BANKS AND THE AUSTRALIAN WOOL INDUSTRY. 
175 
belonged to her late husband at the Cape. She gave three Spanish sheep to 
Gov’r King and three to Col. Paterson. The remainder, I understood, were 
offered to the Commissary, but he declin’d to purchase them on the part of 
Government. They were then offer’d to me. As I could not afford to pirrchase 
the whole, Capt. Kent (that they might not be lost to the colony) offered to take 
half. We each receiv’d thirteen, and I took Gov’r King’s on board the “ Reliance.” 
Col. Paterson took his to England to present to Sir J. Sinclair.* We paid Mrs. 
Gordon four pounds apiece for them. The expences on dehvery was about one 
])ound a head more. The expence for food, &c., for the voyage was very con- 
siderable. Unfortunately, Gov’r King’s sheep had been brought to the Cape 
Town some time before ours and put with some others, by which they became 
diseas’d and communicated it to ours. His three died soon after they came on 
board. I do not recollect the number I had aMve when I arriv’d at Port Jackson, 
but think more than half.f Capt. Kent, who I understood shared his with Lieut. 
Braithwait, I believe lost all, from the circumstance of his applying to me for 
one immediately on my arrival. I do not recollect if Lieut. Braithwait had one 
or two alive. 
I offer’d all mine to the Governor, but I suppose he was satisfy’d as they were 
in the colony, as he declin’d purchasing them. 
Captain McArthur then offer'd me fifteen guineas a head, [uovided I would let 
him have the whole. This I declin’d, wishing to distribute them. 
I suppli’d Capt. Kent, Capt. McArthur, Capt. Rowley, and Mr. Marsden. As 
the Spanish ewes had lambs — none bvit Spanish rams running with them — I 
supplied Mr. Williamson, Mr. Moore, Government, and, in fact, any person who 
wish’d to have them. I never had any other but Spanish rams with my flock, 
and on cpiitting the colony sold the flock to Mr. Cox, the Paymaster, with the 
exception of a few to Captain McArthur. .Most who had Spanish sheep were 
particular about them, and I took pains to tbsperse them ; and I can assert that 
several of the Spanish sheep I originally brought from the Cape, together with 
their produce, was in the flock I left behind. If you will look to Sydney Gazettes^ 
Sir Joseph, you will find often the price of S])anish sheep at the sales. I apprehend 
most of those who turn'd their mind to raising sheep have some of the real Spanish 
breed amongst them.J I believe. Sir, yo\i have fleeces of the different crosses 
that were sent Home to you. As I do not vmderstand wool, I could only speak 
from report. Major Johnston took out with liim a Spanish ram this last time 
he went out, presented to liim by the Duke of Xorthumberland. 
I believe this (is) all. Sir Joseph, you wish’d to know respecting the Spanish 
sheep — how they were dispers’d ; but if I have omitted anything, will you have 
the goodness to let me know? I remain, &c., 
H. Waterhouse. 
Banks required information for the preparation of a statement in 
regard to the history of the introduction of improved sheep in New 
South Wales, and this statement may have been intended as a rejoinder 
to Capt. Macarthur. 
• The first I’resifient of the Board of .Agriculture. 
t Accordine to Governor King (vol. iv, p. 662|, three Spani.'sh rams were landed in 1797. He, 
however, could only have been speaking from hearsay, as he was in England at the time. 
; In the “ Observations on Sheep in New South Wales," found in the Alnwick Library (post, 
p. 179), the writer alleged that there was reason to believe that the rams imported by Waterhouse 
and Kent in 1797 were not of the true merino breed, being much larger. Evidently Waterhouse 
thought otherwise. 
