542 WALES 
pardons; 962 had received conditional pardons; 1422 were 
convicts, but with tickets of leave, which enabled them to 
work on their own account; 220 were serving on board 
colonial vessels; 9451 were convicts in a state of servitude; 
and the remainder, 5668, consisted of children of both sexes. 
The whole number of females, of all classes and ages, in 
1820, were 6310, viz., 3707 women, and 2603 female chil¬ 
dren. It appears that in thirty-three years, from 1787 to 
1820, during which the whole numbers transported have 
been 25,878 persons, the number of the convicts who have 
died, who have lawfully returned to Great Britain, or who 
have made their escape, amounts together to 7080. The 
greater part of the inhabitants reside either in the town of 
Sidney (the capital), or in its immediate vicinity. The re¬ 
turns from that place make the inhabitants to be 12,079, of 
whom 4457 are convicts. 
“ Whilst this colony has been increasing in numbers, 
there is reason to hope it has been instrumental in somewhat 
improving the moral character of the persons transported to 
it, or, at least, that their progeny is placed in circumstances 
less exposed to temptation than it would have been under the 
tuition of such parents in Europe. There has been a gra¬ 
dual, but general improvement in the moral condition of 
the society, by the children of convicts arriving at maturity; 
thus forming, with the free settlers, a nearer proportion to 
the convicts than was the case.st the more early periods of 
the settlement. The remitted convicts, and those whose 
time has expired, seem, in some instances, to become useful 
members of society. Mr. Bigge relates, that out of 4376 
remitted convicts, including those whose time has expired, 
369 may be considered as respectable in conduct and cha¬ 
racter. 1 
“ The proportion of landed property acquired by those 
classes of inhabitants, may be considered as evidence of 
some improvement in their condition and character. The 
whole quantity of land granted was, in 1820, 389,288 acres. 
Of this portion, 20,317 belonged to remitted convicts, and 
54,693 to convicts whose time has expired. Thus those 
classes seem to have a fair proportion of the landed property 
of the settlement; and we think it may be inferred from the 
Commissioner’s Reports, that they possess a large share of 
the moveable property likewise, as they seem to be the prin¬ 
cipal persons who own vessels and carry on distant trade. 
Mr. Bigge remarks, that “ though the free settlers have not, 
as a body, been the most successful improvers, either of their 
own condition or that of the colony, yet the best cultivated 
estates, and the greatest quantity of cattle, belong to them, 
though they have not lately engaged in mercantile opera¬ 
tions.” The large grants that have been recently made have 
rendered the quantity of land, held by classes of individuals, 
a less accurate criterion of property than it was before those 
grants were made. In the year 1810, the land cleared was 
to the land granted as 1£ to 4; but in the year 1820, when 
the land granted was 389,000 acres, the portions returned as 
cleared were 54,898 acres, or as 1^ to 7. Of the cleared 
land, in 1820, 16,706 acres were cultivated to yield wheat, 
11,270 maize, 1230 barley, 379 rye and oats, 213 pease 
and beans, 504 potatoes, and 1094 in orchards and garden 
ground. 
“ The future progress of this colony must depend mainly 
on the productions raised from the soil, and hence the con¬ 
dition of its agriculture, including the breeding of cattle, 
becomes a most interesting subject. The first land settled 
near Sydney, though then moderately fertile, has been ex¬ 
hausted by over-cropping, so that a considerable expenditure 
in manure, or in labour for fallowing, or in both, is indis¬ 
pensable to renew its productive powers. It has hence be¬ 
come necessary to pay attention to the production and proper 
application of manure, as well as to the cultivation of arti¬ 
ficial food for the cattle. Lucerne, sanfoin, and burnet, as 
well as rye-grass and meadow fescue, have been introduced 
and gradually assimilated to the climate. It has been re¬ 
marked of the grass seeds imported from Europe, that their 
first and second flowering is in conformity with the season in 
(New South). 
