NEW SOUTH WALES.
TOWNSHIP OF MAITLAND--THE PATERSON DISTRICT--WINTER
SPORTS--THE KANGAROO--AUSTRALIAN HUSBANDRY--CONVICT
SERVANTS--BENEFIT OF ENFORCING AN OBSERVANCE OF
SUNDAY--THE HOT SEASON.
From Sydney, I proceeded northward, by steam, to Maitland, on the river
Hunter, and thence up the country bordering on those pretty little
rivers, the Paterson and the Allyn.
Maitland puts a Scotchman in mind of the "lang toon of Kirkaldy,"
consisting of merely one long street. From its situation, at the head of
the navigation of the Hunter, and the centre of the very first
agricultural district of New South Wales, it is likely to become a
large, thriving, and important place. The country in the immediate
neighbourhood is flat, and the soil rich, yielding most luxuriant crops
of wheat and Indian corn.
The season of 1838-39 was a poor one for the farmer: flour rose in
price to 60s. the cwt.; and the quartern loaf, before I left the Colony,
was selling as high as two shillings and eight-pence. This was a time to
test the fertility of the soil round Maitland, as well as the benefit it
derives from its proximity to the sea. During this summer, the whole
district was favoured with occasional refreshing showers; its crops were
forward, and the yield good; and while crops in the southern districts
had failed from drought, the Hunter-river farmers were sending their
surplus produce to Sydney for sale.
The township of Maitland is divided into two towns or villages, called,
East and West Maitland. The former has been fixed upon as the site of
the town by Government, and the latter by the public, who have, as
usual, shewn more wisdom in their choice than their masters have,
inasmuch as they have planted their town within a few hundred yards of
the head of the navigation; whereas the Government town is three miles
further up the river, and is unapproachable by steamers, or even by
small craft. The two, however, will be joined together ere long, (most
likely they are by this time,) as they are rising rapidly into
importance. For the beauty of the country between Maitland and the sea,
I cannot say much: it used to remind me of Lower Bengal, being so very
flat, and, in some places, so low as to be frequently flooded.
Like the houses in almost all new towns, those in Maitland form a motley
assemblage of buildings of all sizes, shapes, and colours. Many of the
smaller and inferior ones were, however, disappearing, even in 1839; and
more sightly as well as more commodious buildings were rising up in
their place. The traveller will find comfortable accommodation at either
the Union or the Rose Inn; and the charges are moderate. He will also
have the advantage of meeting settlers from all parts of the
neighbouring country, from whom he will readily obtain any information
he may require. Frequent cattle-sales are held here; and the beasts are,
without trouble or much expense, conveyed to Sydney by steam in twelve
hours.
The country from Maitland, going up the Paterson, is undulating and
generally fertile; particularly the flat lands on the banks of the
river. As you proceed towards the village of Paterson, you observe
numerous prettily situated farm-houses with their smiling gardens in
front, and fields of wheat between them and the river. At the village,
the navigation of this little river ceases; and the country becomes more
and more hilly as you proceed higher up: the banks of the river,
however, maintain their high character for fertility all the way to its
source, and many thriving establishments are seen as the traveller
pursues his journey. This part of New South Wales, being so hilly, and
consequently somewhat humid, does not answer the sheep-farmer's
purposes; but the grazier finds his cattle and horses thrive well on
these hills, and the agriculturist finds the valleys yield him excellent
crops of tobacco, wheat, and maize. The first is becoming an article of
great importance to the Paterson farmer, and has helped many of those
gentlemen through the difficulties from which the Colony has been
recently suffering.
Land on the Upper Paterson was selling, in 1837, at 20s. per acre, in
lots of six hundred and forty acres, of which not more than forty or
fifty were arable land, the rest being what is called here, common bush
land, thinly covered with trees, and affording tolerable pasture for
cattle. Purchasers of land at the above-named rate, have, I believe,
found their bargains profitable, notwithstanding the heavy expense they
had to incur in clearing and fencing the arable portion of it, in
addition to the outlay for a dwelling, out-offices, &c. The settler on a
small farm of this description is almost sure to do well, if he is
industrious, and provided that he keeps clear of that colonial pest, the
public-house. He will have very hard work the first two years; but his
returns will well repay him even in moderately favourable seasons,
while, in good times, they will be very profitable. A neighbour of mine
raised, in the season of 1837-38, on eighteen acres of fresh cleared
land, a crop of tobacco, which he cured and manufactured into
negro-head on the spot: it yielded one hundred and fifty kegs of 100lb.
weight each; and the whole was sold at 1s. 4d. per pound, thus giving a
total of 900l. This farmer had fifteen hands, who, in addition to the
tobacco, enabled him to cultivate wheat and maize sufficient to supply
the farm, and to leave 200l. worth for sale. The outlay for the twelve
months, including every thing, did not exceed 350l.; and I have shewn
the returns to have been 1100l. This slight sketch will afford an idea
of what an industrious farmer may do in the Paterson district. As soon
as he can collect a few pounds, they may be profitably invested in the
purchase of some good cows, which will not only supply him and his
family with butter and milk, but will pay well by their annual increase.
In 1838, stock was worth, in this neighbourhood, as under:--Cows, 5l.;
Fat Cattle, 7l. 10s.; Working Oxen, 10l.; Brood Mares, 40l.; good
Roadsters, 40l.; Sheep,--Ewes, 2l., Wethers, 17s. 6d. Things have
changed since that time: but more of this hereafter.
