The Present Picture of New South Wales (1811)Mann, D. D. (David Dickinson)
History
The Present Picture of New South Wales (1811)
Mann, D. D. (David Dickinson)
New South Wales -- History; New South Wales -- Social life and customs
At the close of the year 1795, the public and private stock of
the colony consisted of 57 horses and mares, 101 cows and
cow-calves, 74 bulls and bull-calves, 52 oxen, 1531 sheep, 1427
goats, and 1869 hogs: exclusive of this statement, the poultry
was exceedingly numerous. The total of the land in cultivation
amounted to 5419 acres; the quantity of which sown was somewhat
below 3000 acres. At this period the storehouses were exhausted
so completely, that, on the arrival of Governor Hunter, there
were no salt provisions left in store, and the allowance of other
food was much reduced; the state of the colony seemed about to
assume a retrograde movement, and it was only the speedy arrival
of a storeship at this critical and distressing moment, which
saved it from destruction, in the eighth year of its
establishment.
But at the commencement of the nineteenth century, the state
of the settlement was abundantly more prosperous. The live stock
at this period, in the public and private possession, amounted to
the following numbers:--60 horses, 143 mares; 332 bulls and oxen,
712 cows; 2031 male sheep, 4093 females; 727 male goats, 1455
females; 4017 hogs--a prodigious multiplication of the means of
subsistence in about five years! The quantity of land sown with
wheat was 46653/4 acres, of Indian corn 2930, and of barley 82
acres. In New South Wales and Norfolk Island the numbers of the
colony had been swollen to the amount of six thousand, and the
general prosperity appeared rapidly increasing.
The moment of the governor's departure was a moment of
sorrowful agitation: loved and honoured by all, he was attended
by a numerous train of civil and military officers, as well as a
long concourse of the grateful inhabitants, who, at this
distressing instant, marked in the most unequivocal manner the
sense they entertained of his public worth and his private
benignity.
On the secession of Governor Hunter, the government of the
settlement devolved to Governor King, who had arrived from
England in the Speedy, a few months previous to this time. Soon
after his accession to this dignity, a quantity of copper coin
was received from England and put into circulation, upon which
occasion the following table of specie was issued:--A guinea, one
pound two shillings, a johannes, four pounds; a half ditto, two
pounds; a ducat, nine shillings and sixpence; a gold mohur, one
pound seventeen shillings and sixpence; a pagoda, eight
shillings; a Spanish dollar, five shillings; a rupee, two
shillings and sixpence; a Dutch guilder, two shillings; an
English shilling, one shilling and one penny: a copper coin of
one ounce, two pence; a ditto of half an ounce, one penny; and a
ditto of a quarter of an ounce, a halfpenny. No sum exceeding
five pounds, in the copper coin, was to be considered as a legal
tender; and the exportation or importation of copper coin above
that amount, was prohibited under a penalty of thrice its
value.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account