NEW SOUTH WALES. 165 



the « Thistle," the " Ship," the " Jolly Sailors." Of these, two 

 hundred and fifty are licensed by the government, or more than one 

 to each hundred souls. Among them a small shop was pointed out, 

 which from the extent of its custom, yielded the enormous amount of 

 £200 for rent to its owner annually, a sum far beyond the apparent 

 value of the whole property. The quantity of rum which is consumed 

 in the colony may be estimated from the facts, that the revenue derived 

 from its importation was in 1838 £189,450, and that the supply 

 amounts nearly to eight gallons annually for every individual in the 

 colony. 



This state of things arose, of course, originally from the habits of 

 the abandoned persons who formed the nucleus of the population. It 

 might, therefore, have appeared to be the duty of the successive gover- 

 nors to restrain the vice, or even to render its commission impossible, 

 by prohibiting importation. So far as penalty goes, this has been 

 attempted, and a fine of five shillings is levied on all who are con- 

 victed of drunkenness before a magistrate ; but, on the other hand, 

 rum was actually at one time the only circulating medium, and in it 

 the prices of land, labour, and food were estimated, and for it they 

 were freely exchanged. Even for the charitable purpose of erecting 

 a public hospital, Governor Macquarie granted to four individuals, 

 who defrayed the whole expense, the monopoly of the right of pur- 

 chasing all the spirits imported into the colony, and of landing them 

 free of duty, for several years, with the additional consideration of a 

 quantity of rum from the king's stores.* 



The old Government-House, where I had the honour of seeing Sir 

 George Gipps, is a low, cottage-shaped building, which has no preten- 

 sions to beauty, and appears to have been built at different times, 

 having been enlarged as often as additional accommodation was 

 needed. During the summer months the Governor resides at the 

 Government-House at Paramatta. 



A new palace or government-house is at present building, in the 

 public grounds which lie to the eastward of the old one, from which 

 a road extends through them towards the South Head of Port Jackson. 

 This road is the usual promenade and drive of the citizens of Sydney. 

 After leaving the government domain, it enters Wooloomoloo, a re- 

 gion covered with the country-seats and cottages of the higher classes, 

 which although originally little more than a barren rock, has been 



* It is related, that a highly respectable individual transmitted complaints against Go- 

 vernor Macquarie to the home government ; and that, by way of answering these expostu- 

 lations, the reply of the Governor was: "There are but two classes of persons in New 

 South Wales, those who have been convicted, and those who ought to be." 



