L E T T E R V .
O f the Merino Sheep.
THE wools o f Spain form a confiderable branch o f
our commerce with that country. It has even
been faid that their fine quality was originally owing to
a few Engliih iheep fent into Spain, as a prefent by our
Henry the fecond, or according to others, by Edward the
fourth, in 1465, but without entering into fruitlefs invef-
tigations o f an event fo remote, and of fo little confe-
quence, I ihall confine myfelf to fpeak o f thofe remarkable
iheep known in Spain by the name of Ganado Merino,
“ The Merino flocks,” and defcribe the conftant method
o f conducing thofe numerous tribes from the northern to
the fouthern provinces, to which they attribute that peculiar
fine quality o f the wool, which has rendered it fo
famous all over Europe {a.)
(0) Though this account o f Spaniih iheep appeated ift the gentleman’ s magazine for 1764,
and in other publications, yet as I am informed it came originally from Mr. Bowles, I have
again inferted the fubflance of his difcourfe, in juftice to its original author, with fome further
iUuftrations relating to the wool of Spain, not mentioned by that writer.
There
mere are two torts ot tiieep in bpain, tome that have
coarfe wool, and are never removed out o f the province
to which they belong, and others, that after fpending
the fummer in the northern mountains, defcend in the
winter to the milder provinces o f Eftremadura, and An-
dalufia, and are diftributed into dill rids, which go by'
the name o f Merindades.. Thefe are the Merino iheep,
o f which it is computed there are between four and five-
million in the kingdom [a). The word Merino, fignifies
a governor o f a province. The Merino mayor is always-
a perfon o f rank and appointed by the king. They have
a feparate jurifdidion. over the flocks in Eftremadura,,
Sheep.
(a) The duke o f Iufâûçado’s flock about - - - _. - - - - . _ 40.000
Gountefs Gampo de Alenfe Negretti - 3 0 .0 0 0 .
Pàular, and Efcurial convents, 30; 000-eacK- - _ _ _ _ _ _ 60.000
Gonvent of' Guadalupe - - - - - - - - - - - 30.00 o-
Marquis Perales - - . - , ,- - - . —■ . — - - - 30.000-
UukeofBejar - - - . . so .ooiy
Several flocks o f about- ¿o.-oooi-each " . . . . ¡¡¿0.0oo
A ll the other flôeks in the kingdom together.on an average abotrt 3.800.000-
4^2 2 0.000-
Tn 1778, the wool of Infantado was 92S5 arrobes in the greafe, and Negretti nearly-thé-
lame. Wattied wool coarfe and fine together, worth at an average, eight and a half.rials-
vellon per lb. (about 2s) exclufive orf duties which are 20 per cent, on exportation.
There is a'cuSbuà difcotirfe on the wools o f Spain in the fecbtid voluine of the Spanittr
correfpondence o f lord Sandwich, lord Sunderland, and fir William Godolphin,. in -a book
entitled, Hifpania illuftrata. ■ London, 1702.
which