upon the treafury ; by which means the expences of the principal
fettlement appeared to be far more confiderable than in faCt they
were. The boaft o f its containing timber and flax fit for naval
purpofes, fufficient to conftruCt'and equip a navy, falls to the ground,
when it is confidered, that the whole ifland does not contain a fingle
harbour, cove, or inlet, fit to fhelter a boat, much lefs a Lhip ;
but that it is furrounded by a dangerous coral reef, which has proved
the lofs o f one King’s Ihip, and many lives. Befides, the foil of
New South Wales produces timber and flax perfectly calculated for
all naval purpofes, and in fufficient abundance. The fingle advantage
that this ifland prefents is, as has been mentioned before,
its proving a place of puniffiment to fuch notorious offenders: in the-
feat o f government as there efcape the gallows; and for this pur-
pofe a fmall civil and military eftablifhrnent might be maintained.
at a m-ueh lefs expence than the prefent.
I f an idea may be hazarded, Van Diemen’s Ifland holds out in
every refpeCt a more advantageous fpot for a fettlement, than this
parched, unattainable ifland; and were it not for the expence already
incurred there, it would be advifable to remove the whole o f
that fettlement thither; where, from the account given by Captain
Flinders, and Mr. Bafs, they would be as likely to remain
unmolefted by natives as they are at Norfolk-Ifland, and would
poffefs the fuperior benefits o f a temperate cli-mate and. capacious
harbour.
In addition to the advantages likely to be obtained in New
South Wales by the culture of the flax plant, the breed o f fheep
had been confiderably improved by eroding the fmaller Bengal with
the larger Cape fheep. The fleece produced from this mixture was
excellent.; and a fpecimen o f woollen cloth fabricated o f it was
Pent to England. One end o f a web o f linen, wove from the wild
flax o f the country, was croffed with a thread fpun from the bark
o f a tree; and a web from that bark was croffed, in the fpecimen
fent home, by a thread o f wool. All thefe were made under many
4 diffidifficulties
; but they anfwered the purpofe o f fhewing what might
be done, with proper tools, at a future period. There was not any
doubt, but that the flax-plant would confiderably improve by cultivation
; and the manufacture of woollens promifed to be of grfiat
benefit to the fettlement, whenever a fufficiency of the raw materials
was collected. Neceffity has been long known as the parent of
refources, and the poverty o f the public ftores in the article of
cloathing had prompted thefe experiments of the wool, the flax, and
the bark.
The difcovery of the vaft ftrata of coal muff be reckoned among
the new lights thrown upon the refources o f the colony. The
facility that this prefents in working the * iron ore with which
the fettlement abounded, muft prove o f infinite utility whenever
a dock-yard fhall be eftabliffied here ; and the time may come, when
the productions of the country may not be confined within its own
fphere. ,
In addition to other public works already in hand, the governor
directed a piece o f ground, confuting of about feventy acres, and
three miles diftant from Sydney, to be inclofed for the ufe of the
flock in that diftriCt.
The foundation o f the walls o f a government houfe at Parramatta
was laid, and the fowing the public wheat grounds begun ; but,
through want of labouring people, lefs was fown this than in the laft
year.
The weather had been in general moderate and feafonable.
* Some of this iron ore, which-has been frnelted in England, has been reported to be equal,
if not fuperior, to Swedifh iron.
C H A P .