REPORT ON THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 
101 
Lord Clarendon’s directions, to the British consular agents in Northern and 
Central Europe, instructing them to afford to Professor Simonds all the 
assistance in their power in carrying out the objects of his mission. 
“I am, sir, 
“ Your most obedient, humble servant, 
“ E. Hammond. 
“James Hudson, Esq.” 
{Enclosure.) 
“Eoreign Office; April 4, 1857. 
“ Sir, — I am directed by the Earl of Clarendon to acquaint you that the 
Council of the Royal Agricultural Society of this country have notified to 
his lordship their intention, in conjunction with the Agricultural Societies of 
Scotland and Ireland, to send a veterinary professor to the districts abroad 
where the disease among cattle is at present raging, and that the Com- 
mittee have selected Professor Simonds for this service. I am, therefore, 
to instruct you, in the event of Professor Simonds visiting any part of your 
district in the course of his mission, to show him every attention, and to 
afford him all the assistance in your pow r er in carrying out the objects of 
the Societies by whom he has been appointed. 
“ I am, sir, 
“ Your most obedient, humble servant, 
“ E. Hammond. 
“ To the British Consular Agents in Northern 
and Central Europe.’ 5 
The first step, according to my instructions, being to 
secure the services of a veterinary surgeon familiar with the 
German language, I at once called on Mr. William Ernes, 
M.R.C.V.S., a gentleman eminently fitted for the task; and 
who, besides being a native of Belgium, had had the great 
advantage of travelling almost throughout Europe, thus be- 
coming practically acquainted with most of the foreign lan- 
guages. Mr. Ernes had also received an English medical 
education, and his tastes were in full accordance with the 
objects of the mission. 
Having secured his co-operation, we left London for Bel- 
gium on the morning of April 9th, and arrived the same 
evening at Ghent. 
We deemed it expedient to ascertain, with as little delay 
as possible, the health of the cattle in those countries whence 
we were receiving our daily supplies, and also the details of 
the system which prevailed with regard to the cattle trade, 
together with the particulars relating to the shipment of 
animals to England. This part of our mission was the more 
pressing as the recent Order in Council, prohibiting the im- 
portation into the United Kingdom of “ cattle, or of horns, 
hoofs, or hides, from those territories of Russia, Prussia, or 
Mecklenburgh-Schwerin, which lie in the Gulf of Finland, 
xxxi. 14 
