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On November 28, 1858, the Salvadora arrived in Sydney, Australia. Aboard were Charles Ledger and two hundred forty three animals - alpacas, llamas and vicuna. Ledger had marched his herd over one thousand miles across South America before embarking on an eighty-seven day voyage to deliver the herd to the Government of New South Wales. The New South Wales government, eager to capitalize on their success with merino sheep, which were introduced from Spain in 1804, wanted to establish an alpaca industry and had asked ledger to bring a flock of animals to Australia. It was a venture that went awry very quickly. NSW was dismayed by the amount of money spent to acquire and transport the animals. The bureaucracy was unable to make payment and the entire herd ended up taken over as a mortgage against the money Ledger had been advanced to complete his journey. Ledger was now the penniless owner of a mortgaged flock. The entire herd was put up for sale without success, and eventually (in 1859) the government purchased the animals at a third of what was owed on condition that Ledger would work as superintendent of the alpacas for some years. Ledger was forced to accept the offer due to his debts and four daughters needing support back in South America. Attempting to improve his lot, Ledger found himself entangled in politics and even worse off. He had unusccessfully attempted to work a deal with the government of Victoria to take the alpacas. NSW now suspended Ledger from his post. Then the herd developed a skin disease that killed sixty of them, reducing the herd to 291 On June 23, 1863, three hundred seven animals were divided into 51 lots and put to auction. Only three lots found a buyer. A second auction was held in 1866. The first effort to create an alpaca industry outside of South America had come to in ignominious end. Ledger returned to South America where he found more success by smuggling cinchona seeds out of Peru. Eventually chinchona plantations were established in Java, breaking the South American monopoly on quinine, which was the only treatment for malaria at the time. Charles Ledger died in 1905. His eptiaph read, "He gave quinine to the world". His estate was valued at two pounds. (Contributed by Gateway Farm Alpacas )
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