"AN ACCOUNT OF PERUVIAN SHEEP, by WILLIAM WAL

"There are four species of Peruvian sheep.

"The Llama is considerably the largest and strongest, is used as a beast of burden, and carries the weight of four arrobas, equal to 100lbs. The whole body is covered with a soft woolly coat of hair; their fleeces manufacture excellent blankets, frizes, and coarse woollens, which are warm and durable, and admit a good dye.

"The Alpaca is something less than the Llama, but is also used as a beast of burden. Nine-tenths of the wool of it is black, the residue partly white, red, and grizzled. It is of a very long staple, often reaching to twelve inches, and partakes greatly of soft glossy hair. It is not of that felting nature common to other wools, from the great elasticity of its fibres, and requires a very nice preparation to enable it to receive colours. It is extremely soft and silky to the touch, and when dyed, it loses nothing of its singular gloss.

"The Huanaco, or Guanaco, is the largest of the two species of Peruvian wild sheep, yet generally rather smaller than the Alpaca.

"This animal is found only in its wild state, and has not been domesticated, but in solitary instances; it is decidedly the swiftest animal the Peruvians have.

"The Huanaco lives in a gregarious manner, and is seen feeding in herds of one to two hundred, on the declivities of the snowy and solitary mountains of Upper Peru: they are shy, vigilant, and have a centinel on an elevation, to announce the approach of footsteps. Molena says, that when the snow commences, they descend from the Cordilleras in search of food, into the plains of Chili.

"The wool of the Huanaco is shorn off the skin as the hunter brings it in; it is nearly of the same nature and colour as that of the Vigonia, with this difference, that it is coarser, shorter in staple, and of a lighter colour-not so red. It is also much filled with hair, which renders it less valuable. "The Vicuna, or Vigonia, is by far the most delicate, and, from the fineness and consequent value of its wool, the most interesting of the four species of Peruvian sheep. The uni

form colour of the Vigonia fleece is of a russet red, or red brown, for the few exceptions that have been seen white constitute trivial variations. The wool of this animal is the softest, finest, most silky, and, when picked, the most valuable in the world. The only objection that can be brought against Vigonia wool is its colour, which prevents it from being introduced into light fabrics and fancy cloths, shawls, &c.; it possesses, in an eminent degree, the virtue of felting.

"The manufacture of this kind of wool into cloth and stuffs was known to the ancient Peruvians, and they still continue it, with many European improvements.

"The common Sheep's Wool of South America is the production of the Spanish sheep that have been taken over to that country, where they have multiplied to that great degree that they can be bought in the interior at the low price of one dollar. The fleece of this animal serves to protect the Indian from the blasts of his wintry atmosphere, and its flesh affords him sustenance. This valuable race of quadrupeds has spread in Upper Peru, as the horned cattle have done in the pampas of Buenos Ayres, and each has chosen its most congenial range and most suitable pasture. The sheep, as they at present exist in South America, have not altogether preserved the fine coat of the parent stock: the black breeds are the most encouraged, and in some parts no other are thought of any value."

SHEEP'S WOOL IMPORTED INTO GREAT BRITAIN FROM SOUTH

CHAPTER X.

FROM 1810 To 1819.

Improvement in Machinery-Gig Mills-Riots-Luddism-Disappointments in Merino Sheep-Tax proposed on Foreign Wool-Petition in support from Wool Growers-Select Committee in the House of Commons on the Wool and Woollen Trade-Excitement in the Clothing Districts-Public Meetings-Resolutions passed-Deputies meet in London, John Maitland, Esq. Chairman-Evidence before Select Committee-Lord Lascelles, Chairman -Report of Committee-Lord Milton's Opinion on the Exportation of British Wool-Lord Milton's Letter to James Bischoff-Answer thereto Lord Sheffield's Report at the Lewes Wool Fair, 1816-Letters to the Earl of Sheffield, by J. B. S.-Meeting of Agriculturists-Resolutions.

NOTWITHSTANDING the extensive improvement introduced in manufactures, it was extremely difficult to bring them into operation, from the fears and excitement which prevailed amongst the labouring classes; for a system was pursued in Nottinghamshire, in the years 1810 and 1811, to destroy frames used in the manufacture of lace; and the spirit which there had its rise, extended to the larger manufacturing districts, and the destruction of all machinery, which, as they thought, interfered with hand labour, was contemplated.

