SHAWL GOAT, is the name given to the goat of Thibet, which is merely a variety of the common goat. Its wool, however, is celebrated for its excel lent quality, being the material from which the fine Indian shawls are manufactured. As some attempts, though unsuccessful, have been made to introduce them in Scotland, our readers will naturally expect some information on the object.
The animal has a large head, long and slightly bent horns, which lie backwards, and a straight back, with delicate limbs. The coat consists of a thick external covering of long coarse hair, which conceals the fine wool, which is curled up close to the skin; the fleeces are shorn with a knife about the end of spring, they are then sorted according to the colour and quality. The long hairs are all picked by the hand from the wool; the wool is then washed in a warm and weak solution of pot ashes, and afterwards in water; it is then bleach ed on the grass,carded and prepared for spinning. The wool to be dyed receives its colour before carding: It is then dyed a second time before spinning, and once more when manufactured into the shawl. In Tartary it is spun by the hand with the distaff and spindle, and great care is taken not to spin the thread too hard, as the softness of the shawl depends upon this being properly done. A superfine shawl requires 51bs. of
wool, a shawl of the second quality requires 3 lbs., and one of inferior quality 2lbs.
An attempt was made some years ago to imitate the Indian shawls in this country. For this purpose some bales of shawl wool were imported, but the Nor wich manufacturers could not spin it so as to produce a thread of equal fineness and quality with that from the merino lamb's wool, though the staple was at least five times as long. Mr. Main of Bow Lane, however, contrived machinery by which he produced threads superior even to those of Thibet manufacture.
The Duke of Athol made two attempts, one in 1815, and a second in 1816, to naturalize the shawl goat at Blair and Dunkeld in Scotland. Mr. Dunlop of Bal nakeil in Sutherland, made another attempt in 1817. His flock was entirely black. It prospered for two years, and was purchased by some persons in France.
Mr. Macpherson Grant of Ballindalloch made an other experiment in 1816, but the result of this does not seem to have been more favourable than those which have already been mentioned.
A more detailed account of these attempts will be found in a paper by Dr. Macculloch, in Brande's Jour nal, vol. ix. p. 330.