New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-03-22
AN AMERICAN WOMAN IN PARIS. NO XVI
TIE MrRTYo SHEEP OF RAMBoUILLEr.
ihnne

Wewtre up frocxs and waited only fo-
marching orders But to traverse baEa yards IN cloth shoes
and white Stockings seemed dubious Undertaking 10 Our
Aost We compIo msod by accepting sa5ot' 'odsn over
sbces parsed the gate way crossed the road and en-
trd tno,ter yard similar TO the FIST, ezeop. that was
surrounded three sdes only b. barns OK 'lusVey Tor
sheep The waks all laid With straw, which becoming
worn and soied is thrown upon an adjacent compost
heap.
The srcestors Of this roys flock present by the
Spsp.h soyerean 10 Louis XVI in 1856 At thaltme ths
genuine Psusr M0iros were monopohzed by the Spsn'h
(oytumebt Twenty years eaIer few had been expred
20 saxopy snd sone to France In los the monopoly
d,sro,ed by TIE invasion Of the French Several thousand
wire ito England and the remainder Of the Govern Mt
fock was purchased by Sp nish General aud Nr Jarvis
thep CoDsul from the Unt,d States 10 SPAN The herinos
which had been previously sent 10 France DIVIDED in
TO Two aoeks-ore Of which ultimately cane into the pos
session Of private ouvaor the other has been reain
slambo1e, the private property of the regnog
reign or during lie republics as tina, Of the nation.
Tbs latter flock has been kept entirely free from other
blood Ire inter riages have been restricted 70 IFS
relations giousy those Of the English aad German
roys families ard thus Merno prince at Ranboule hes
fe right TO Say 6r<re 70 any sovereign
in Europe e1cp that Oft French Empire but with
good vii and honesty than Nicholas be may wi hoat com
promising royal etiquette address this b,a AMI
tecor Ihty hold in perpe'uy Government domain. and
French nobeman is their alInoner.
An Austrian gentleman who had spent several days in
The BSrOn family for the purpose Of examining the hock
and stltctipg for his country joined us in The
yard Then commenced the discussion OF strength Of
stituon against purity Of The Imperats ool for
blood, as if b. chance some dops Of divinity go~ed in
shee ish veins found that the Queen OF Spain wond %
beob the lDnta 70 her neanest subject as that the
AZ
with any bus her royG cousins The subject became
e,sltd-hesalions and expcations became tedious and
the ladies appealed to as interpreters On this occa
sion trust my intelligence opened to something like
proper appri citation Of normal sheepdom
As took breath in listening TO my French and English
instructor, l noticed that the Austrian gentleman OF
IS or so years Of age in neat morning suit which included
immaculate linen and white waiscost The Baron wore
grav,r garments yet looked gentemeD and either might
have joined the lades at elegant Partisan djsunG We
talked walked and first entered the primary depart
ment Here were lambkins of two months old and up
waId-aIge supposed their grand mothers would bo
Some had smooth foIoheads others budding horns, and
others turned back gracefully their curling aud
wore between hem something like the long combs which
little girls have to keep the hair ont Of their eyes 1t
sendt iron machine with to prevent the horns
growing too the beadhus causing irritation and loss
Of wool One youngsters bde covered with ra1les
We entered the apartments of tho yearly prncesses
but of what amazon size The Austrian led to
pressed her feece il yielded but slightly thick the
wool He opened it like the leaves of book read its
fnents in the small crimp Of its bers. Thep parting
narrow, clean pink lire The sheep very gentle and
ins ad Of running from seemed anxious 10 regard the
fashion of our garments We looked in upon the young
male aterniiy-then presented TO the patriarchs
This was my first interview with royalty. stood in awe
~ L..I. n,o e ,,,a la
Egyptian Sphynx deigned to touch my hand to his lips
He had an amiabe nia Louis XVI f4cea real Bourbon
nose-hat IT, little hooked His forehead shaded by
luxurisnt locks and q right royal rufle ffed full like
Queen Befss Henry Tvs wound around his neck. In
stead Of the thort cs Of the present cou and of
Of hs peers and descendaD he long woody dra
perry about his ankles worthy the Sultan of Turkish ha
lie doubtless had fine points q sheep but il he had
btSn maD houd have considered him than ordi
rary good looking was honortd with lock Of his hair
and received like souvenirs from Others sufficient to make
bracelet Many of the old sheep the iron machine
between their horns Thei tails six and eight inches
broad and very woody
Four end elk hundred dollars is price for these
fne bucks Some at Is months old yield fleece of 25 or
% pounds Of unwashed wool and this of the finest quality
They too large and stout be handled like the ordinary
sheep at the washing TIE sarace Of their feeces black
and oily The dirt does not easily penetrate the wool which
70 that in the locks presented me found the
outer ends as thick as those at the roots.
Our American who had purchased largely at Ramboui !
let and also from private ocks crossed with other varieties
Of the Spanish Mernos considered that the Rambouilet
flock had degeneraed from It's excusyeness and losing
ofhe hing Of the beet Mernos
He that many the sheep had bare legs and
nowoo on the tops their that this change
apparent than ten years ago The average size
70 also smaller than in two private ocks the vicinity and
s produce Of lambs much less At Rambouiet 26O ewes
gave only $50 lambs. while in neghboring Merino flock
200 gave go slmbs Though numbers size weight
Of fleece gained by the latter something slos in the fine
Of wool
In speal Of the inability of Americans to find now pure
Aernos in Spain the Baron remarked tina. there still ex
ted untained ocks but at they accessible only
through strong Government interest and That since NJ
Turgot his relative he hoped to succeed in finding
them Here obliged to apologize for the injury rem
dered by ambassador to his friend but cleared
ton from the scandal on the ground that N Soule was
Frenchmm.
In rainy weather the sheep kept entirely under cover
They eat three times daya breakfast of straw and hay
unchOppsd- and tho straw big as pipesems which re
publican sheep would only turn up bis At noon they
eat straw hay and beets lacking only the oil and vinegar
Of French salad The supper like the breakfast IN
eis one dish be changed for clover some other dried
grass or herb They allowed water at discretion bit
not to eat between meals simply because they are glad to
cat oil that given them at mealiime Their tables are
long shallow wooden 'rosghs suspended from the ceiling
Of their pens 20 as to yield pressure and thus 70 expose
less the eaters to accidents from humping.
Each sheep has a number. which is its family nsme- /
notches in the indicate genealcgy Toe arms of
Frsnce and the letter branded their horns The
!, nj @. r ones bear the imperial Eagle