which is called The M e j ia , and there the king in perfon
is Merino mayor (a).
Each flock coniifts generally o f ten thoufand iheep,
with a Mayoral or head ihepherd, who mull be an adive
man well verfed in the nature o f pafture, as well as the
difeafes incident to his flock. This perfon has under
him fifty inferior ihepherds, and as many dogs, five o f
each to a tribe. The principal ihepherd has a hundred
piftoles (about £*75.) and a horfe every year. The other
fervants have 150 rials for the firft clafs (£T. 13*. 9^.) 100
rials for the fecond clafs (£1. 2 s. 6d.) 60 rials for the third
clafs (13-?. 6d. ) and 40 rials, or nine ihillings for the other
attendants. Each of thefe has an allowance o f two
pounds of bread a day, with the fame quantity of an inferior
fort for the dogs. They are likewife permitted to
keep goats, and a few iheep, of which they have the
meat, and the lambs, provided the wool remains for the
mafter. They may do what they pleafe with the milk,
o f which they feldom make any advantage. In the
months of April and Odober, each ihepherd has 12 rials
given him (about 2s. gd.) as a perquifite previous to
his journey,.
Though thefe flocks divide and feparate themfelves
over feveral provinces of Spain, it will be unneceffary ,to
(a) There is a fupreme council at Madrid called Gonjejo de Mejia which takes cognizance of
a’i matters relating to-iheep, wool, ihepherds, paftures, woods', and all concerns that belong to
royal feats and parks.
relate
relate what pafles in each, their government being iimi-
lar and uniform. The places where they are to be feen
in- the greateft numbers are in the Montana and Molina
de Aragon in the fummer, and in the province of Eftre-
madura in the winter. Molina is to the eaftward o f
Eftremadura, the Montana is to the north, and the moft
elevated part of Spain ; Eftremadura abounds with aromatic
plants, but the Montana is entirely without them.
The firft care o f the ihepherd in coming to the fpot
where they are to fpend the fummer, is to give to the
ewes as much fait as they will eat; for this purpofe they
are provided with 25 quintals o f fait for every thoufand
head, which is .confumed in lefs than five months ; but
they eat none on their journey, or in winter. The method
of giving it to them is as follows. The ihepherd
places fifty or fixty flat ftones about five fteps diftance
from each other; he ftrews fait upon each Hone, then
leads his flock flowly through the ftones, and every
iheep eats at pleafure. This is frequently repeated,
obferving not to let them feed on thofe days in any fpot
where there is lime-ftone. When they have eaten the
fait, they are led to fome argillaceous fpots, where from
the craving they have acquired, they devour every thing
they meet with, and return again to the fait with redoubled
ardour (a).
(a) Mr. Bowles obferves, that if the diftriil is limy or marly, the iheep eat lefs fait in proportion
to the lime they find* and aiking the reafon of one of the ihepherds, was told, it pro-
G At