DOMESTIC CATTLE. 59 



he kill you, and I always had a bullet in my pocket ready 

 to slip in in case of need. I always found a good large 

 dog the best protection. 



It appears that the first convict-ships which came to 

 these shores, in 1788, brought out with them one bull, 

 one bull calf, four cows, one stallion, three mares, and 

 three foals ; and from these have sprung the immense 

 mobs of cattle and horses which now wander over the 

 forests and plains of Victoria. According to the " British 

 Parmer's Magazine," it seems that in 1851 there were 

 390,000 horned cattle, and 16,500 horses in Victoria; 

 and the sheep in this colony, which, in 1838 numbered 

 three millions, had increased to five millions. It is most 

 probable that the sheep were introduced into Victoria 

 from the older colonies. In 1788 the first sheep were 

 imported into Sydney from India ; the number originally 

 brought in was twenty-nine. These, in 1803, had in- 

 creased to 10,000, and in 1846 to nearly seven millions. 

 In 1807, the export of wool from Australia to England 

 was but 2i5 lbs., and in 1855 it had reached forty 

 millions of pounds ; which, coupled with its annual ten 

 tons of gold, ought to render this country one of the richest 

 in the world. 



I have, I believe, above noticed all the common bush 

 animals of Victoria. In the wilder parts, some other 

 species are, no doubt, met with ; but these are all I know. 

 It will be seen that there is very poor encouragement for 

 the fur-hunter out here ; but at the same time there is 



