New South Wales. t 461 



multiply fast, from the climate and country being so favoura- 

 ble to their propagation ; so that wild honey and wax may 

 hereafter become objects of interest to the colonist for domes- 

 tic purposes and exportation, besides what will be produced 

 from the bees in their tame state. 



Mr. Hannibal M'Arthur some time ago imported six young 

 olive trees from England, from five of which, eighty-three 

 young plants have been raised by means of layers, while the 

 parent stems have added a full third to their growth. The 

 soil is a very sandy light loam, of which Mr. M'Arthur was 

 clearing several acres with the view of planting an olive grove, 

 from this soil appearing so congenial to them. Should the 

 production of the olive progressively increase at this rate, Mr. 

 M'Arthur will be able in a few years to disseminate this valu- 

 able tree over the whole colony, where all attempts at propa- 

 gating it have hitherto failed. 



A quantity of New Zealand flax had been imported, which 

 the female convicts in the factory were taught to dress in the 

 New Zealand manner by two natives of that country, after 

 which it is spun and manufactured by the female convicts into 

 various descriptions of cloth. Should this manufacture be 



Sroperly encouraged and conducted, it may stimulate the 

 lew Zealanders to raise a commodity which they can barter 

 for useful European articles. Tobacco has this year been so 

 extensively cultivated, that the colonists will be independent 

 of all foreign supply, a duty of 4s. per lb. having been laid 

 upon imported tobacco, to encourage that of colonial growth ; 

 this measure has put a complete stop to the cultivation of to- 

 bacco in Otaheite, where it had lately been produced of very 

 superior quality. 



The country is rapidly clearing by means of the clearing 

 gangs, the farmer paying five bushels of wheat per acre to 

 make it fit for the plough. A large distillery has recently been 

 erected, in the vicinity of Sydney, to distill from grain ; and all 

 the coarse earthenware required by the colony is now manu- 

 factured by two Staffordshire potters, who say that the New 

 South Wales clay is very superior to the English for these 

 purposes. 



When the Ocean sails, no less than ten vessels will have 

 cleared for England from New South Wales and Van Die- 

 man's Land, with cargoes chiefly the produce of these colo- 

 nies. This great increase in exportation is principally owing 

 to the duties being taken off colonial oil and timber at home ; 

 but it is also, no doubt, partly referable to the reduction of Go- 

 vernment expenses, and Government bills being no longer dis- 

 posed of at a fixed price, but sold to the highest bidder, so that 



the 



