NEW SOUTH WALES. 177 



On most part of the 9472 acres not cleared 

 of timber, the trees and underwood were co- 

 vered with succulent herbage, which, with the 

 fern and other soft roots, afford the best food 

 for swine. Several individuals had taken ad- 

 vantage of this convenience, by inclosing from 

 10 to 100 acres of the uncleared parts, into 

 which they turned their swine, of them many 

 had from 20 to 150, that required nothing 

 more than a small quantity of maize to accus- 

 tom them to their owners. 



Salting pork in the cool months had been suc- 

 cessfully tried. The swine belonging to go- 

 vernment which could be killed during the 

 winter, were salted down. 



The Bengal ewes yeaned twice in 13 months, 

 and had commonly two, often three, and some- 

 times four lambs at a yeaning ; and these had 

 increased so much by being crossed by the 

 Cape ram, that a lamb six weeks old is now as 

 large as one of the old ewes. 



The goats too are extremely prolific, and ge- 

 nerally breed thrice in the year, having com- 

 monly from two to four kids at a time. 



The want of artificers of all descriptions, and 

 the scarcity of labourers at public work, much 

 retarded the construction of a number of build- 

 ings. The island possessed the best of stone, Lime, 

 and timber j but, unfortunately, there never 

 had been but one mason on the island. 



At Cascade Bay had been made a very 

 strong wharf, 12G feet long, which connects 



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