These  itinerant  herds  of  sheep  generally
pass  the  night  wherever  the  evening  finds
them,  without  cot  or  enclosure.  Before  night-
fall the  principal  shepherd  sallies  forth  in
search  of  a  suitable  site  for  his  hatOy  or  tern-
porary  sheep-fold ;  and  building  a  fire  on  the
most  convenient  spot,  the  sheep  generally
draw  near  it  of  their  own  accord.  Should
they  incline  to  scatter,  the  shepherd  then  seizes
a  torch  and  performs  a  circuit  or  two  around
the  entire  fold,  by  which  manoeuvre,  in  their
efforts  to  avoid  him,  the  heads  of  the  sheep
are  all  turned  inwards ;  and  in  that  condition
they  generally  remain  till  morning,  without
once  attempting  to  stray.  It  is-  unnecessary
to  add  that  the  flock  is  well  guarded  during
the  night  by  watchful  and  sagacious  dogs
against  prowling  wolves  or  other  animals  of
prey.  The  well-trained  shepherd's  dog  of  this
country  is  indeed  a  prodigy :  two  or  three  if
them  will  follow  a  flock  of  riieep  for  a  dis


THE   SHEEP-TRADE.  189

tance  of  several  miles  as  orderly  as  a  shep-
herd, and  drive  them  back  to  the  pen  again
at  night,  without  any  other  guidance  than
their  own  extraordinary  instincts.
