Chap. VI. STATISTICS. 161 
The supply of poultry was at this time very large. 
Almost every settler possessed a few, and some as 
many as tAVo or three hundred head. 
The statistics of the consumption of butcher's meat 
showed how substantially the colonists were already 
living ; for a calculation made from the weekly con- 
sumption of pork, beef, and mutton, gave 148 lbs. of 
meat per head, man, woman, and child, in the year. 
Indeed, it was notorious that no working man would 
sit down to breakfast without fresh pork ; and that 
they very often ate mutton chops, at 9d. or lOd. per 
pound, three times a-day. 
Three hundred and two vessels had entered the port 
since the beginning of the settlement, and the bond fide 
sales of merchandise during the year 1841 alone in 
Wellington were estimated at 80,000/. But a very 
satisfactory piece of information coupled with this was, 
that although, till the beginning of October, there had 
been no legal means of compelling payments, the dis- 
honour of a bill at the bank had been of exceedingly 
rare occurrence. Cautious dealers had never yet had 
an over-due bill to take up. 
The number of cattle imported during the year 1841 
Was about 1000 head. Dr. Imlay, a large cattle- 
holder at Twofold Bay in New South Wales, had lately 
sent down some very valuable cargoes of a superior 
breed. Heifers from his stock, eighteen months old, 
had been sold by auction at 8/, 10*. per head. 
Bricks were now plentifully supplied from several 
rival kilns ; and many buildings were being erected of 
that material. 
The whole of January and the first part of February 
had been remarkable for a long continuance of line 
dry weather. During this space, however, light showers 
at night were frequent; and there were at no time 
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