1S13.] 



Neiu South Wales, 



43 



Article VII. 



Report of a Select Committee oj the House of Commons on 

 Transportation. 



(As ordered to be printed July 10, 1812.) 



The Committee appointed to inquire into the manner in which 

 Sentences of Transpoitation are executed, and the Effects 

 which have been produced by that mode of Punishment; and 

 who were empowered to report their Observations, and the 



Minutes of Evidence taken before them, to the House; 



have agreed upon the following Report. 



The principal settlement on the eastern coast of New South 

 Wales, was formed in 1788. It is situated in latitude 33 south, 

 longitude 1 70 east. The most considerable district is that of 

 •Sydney, containing, by the return dated the 1st of March, 1810, 

 6,158 inhabitants. Paramatta contains 1,807 • Hawkesbury, 

 2,389 ; and Newcastle, 100. Of the total number 10,454, 

 5,513 are men, !2,220 women, and 2,721 children. Of these, 

 from ^ to i are convicts; but the returns of their number have 

 been so irregular, that your committee have not been able pre- 

 cisely to ascertain it. But they hope that this neglect will be 

 corrected by the orders lately sent out from this coimtry. The 

 troops are about 1,100 in number, and the remainder are free 

 persons. In addition to these, are the settlements of Port Dalrym- 

 ple and Hobart's Town, in Van Diemen's Land, about 5 degrees 

 to the south of Sydney; containing 1.321 inhabitants; and at the 

 date of the last returns, 177 persons were living in Norfolk 

 Island, but orders have been since sent out for its total abandon^ 

 ment. The settlement in New South Wales is bounded on the 

 north west and south by a ridge of hills, known by the name of 

 the Blue Mountains, beyond which, no one has yet been able to 

 penetrate the country ; some have with difficulty been as far as 

 100 miles in the interior; but beyond 60 miles, it appears to me 

 no where practicable for agricultural purposes; and, in many 

 places, the diameter of the habitable country is much less : in 

 length, it extends from port Stephens to port Jervis, comprising 

 from north to south about 4 degrees ; beyond these, it is stated, 

 that the colony will not be capable of extension ; and of the 

 land within these boundaries, about one-half is said to be abso- 

 lutely barren. The ground actually in cultivation, amounts to 

 rather more than 21,000 acres, and 74,000 acres are held in 

 pasture. The stock appears to be considerable ; by the return in 

 1810, the amount was, — horses, 521 ; mares, 593 ; bulls, 193 ; 

 cows, 6,351; oxen, 4,732; sheep, 33,818; goats, 1,732; 

 bogs, 8,992. Of these, a SBjall proportion is kept by govern- 



