The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-18 00:00:00

PERUVIAN SHEEP.

The following communication from Alexander Garth-
shore Stirling, Esq., of Craigbaitiet, Lennoxtown, in
Glasgow, on the naturalization of the Alpaca into Scot-
land, appears in Blackwood's Journal of Agriculture :
« Having gone to Liverpool, I endeavoured to get
one of the captains of the ships who trade to South
America to bring a couple of these Peruvian sheep.
Accordingly, a venture was undertaken, and I promised
to give 40/. or guineas for a male and female. The cap-
tain succeeded in bringing three home, but they turned
out to be all females. Of course they did not suit.
However, a friend procured a pair Tor me, from the Earl
of Derby's stock (price 401), which I accepted of. They
were forwarded by one of the Liverpool steamers to the
Broomielaw at Glasgow, and arrived at Craigbarnet
quite safe from thence. They were conveyed out hither
in a covered cart—distance twelve miles. They were
immediately put into the sheep-park amongst the other
sheep, which at first were astonished, and stared to see
such queer quadrupeds ; but, after a few days, finding
no molestation from ,the new-eemers, they all be-
came friends, and fed quite comfortably together ;
but the amusing part of it was my shooting pony
—commander-in-chief' of the park—who became per-
fecely wild and electrified, when he first saw them, gal-
loping, snorting, kicking up his heels. The alcapas,
however, never fled from him, but advanced. A t length
he became frightened at them, probably supposing the
blackatnoors to be "no cannie." However, in the course
'of eight or ten days, nothing but harmony prevailed
amongst all parties. The alpacas arrived the latter end
of August. When the weather became cold, and the
nights were getting 19ng, a wooden shed was erected for
them in the park. At first they hardly ever went into it ;
but when winter commenced, I made the keeper (whom

they follow like a dog) put up a small rack inathefr shed
in which was placed some rye-grass hay. The weather
was fine, and they ate very little of it ; but by-and-bye,
as winter advanced, they relished it better. I then
ordered them to"get a few yellow turnips, which at first
they seemed to like, but, tiring of them, I desired a little
corn to be given, which they-partook of pretty freely ;
but one day the keeper told me they would not eat their
corn, especially when the day was good. Having some
excellent beans, I ordered the man to try them with a
few. No sooner did the alpacas hear the beans rattling
in the dish than they showed an eager desire to have.
them, and, during several months, preferred them to
every other sort of grain ; indeed, so much so, that upon
some oats being intermixed with the beans, the latter
were picked out and the former neglected.
" What is extremely satisfactory is the hardiness of
these animals compared to our sheep, and their indefa-
fatigable perseverance in searching for food, when sheep
would to a certainty starve. I may state that this win-
ter, 1843-4, has proved a most severe one. The park in
which the alpacas and sheep were confined, was covered
for nearly three weeks with snow ; and during that time
there was not a vestige of herbage to be seen, with the
exception of some little green tufts under the trees.
The sheep required to be regularly fed with turnips and
hay. Not so the alpacas ; they were seen in the most
stormy days under the trees for hours, constantly eating
the grass, and never minding either the cold or snow.
They have never had a day's illness, have ne*r at-
tempted to leap a fence, and are far easier to keep within
an enclosure than the common sheep."

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.
NOTICE TO MARINERS.
The following is posted at Lloyd's
"In the North Elbe, betweeen the Vogelsand and the
Gelbsand, the following buoys have been placed for the
benefit of navigation :
" A black buoy, No, 1, on the N.E. side of the
Vogelsand, in about 3 fathoms water at low tide, N.E.
E. from the great lighthouse at Neuwark, E.N.E. from
the second light-vessel in the Elbe, and W.S.W. from
the beacon on Butchsand Polln.
" 2. A black buoy, No. 2, on the N.E. side of the
Vogelsand, in about 3 fathoms at low water, bearing
N.E. by N. from the great light-house on Neuwark,
N.B. by E. from the second light-vessel on the Elbe,
and S.W. W. from the beacon on Butchsand Polln.
"3. A white buoy on the N.W. point of the Gelb-
sand, in about 3 fathoms at low water, bearing N.N.E.
from the great light-house at Neuwark, N E. from the
second light-vessel on the Elbe, and S.W. by W. *
from the beacon on Butchsand Polln.
" The two black buoys have a flat top with a white
ring on the inside, and a white cross. On the surface
the number of the buoy and the word Busum' are cut,
and the royal cypher is branded. The white buoy has
a red top, on which the name Busum' is painted in
white, and the royal cypher branded.
" The buoys are generally removed on the Ist De-
cember, and replaced by two black and one white ice
buoys, They are laid down again in the beginning of
March.
" Royal Board of Trade, Copenhagen, June 18, 1844."
DANGEROUS REEFS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
OCEAN.
The following important information has been re-
ceived at New Bedford, from the American Consul at
the Bay of Islands:—
" Having obtained information of three dangerous
rocks in juxta-position with the Centes Islands in
the South Pacific Ocean—the position of these rocks
lie directly on the track of ships cruising for
sperm whales, in lat. 31.14, lon. 178.3, bearing E.N.E.,
by compass, from the French rock, eighty-five miles
distant, said to be twelve feet water in it, but no breakers
were discovered on it.
"The second rock lies in lat. 31.13, lon. 179 W., bear-
ing W.N.W. from the French rock, ten miles distant, just
a wash with the surface of the sea, and breaks high
in boisterous weather.
" The third was observed, lat. 31.29 S, lon. 178:28 E.,
bearing W. from the French rocks, about 133 miles
distant, and heavy breaks on it in rough weather."