The alpaca is smaller than the llama, and somewhat resembles the sheep.
It has a long, soft, fine fleece of a silky lustre. In the domestic
breeds the wool falls in large flakes reaching down to the knees. This
wool was employed by the ancient Peruvians for weaving a kind of cloth.
It approximates in character to silk, and a large quantity is now
exported to Europe for the manufacture of shawls and other delicate
fabrics. Immense herds of the llama or alpaca were held by the Peruvian
government, and placed under the protection of herdsmen, who conducted
them from one quarter of the country to another, according to the
season. They were exclusively the property of the Incas; as were the
vicunas, which roam in native freedom over the frozen ranges of the
Cordilleras.