We also
obtain wool from the Cape of Good Hope, from India, from Egypt, and from
South America.
Besides pure wool, our manufacturers use large quantities of goat's hair,
called mohair, from the Mediterranean, of camel hair, of Thibet goat's hair,
of the long grey and black hair of the tame South American llama and alpaca,
and of the short soft red hair of the vicuna, a wild animal of the same
species. Indeed, almost every year since the repeal of all restrictions on
trade, has introduced some new raw material in wool or hair to our
manufacturers.
The alpaca and vicuna, now an important article of trade and manufacture,
although well known to the native Peruvians at the time of the conquest by
the Spaniards, has only come into notice within the last twenty years. The
first article of the kind that excited any attention was a dress made for Her
Majesty from a flock of llamas belonging to Her Majesty, under the
superintendence of Mr. Thomas Southey, the eminent wool broker.
The stock from the small flock of merinos taken out by Colonel Macarthur to
what was then only known as Botany Bay, now supports 300,000 souls in
prosperity in Australia, and supplies exports to the amount of upwards of a
million and a half sterling per annum.
Pages:
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374