Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1870-02-04
54licsellanY.
From the Nov York Observer.
TnIes of n Traveller.

anon, with party ON horseoack, NV
~ party it was too, including some Of the
best missionaries in Syria, three ministers
from the United States, a goodly number
of ladies, and all enjoying the mountain
air, the splendid scenery, and the thrill
ing associations, we encountered flock
of sheep, whose caudal appendices were
such curiosity as to arrest attention
and excite remark. ~"
Their tails were enormous, if tails they
may be called, which tails we're none,
but rather immense flaps covered with
wool, and suspended in the rear. gently
moving as the sheep moved, but at rest
appearing to be only an undivided por-
ton of the animals body.
said to my companions those are
the sheep with big tails, common in Mes
opotamia and other parts OF the Eastern
world read Of them in the geography
when / was a child at school, and it was
there stated that these tails sometimes
grow to be SO large, that the shepards Of
ten make little wagon for the tail to
rest upon AID attach it to the rear Of the
sheep, who thus wanders about, herself
ON foot, but her tail riding"
My fellow travellers laughed at this
story as travellers tale, but we did not
let the matter rest there.
The next day, while we were taking
breakfast at the house Of my friend and
college classmate, Rev. S. II. Calhoun
then and now missionary resident in
Mount Lebanon, one of TIE natives came
in Of an errand, and as it happened we
were Just then conversing upon this IN
teresting question of the weight to which
the tails of these sheep attain. He was
appealed to for information on ques-
tom SO fundamental, and he replied that
thirty or forty pounds was good sized
tail, but they sometimes reached the
weight fifty Orsizty! He did not know
anything about wagons for the tails to
ride upon, and my companions evidently
regarded that addition to the marvel as
an extra appendage, which the fertile
fancy of some traveller had added to en-
bellish the already exaggerated MARIA
tive.
In letters from Syria l mentioned
these extraordinary sheep. The eport-
ed weight of their tails was received with
10 much criticism and incredulity, that
was rather sorry had made them quite
20 heavy. When the Irish-American
wrote home to his friends in the green
isle that this is good country, for he
had meat three times week, his employ
er asked him if he did not have it three
times a day? Yes" answered Patrick,
+" but your honor, l want my letter to be
believed" On this principle, ! would
not tell any tales too large to be credited
at home, even at the risk Of making the
letter less interesting.
Just new have been reading one Of
the most fascinating and intelligent books
of travels that has ever fallen into my
hands. 1t is Raphael Pumpelly's Tour
across America and Asia, Five Years
Journey Around the World" He is a
Professor in Harvard University, and
for some time was mining engineer, in
the service of the Chinese and Japanese
Governments. Leypoldt & Holt, Of New
York, publish the volume, and the next
book Of travels you buy, let it be this
And when you come to page 374, you
will find Mr.. Pumpelly saying, as he il
crossing the Table-land Of Central Asia
We breakfasted luxuriously on Tar
tar tea, and Jumps of boiled fat of sheep
tails. This part Of Tartar sheep is con
sidered great delicacy through all Asia
and is really almost equal to marrow
The tail of this animal in Tartar attain
a weight Of from thirty to fifty pounds o
pure fat. Seen from behind, the ANNA
is all tail; and when the appendage al
tains its largest dimensions, it become
necessary to attach continuance, b,
means Of which the animal can conven
iently carry his own tail, without allow
ing it to drag. This is sometimes effect
ed by suspending it upon kind {
wheelbarrow, or upon two sticks, whic
at one end are fastened to the sheep, an
at the other dragged upon the ground b,
hind him. This growth of fat seems
be peculiar to the table-land, for it
said that the same breed, when taken I
India, soon loses this popularity.
may perhaps serve the same purpose
the hump of the camel, that of suppl
ing in time of plenty an abundant stol
Of fat, upon which the animal can sui
sist through season of deep snow, whe
it would otherwise starve.
When the English troops occupie
Afghanistan, the soldiers became so pa
tial to the tails Of these sheep, that tn,
discarded almost entirely the lean. tt
result was congestion of fat in the i
teshnes, which caused great mortali
In the army. Fortunately we had n
heard Of this fact when we travelled
TorsarvD