 goats, which many American farmers have upon their eftates; but having been 

 long in that country, we alfert no more than we know to be truth. 



(b) In his work of Gobierno de Animates, lib. iv. cap. 34. 



