HOW THE ALPACAS WERE GOT TOGETHER

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 174, 21 June 1859, Page 4

HOW THE ALPACAS WERE GOT TOGETHER

At the last meeting of the Australian Horticultural and Agricultural Society, Mr. C. Ledger continued his paper on the history of the Llama, Alpaca, &c. He entered into a full and circumstantial account of all that had happened to himself and, to-his flocks of llamas, since 1852* detailing his and their hardships and wanderings. In that year he made in company: with a! Peruvian gentleman, a brief visit' to' New South Wales, with a view to ascertain how far this colony was adapted for the sustenance of the llama, which he there desired to introduce. The result _ of the observation then made was of a satisfactory nature, and persuaded both that the dry climate of New South Wales would not prove unsuitable, therein bearing considerable' resemblance to that; of South America. Returning to America, he resumed the anxious responsibilities which were entailed upon him by the almost insuperable difficulties of his enterprise —that of getting llamas and alpacas out of Peru and Bolivia, and the ultimate removal of them to a place of safety whence they might be shipped for these shores. In describing what he had to encounter, he gave an animated sketch of the manner in which he and his two men crossed over the Cordilleras, in September 1853, the cold, the desolation, and the dangers they had to encounter, and under which so many would have sunk. After passing through vast solitary wastes, and plains of snow., they crossed the highest ridge, 12,500 feet above the level of the sea, an found on descending the other side an abundance of excellent pasture. Here he soon afterwards met with some of his ilocks; and directed those' in charge of them to drive them gently towards the Argentine frontier.' In the April following he again crossed the Cordilleras, and experienced, very great hardship of every kind, although he had every reason to congratulate himself on the fidelity of his servants on this and on most other occasions. To add to his embarrassment in that but half civilised country, attention was invidiously called to him as being a spy, but the energy of Mr. Ledger surmounted every obstacle. In one place, being asked for his passport, "Don Carlos, the Englishman," sagaciously tried his hand as a ddctor,-arid having, by curing the Alcalde's wife of an attack of pleurisy, obtained that necessary, document, he went on his way rejoicing. Then the silver mines of Bolivia were touched upon, ,one of •them having been1 visited by the weary footsteps of'the wanderer; and a few .instructive observations were made to the. meeting as to the state of the silver coinage of these parts;5 much"debased by the Government. Mr. Ledger was keenjy searched for as a, political offenSer^anbV eventuklly; arrested near the Argpntiri.e'frohtier' by b;an officer and. ,two sokliqs, from : whom he cleverly escaped, having managed to amuse

his captors until his faithful servants had wot the flock under his charge across the border into the neighboring territory. : Mr.' Ledger mentioned, also, the extraordinary affection of the Indian women for llamas which had been in their possession; follow--inc them when sold by their husbands to Mr. Ledger—for as much as 300 miles in some instances —and howling and lamenting every now and then in the most extraordinary manner. The law of Peru forbids the driving of an alpaca, &c, to within forty leagues of the sea,- and to evade this law, the flocks were taken by Mr. L. into Bolivia, and thence into the Argentine territory, where no such- law exists. After getting into the Argentine territory, Mr. Ledger and his men were set upon by some Bolivian soldiers —if such' they could bo called— whom he and his shepherds beat off without ' much difficulty. Mr. Ledger even returned into the Bolivian territory, and with his men carried off a flock which the Bolivian authorities had, seized before they got across. Out of 1118 animals of the llama species, he' thus managed to get 728 into one of the Argentine provinces. Of these 372 are now,depastured' near. Liverpool, in this colony, an additional 39 having been born in\New South Wales. Mr. Ledger ceased to read from his paper on coming to. that part which described his safe arrival in the Argentine territory. The remainder will, it is understood, be read at a future meeting.— Sydney Herald.