23'^ NEW SOUTH WALES. 



who the day before, perhaps, was flogged, from 

 your representation, for some trifling misdemean- 

 our. The female servants are, of course, much 

 worse : hence children learn the vilest expressions, 

 and it is fortunate if not equally vile ideas. 



On the other hand, the capital of a person, with- 

 out any trouble on his jjart, produces him treble 

 interest to what it would in England, and with 

 care he is sure to grow rich. The luxuries of life 

 are in abundance, and very little dearer than in 

 England, and most articles of food are cheaper. 

 The climate is splendid and perfectly healthy ; but, 

 to my mind, its charms are lost by the uninviting 

 aspect of the country. Settlers possess a great 

 advantage in finding their sons of service when very 

 young. At the age of from sixteen to twenty, they 

 frequently take charge of distant farming stations. 

 This, however, must happen at the expense of their 

 boys associating entirely with convict sei'vants. I 

 am not aware that the tone of society has assumed 

 any peculiar character ; but with such habits, and 

 without intellectual pursuits, it can hardly fail to 

 deteriorate. My opinion is such, that nothing but 

 rather sharp necessity should compel me to emi- 

 grate. 



The rapid prosperity and future prospects of this 

 colony are to ine, not understanding these subjects, 

 very puzzling. The two main exports are wool 

 and whale-oil, and to both of these productions 

 there is a limit. The country is totally unfit for 

 canals ; therefore there is a not very distant point, 

 beyond which the land-carriage of wool will not 

 repay the expense of shearing and tending sheep. 

 Pasture everywhere is so thin that settlers have al- 

 ready pushed far into the interior: moreover, the 

 country further inland becomes extremely poor. 

 Affriculture. on account ofthe droughts, can never 