Europe, but that the next time they flower according to ths 
season of New South Wales. The cost of reclaiming an acre 
of forest land, of converting it into tillage, and of sowing it 
with wheat, is calculated to amount to 6/. 10s. The cost of 
the same operation to fit it for maize would be 5/. 8s. 6d. Mr. 
Cox, the surveyor, has estimated, that on a farm of 50 acres, 
when the government supplied subsistence for six months, 
the expense would exceed the produce 51. 19s. the first year; 
that in the second year the produce would exceed the expen¬ 
diture 49/. 10s., and in the third year 36/. 10s.; after which, 
recourse must be had to the renovating power of manure. 
Maize and wheat are grown on the same land in one year; 
the former when hoed well, and twice hilled up, being found 
a good preparation for the latter. Wheat is sowed in March 
or April, and harvested in November. Maize is sowed in 
November, and gathered in April. The produce of wheat 
on the Hawkesbury settlement, from 1804 to 1814, was from 
21 to 25 bushels to the acre, and since the last of those 
periods from 15 to 20 bushels. The land on the rising 
ground is inferior to that on the borders of the river, but the 
wheat grown on it, though yielding less in quantity, is of a 
superior quality. Mr. Oxley, the Surveyor-General, thinks 
the average produce of wheat on the colony does not exceed 
10 bushels to the acre ; whilst, on land of similar quality, 
the produce of maize is from 30 to 60 bushels. The price of 
wheat has been from 1 Is. to 12s. 6d .; of maize from 3s. to 
7s, per bushel. 
“ Besides the grains, attempts have been directed to se¬ 
veral articles whose cultivation appears suitable to the cli¬ 
mate. Flax has been grown with success, but has not been 
extended from the very limited demand for it in the settle¬ 
ment. Tobacco has been well produced, but from want of 
sufficient practice in curing the leaves, the tobacco of Brazil 
has been so generally preferred, as to leave but little induce¬ 
ment to grow it in the colony; though of late, some im¬ 
provements in drying offer a prospect of more success. Vines 
have not yet been prosperous, owing to blights, which pro¬ 
bably have arisen from improper exposure to prevailing 
winds. As this is an object of great importance, Mr. J. 
Macarthur has paid much attention to rectify any errors, 
and hopes are entertained of more favourable results in fu¬ 
ture, than have hitherto been produced. The same gentle¬ 
man, one of the earliest settlers, with his characteristic spi¬ 
rit, has been at pains to introduce the olive, and as far as 
can be judged from the trees, which are yet but in their in¬ 
fancy, with the greatest earnest of success. All the finer 
fruits of Europe are most profusely brought forth, and in 
some gardens, the choicer kinds of the tropics are success¬ 
fully cultivated. 
“ The breeding of cattle must, however, be the most sure 
road to the prosperity of the colony for some years to come. 
The numbers of horned cattle have quintupled between the 
years 1810 and 1820. In the latter year they amounted to 
54,103; besides those tame cattle, a race have grown up 
wild in the woods, derived from some stock which early 
strayed from the settlement, and which were supposed to 
have perished, till their offspring were discovered in large 
herds in the interior. The sheep have been tripled in ten 
years. In 1820, they amounted to 99,487. Mr. Macar¬ 
thur has a flock of 6800, of which about 300 are pure Me¬ 
rinos, and yield wool of excellent fineness. As the duty on 
wool from New South Wales has been reduced to 3d. per lb. 
in Great Britain, eager hopes are entertained of success, 
which will naturally tend to increase the numbers, and to 
improve the quality of the wool. The average weight of 
the fleeces of the New South Wales Merinos is about 2 lb. 
7 oz. Some few bales of that wool have been sold in Eng¬ 
land at 5s. 6d. per lb., and one at 10s. Ad .; but the far 
greater part have hitherto sold at about 2s. The impor¬ 
tation into Great Britain has been, in 1819, 71,299 lbs.; 
1820, 112,616 lbs.; 1821, 175,433 lbs. The increase of 
horses has been in nearly the same ratio as the sheep. In 
1810, they w'ere 1114, and in 1820, 3639. They are ge¬ 
nerally of the European breed, with a mixture of the Ara¬ 
bian 
