694 
A. F. BKtfStf. 
several years. During this year several attempts were made 
to introduce European cattle, but they all died on the passage. 
In 1807 the Government had a herd of cattle in the colony, and 
cows were worth $400 apiece. In 1821 the Government be¬ 
coming convinced of the great advantages of Australia as a 
grazing country, emigrants were allowed a grant of from five 
hundred to two thousand acres of grazing land, and rations 
from the king’s stores were also allowed to each settler; a 
certain number of convict servants were likewise apportioned 
to them. They were also allowed a certain number of cattle 
from the Government herd, and a loan of money to be repaid 
in seven years. This was the beginning of the cattle raising 
in Australia. It proved so successful that in 1826 the Austra¬ 
lian Agricultural Company commenced its operations, which 
was the origin of the “ sheep and cattle mania" and, as the 
historian puts it, “ the priest forsook his altar and became a 
herdsman of cattle.” A drouth, beginning in 1827 and lasting 
for three years, cured the mania. But within a year alter the 
drouth, cattle became so plentiful that the meat of the best 
quality was sold at a cent and a half a pound. In 1833 good 
cattle could be bought for $4 or $5 a head. At the present 
time, or according to the last consular reports, there are three 
million inhabitants and eight million cattle—nearly three ani¬ 
mals to each individual. This great increase will be seen by 
the foregoing to have taken place within sixty years. Austra¬ 
lia enjoyed a reputation for immunity from consumption and 
the favorable influence of its climate on the course of the mal¬ 
ady, but, as Hirsch says, “ this has of late been shown to be a 
mistake. In Victoria,” he continues, “ where the disease, it is 
true, has been a good deal more common only in recent years, 
the mortality from phthisis in 1866 was 6 per cent, of the 
mortality from all causes, while in Melbourne itself the death 
rate rose between 1865 and 1869 from 2.22 to 2.52 to a thousand 
of the population. In New Zealand phthisis has made fright¬ 
ful ravages among the Maoris, and has been one of the chief 
causes of the gradual extinction of that race.” In my opinion, 
the death-rate from phthisis will keep on increasing in that 
locality if the breeding of cattle is not properly regulated by 