Riots commenced in the West Riding of Yorkshire in the year 1812, the chief object being the destruction of gig mills used for raising the wool on blankets, coatings, baize, and on cloth in the process of finishing. The men were regularly organised and trained. After demolishing the works of Mr. Foster, of Horbury, in Yorkshire, their leader ordered them into a field, and their numbers (each man having a number to conceal his name) being called over, he dismissed them by the word of command,-"the work is done, disperse!" The time occupied in the business of mustering, destruction, and dispersing did not exceed twenty minutes. They had the appellation of Luddites. Detachments were sent round the country, who searched the houses for arms, and their depreda

tions were not checked, till a most respectable manufacturer at Huddersfield, Mr. Horsfall, was shot near his own house. A reward of £2,000 was offered for the detection of the murderers, one of whom turned king's evidence, and three were tried and convicted by a special commission, in January, 1813, and were executed at York; and fourteen, who were severally convicted of participating in an attack on Mr. Cartwright's mill, and other mills, were all executed on one day; and however revolting the destruction of so many lives is to the feelings, it was considered absolutely necessary in order to stop the ravages which were daily committed. It put an end to those disorders, and at the assizes which took place at York, in the April following, Mr. Parke, king's counsel, publicly declared, that however sanguinary it had appeared, in the execution of so many deluded wretches, leaving twelve widows and fifty-seven orphan children, Luddism was then extinct, and government declined to prosecute the other prisoners, having been only determined to restore tranquillity and good order.

Though the exertions made by public men, and by the leading agriculturists of the kingdom, to introduce the Spanish merino sheep had been so great, they found it impossible to produce that quality of wool which was required by the manufacturers of superfine cloth; and when they brought their wool to market, meeting the competition of Spanish wool, and of Saxony wool, the fineness of which now became known, they were greatly disappointed at the prices they were able to obtain, attributing them to what they considered the prejudices of the manufacturers, and they pressed upon Government their grand specific for all distresses, taxation on foreign wool, as their only protection against the evils of which they complained. The agriculturists of England were, however, divided into two parties, those whose possessions were on the light soils, the downs and the heaths, with fine herbage, and those whose property consisted of rich, loamy, clay, and fen lands. The former were disappointed in the improvement they anticipated in their fleeces from the introduction of the merino sheep; and at their head were Lord Somerville, the Earl of Sheffield, Sir John Sinclair, Mr. Western, Mr. Burrell, Mr. Holme Sumner, &c. &c.; while those who encouraged the

new Leicester breed, and their cross with South Down sheep, were the Duke of Bedford, Mr. Coke, of Norfolk, and the leading agriculturists in the midland and northern counties, who, by their improved mode of farming, the extent of new inclosures, and turnip husbandry, increased the weight both of the carcase and the fleece, and with that their own profits. Inclosures were also extended to the high down lands. Encouraged by the high prices of corn, the plough was carried into districts which for ages had been sheep pastures, and by thus giving their sheep more succulent food, they increased the. weight of the fleece, but deteriorated its quality; and finding they could not get the price per lb. which they formerly received, the agriculturists endeavoured by legislative enactments to check or prohibit the importation of foreign wool, and force on the manufacturers their deteriorated article at a higher price. They therefore petitioned Parliament for the imposition of a tax on the importation of foreign wool, and succeeded in obtaining the appointment of a select committee of the House of Commons, "to examine into the policy of imposing an increased duty on the importation of foreign seeds, and to report their opinion thereon to the House; and they were also instructed to take into their consideration the laws relative to woollen goods, and the trade of wool, and also to consider the laws prohibiting the growth of tobacco in Great Britain, and were empowered to report from time to time to the House, together with the minutes of evidence taken before them."

This annunciation caused considerable excitement and alarm in the manufacturing districts. A public meeting of the woolstaplers of Leeds, Wakefield, and Huddersfield, was held at Leeds, April 15th, 1816, for the purpose of considering the propriety of opposing the intended bill to permit the exportation of sheep and wool, duty free, and to impose a duty on wool imported; Mr. Wm. Westerman in the chair, when it was resolved

"That it is the opinion of this meeting, that a duty upon foreign wool imported would be a serious injury to the woollen manufacture of this country, and tend ultimately to the utter ruin of its foreign export trade.

"That the exportation of sheep and wool will prove most injurious to the manufacturing interests of this country, as at the