Crown Lands. 287 
proprietors, and thus in a manner opening up the country 
by extending civilisation, I should say by all means do 
so. But are the people so disposed ? What has been 
the experience of the past? Do those who now as 
squatters occupy the land which some propose they 
should occupy as proprietors, do anything to contribute 
to the general welfare of the colony ? Do they cultivate 
a sufficiency of provisions for themselves, with a surplus 
for sale to provide themselves with decent clothing and 
other articles necessary to the comfort, nay to the 
existence almost, of civilised persons ? Is it not a faft, 
rather, that they cultivate merely sufficient for their 
individual consumption, and when they require anything 
more than the produce of their cassava field, that they 
steal and sell the timber from the ungranted Crown 
Lands to acquire means for the purpose ? It may be said 
I am harsh in my remarks on these people, but I am con- 
fining myself to fa6ls and putting aside all sentiment for 
idleness. The fafts are not altering as I write, and are 
not likely to do so for many a future day. What would 
it benefit to even give to such people, free of all cost, 
portions of land, say of five, ten, or even fifteen acres for 
each family ? It is a well-known fa6l that they never 
continue the cultivation of any spot they have cleared after 
reaping the crop of cassava off it, but cut a new 
clearing every year. To those unacquainted with 
them, this would seem an extraordinary process, and one 
entailing unnecessary labour ; but cleared land gathers 
weeds and grass, and requires much weeding. This means 
labour, a thing they are averse to, and so they make a 
new clearing every year and burn it off, and before the 
weeds and grass become too rank the crop is off, and a 
OO 2 
