NEW SOUTH WALES. 27tt 



new haunts. The seal-fishery, which has heretofore yielded so large 

 an amount of wealth, will soon be at an end in this quarter of the 

 world. 



It frequently happens that owing to the failure of the harvests, the 

 colony is under great distress for provisions, Government is erecting 

 deposits for grain, in order to obviate this difficulty ; one of which is 

 on an island in the harbour of Port Jackson. Heretofore, on a failure 

 of the crops, large quantities of flour have been imported from France 

 and America, and many cargoes of wheat and rice from India. 



The commerce with the United States is very limited, and confined 

 as yet to a single house, in Salem, Massachusetts, which has a few 

 vessels employed in bringing out flour, tobacco, furniture, ice, &c. In 

 exchange, wool and hides have been taken to the United States. This 

 trade has hitherto been profitable ; but the uncertainty of crops, and 

 consequent fluctuation in the market, would, with competition, render 

 it of no great advantage. 



The Library, and Sydney Museum are creditable institutions, parti- 

 cularly the latter, which contains a large and interesting collection of 

 native productions. It has only been established a few years. There 

 is a reading-room attached to the Library, in which are to be found all 

 the pamphlets and periodicals published in Sydney, and many of those 

 of Europe. Soon after our arrival, we received an invitation to visit 

 these institutions at all times; a privilege which afforded us much 

 pleasure and instruction, and for which we are greatly indebted to the 

 committee and the librarian. 



Great Britain has three other colonies in Australia, at Swan river, 

 on the west coast, South Australia on the south, and North Australia 

 on the north coast. The former is considered, in the colony of New 

 South Wales, as a bad speculation, and it is alleged that it needs the 

 aid of convicts or slaves for its advancement. It is believed that all 

 the first settlers, if not completely ruined, have been struggling with 

 difficulties, and its growth, even should it continue, will be slow and 

 precarious. 



Orders were received from the home department to raise the 

 minimum price of land ; but it being left optional with the Governor, 

 he had declined doing it, under the plea that if individuals would sell 

 land for two shillings and sixpence, it was idle to raise that of govern- 

 ment to twelve shillings, particularly as the price allowed to individuals 

 for surrendering their lands was but one shilling and sixpence. This 

 step, of raising the minimum price of crown lands, I was informed, 

 had given much dissatisfaction, and was generally believed to have 

 originated in the desire to force colonization to South Australia, which 



vol. ii. 35 



