OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 227 



all, now that the transportation, and consequently the assignment 

 system, is to cease. They are desirous of securing workmen and 

 servants, and every exertion is to be made to that end. 



There is now a great influx of all kinds of people into this colony, 

 from the capitalist to the labouring man. The colony offers advan- 

 tages to all of these, but in a very different proportion. There is no 

 country where provisions and the actual necessaries of life are as 

 high as here, and this particularly affects the poor man, for although 

 he receives high wages his expenses are proportionately great. He 

 will therefore be disappointed, if he calculates upon making great 

 savings. On the other hand, the capitalist may at once enter the 

 market and invest his money profitably, and from all that I could 

 learn, securely. Money, however, according to several intelligent 

 and well-informed persons, commanded more than its value ; or, in 

 other words, the rate of interest is too high to be sustained. This 

 was in part attributed to the improvements going on, partly for specu- 

 lating purposes, but generally as permanent investments, the result of 

 profits in business. Money is in fact the best merchandise to carry to 

 New South Wales. 



The poor labouring man, if he be sober and industrious, will soon 

 acquire the means of support for himself and family, but he must 

 carefully avoid the contamination to which he will be subject, and 

 avoid improper associates. There is no place where he will be so 

 much led into temptation as here. For the middle class — those who 

 have a small income and do not work — there is every thing to strive 

 against. Labour is high, and so are the necessaries of life. New 

 South Wales is not a place to economize in. A moderate fortune, 

 unless employed in some lucrative and growing business, will finally 

 involve its owner in difficulties ; and if he engage in farming, a few 

 bad seasons (very likely to happen) will completely ruin him. From 

 all the information I could obtain, emigration to New South Wales is 

 attended with risk, unless a person be very prudent and can keep 

 himself within his means. The moment he begins to borrow money, 

 he is sure to get behindhand ; for few can stand the payment of an 

 interest of fifteen per cent. The great difficulty with all emigrants 

 seems to be, that as land is very cheap in comparison to what they 

 have been accustomed to, they immediately desire to possess large 

 tracts. This it is necessary to look for, and much time and money 



under the British dominions has cost the mother country more, nor has any one been con- 

 ducted so badly, having cost the government about one million pounds for bounty. Some 

 extraordinary circumstances were related to me of the manner in which the government 

 was defrauded, in spite of their stipulations directly to the contrary. 



