EARLY SHEEP FARMING

In October 1840 Whittington, stationed at the time,  at British Port Louis, landed thirteen sheep and four rams, from his brig Susan and the Acton. In 1841 12 sheep were gifted to the Colony by a Mr Sheridan, an English ex pat farming sheep in Argentina. Enquiries were being made to Lieutenant Tyssen as to the prospects of farming sheep in the islands. By 1843 Whittington had landed a further 198 sheep from Rio Negro where the finest stock could be bought for three shillings each but by the time they were transported to the islands the cost rose to between 13 and 15 shillings. His sheep enterprise did not end well though as his own dogs destroyed his fledgling flock. Another settler, Culy, also imported sheep 200 South American sheep but lost them to the severe weather. In 1864 Moore, the then magistrate reported that of the 900 sheep thus far imported only 100 remained, declaring sheep farming a failure due to the fact that there were no shepherds. Moody the Governor wrote that things would alter when sheep farming was adopted by persons proposing to make it their livelihood.