From Charles Ledger   1 November 1860

Copy.

Melbourne 1 November 1860.

Sir

I have been delighted to have had the opportunity of personally verifying the statement made to me, by my overseer, Pedro Cabrera, on his return to Sydney from this city, as to the splendid condition of your flock of Llamas; and I unhesitatingly declare that in their native country it would be impossible to meet with any to surpass, and I very much doubt to equal it.

A particular and intimate experience in the management of this peculiar animal for the last 15 years will admit, I trust, of your accepting the following observations, as emanating from the great desire I entertain of eventually seeing the product of this truly noble and valuable animal occupying the place I confidently predict for it in the future of Australia.

I class your stock of Llamas as of very inferior breed, in size of animal, quantity, and quality of fleece.

By continually crossing the female Llama and its female progeny with pure male alpacas up to the seventh cross, purity of alpaca blood most undoubtedly will be obtained.

There should not exist a chance of retrogression of breed. Every stage of crossing should be progressive, until arriving at the same purity as the male alpacas the Government of N. S. Wales has forwarded to you.

I would strenuously recommend the preservation of the flock intact, until such time as every trace or sign of Llama blood be eradicated.

This species of animal requires a dry and pure atmosphere. Humidity under foot does them no harm, unless compelled at night to repose on wet ground.

I would recommend their being exposed to every vicissitude, changing their folds every now and then during wet weather, so long as they are confined to a limited space for grazing on.

This animal, when left to itself, at nightfall generally selects a sloping ground for reposing on.

In my opinion it would be desirable to confine them as much as possible exclusively to the natural grasses of the country.

Susceptible, as every other animal, to prefer the superior to the inferior, it would readily become pampered on clover, and other luxuriant foo[d]; but I entertain the idea, that this animal is destined to graze and browse on such elevated & inclement parts of this country, suitable only to themselfes and goats, at present useless for the depasturing of other stocks.

The acclimatization of the Alpaca and Llama in Australia, is now proved beyond a doubt. The smaller flock in this colony, and the larger one, in that of New South Wales, has fully satisfied me as to the ataptability of this peculiar animal to the climate and natural grasses of the Country.

I would recommend for the present, the male being separated from the females on 1st February, and the union of them again on 1st November yearly, so that the lambing may take place in the spring.

I would also wean the lambs about the middle of April.

The Alpaca possesses great hardiness of constitution, and actually requires less food than the sheep.

During my wanderings with the flock in South America, the animals were, on one occasion 22 days without water. This happened in the desert of Atacama,¹ on the coast, in the heat of summer; and on arriving at water, showed a greater inclination to bathe in than to trink it.

At Arthursleigh, near Goulbourne,² N. S. Wales, the animals there under my charge rarely took water more than once a week, although conducted to it every other day during the summer months.

This animal is freer from constitutional diseases than ordinary sheep, less subject to those arising from repletion and exposure to rain. Foot rot, catarrh, and bottle³ is unknown to them.

Neither are its young exposed to those accidents liable to befall the lamb of sheep.

The mothers are provident and careful nurses, nor do the young ones require any aid to enable them to suck.

Except at the rutting season, these animals stand in no need of attention; the shepherd need only visit them occasionally; and such are their gregarious habits, that the members of one flock seldom stray away and mix with others, being kept in a good state of discipline by the old ones, who know their own grounds, and become attached to the place of their nativity, to which they return at night, evincing an astonishing vigilance and sagacity in keeping the young ones together, and free from harm.

The meat of the Alpaca is tender, wholesome, and savoury; the flesh of the young ones, four or five months old, is often recommended by physicians to sick persons, in preference to fowls.

When the alpaca is of a proper age, and well fed, the cleft of the haunch is smooth and close, the meat small grained, and rather mottled, the fat white and firm, and, when from three to four years old, of full flavour.

It is not a greasy, but rather a juicy meat, and easily digested. The flesh of a full-grown one is more nutritious than that of a yearling, although the latter is delicate and savoury. In point of flavour, alpaca meat has, by good judges, been compared to North-American venison, and even to heath-fed mutton. Mr Darwin, the talented naturalist, speakes very highly in its favour.

By trials, careful study, and intimate knowledge of the alpaca, after an almost daily association with this interesting animal of 22 years in South America, and two in Australia, it is placed beyond a doubt in my mind, that this animal may be naturalized and made to readily propagate in almost any climate; and every day the facilities and the efficacy of their proper breeding must become more apparent.

The hardy nature and contended disposition of the Alpaca, its extreme docility, and gregarious habits, cause it to adapt itself to almost any soil or situation, provided the air is pure & the heat not too oppressive.

I have had innumerable proofs of its hardiness, and its power to endure cold, heat, damp, confinement, hunger, and thirst, vicissitudes to which it is constantly exposed on its native mountains.

No animal in the creation, it is my firm conviction, is less affected by the changes of climate or food, nor is there any one to be found more easily domesticated.

In conclusion, I will merely add that I am led to believe arrangements will be effected with the Government of New South Wales and myself, by which I shall be enabled to fully develope, and palpably demonstrate, the importance, that I confidently portend, will, ere many years elapse, attend the introduction of this valuable and noble animal into Australia.

It is almost superfluous on my part, to assure you, that at all times I will readily furnish all and every information in my power to give regarding this animal; as also willingly aid by supplying, from time to time, as you may consider necessary, such pure male alpacas as may be required to improve and finally raise your stock to uniformity and purity of blood.

I will only further add, that the ratio of increase in your flock has far exceeded that in the flock under my charge.

I have the honor to be

Sir

Your obedient servant,

C. Ledger

Dr Ferd Mueller

Gov. Botanist & Director of Bot. & zoolog. Garden.⁴