During the three years I resided in Australia, I lived almost entirely
on the banks of the Paterson, and the reader may therefore depend upon
the correctness of my information regarding every thing in that
neighbourhood. It bears a high character for the salubrity of its
climate; and very justly so, according to my experience. Not a member of
my establishment was ill the whole time we were there; nor do I
recollect a serious case of illness among our neighbours. The winter is
mild,--just cold enough to make a fire comfortable; while the fine
frosty mornings do great good to one who has arrived from India. I used
to enjoy them exceedingly, and invariably walked out before breakfast to
breathe the fine clear air. The cold weather sets in in April, and
continues till September. This is the season to enjoy a gallop in chase
of that most extraordinary animal, the kangaroo. Notwithstanding that
this part of the country is rather hilly, the hardy horses manage to
carry their riders across it in safety. The river abounds with wild duck
at this season, as well as with perch and a small fish here called
herring, from its resemblance to that fish. The settler may thus not
only find amusement for himself in shooting or fishing, but may make a
very agreeable addition to his bush fare by his morning's ramble. The
flesh of the kangaroo is literally good, for nothing: the tail makes
very good soup, but the carcass of the full-grown animal is otherwise of
no value to the European, though the native contrives to make an
occasional meal of it. The young kangaroo of two or three months old,
makes a tolerable substitute for jugged hare, and is frequently on the
tables of the settlers. As population advances up the country, the
kangaroo retires. I have, however, seen some hundreds of a large size
in their native woods, skipping about, and bounding off on the approach
of man. The notion, that a kangaroo makes use of his tail in leaping, is
a mistaken one. I have watched them bounding along a plain, and could
see distinctly that the tail never touched the ground. The female, when
pursued, will retain its young one in the pouch with which nature has
provided it, till very closely pressed by the dogs: it will then drop
the little one, leave it to chance, and make off with increased speed. A
full-grown male ("old man," the aboriginals call them) is more than a
match for a single dog, and will frequently severely punish a couple of
assailants before surrendering. These animals are easily tamed, and make
very pretty pets in a garden. Speaking of a garden, we had an excellent
orchard, which supplied us with abundance of apricots, peaches,
nectarines, figs, green-gages, apples, pears, and oranges, while the
garden furnished many a dish of strawberries: for gooseberries, the
climate is not cold enough.
In March and April, the farmer is busied in preparing his fields for
wheat-sowing, which ought to be finished by the middle of May. Of this
grain, the ground here yields a fair crop, though not equal to that
usually reaped near Maitland: it is, however, generally more than
sufficient for the use of the district, which may be called a
grain-exporting one. Some farmers sow wheat on land from which they
have just reaped a crop of Indian corn: this proves, I need scarcely
say, in the long run, very bad economy. On a farm where wheat, corn, and
tobacco are grown, there is always abundance of employment for old and
young. Should field labour be suspended by the inclemency of the
weather, or by any other cause, the farmer finds his servants full
occupation in husking maize, threshing wheat, stripping, shifting, and
curing tobacco. I used to keep my convict-labourers employed in light
work, such as the above-mentioned, till ten o'clock at night: this I had
no _right_ to exact; but my plan was, to keep a regular account current
with every convict on the place, giving him credit so much for every
extra hour he worked, and letting him know, every Saturday night, how
much was due to him, which I allowed him to take out in any shape but
money or spirits. Giving him the former, would have enabled him to
procure the latter. It was generally taken out in tea and sugar; and I
never had the slightest trouble in settling these little accounts. I had
ten convicts assigned to me by Government; and I confess that I would
rather have had those men than most of the free emigrants that came to
the Colony. Over the convict, the master has great power, the knowledge
of which on the part of the servant, with good treatment and a firm hand
held over him, will make him do a great deal of work. The Government
allowance of rations does not include tea, sugar, or tobacco; but most
masters allow two ounces of the first and last, and one pound of the
second per week; which not only makes the men contented, but gives the
master more hold over them, as they stand in fear of his stopping the
indulgence in the event of misconduct. From my own observation I should
say, that nine-tenths of the misdoings amongst convict-servants, that
one hears of in New South Wales, arises from bad masters. What, for
instance, can be expected from men assigned to a drunkard, who not only
drinks himself, but makes a point of inducing his servants, whether free
or bond, to take out their earnings in rum, of which he has always a
plentiful supply on hand? What from the servants of a master who neither
pays any attention to the Sabbath himself, nor makes those under him
observe it; who, on the slightest provocation, drags his men before the
magistrate, and swears literally to any thing, to have them flogged; who
never affords them the slightest indulgence, and whose whole aim is, to
get the greatest possible quantity of work out of them for the smallest
possible outlay? Nothing tends more directly to promote the good order
of a farm, than mustering everybody on it at noon on Sunday, for the
purpose of reading Divine service to them. Setting aside the moral
benefit that this practice may be supposed to produce, it puts an
effectual stop to distant wandering on that day. A man who has to appear
cleanly dressed on Sunday at noon, cannot stray far from home either
before or after that hour. On farms where this custom is not kept up,
the convict starts at daylight for some haunt where spirits are to be
had, to pay for which he has most probably robbed his master; there he
spends the day in riot and ribaldry, and reels home about midnight in a
state that renders him very unfit for resuming his work on Monday
morning. The convict-servant soon finds out what sort of a master he has
to deal with, and, to use their own slang, after trying it on for a bit,
in nine cases out of ten, he yields to circumstances. Two of mine tried
a few of their old pranks at starting; but a timely, though moderate
application of "the cat," put an entire stop to them. It is, however,
useless to say more on this subject, as the system of assigning servants
to private individuals has been done away with by orders from the Home
Government. The female convicts are much more difficult to manage than
the men, and often set their masters at defiance: they are generally of
the lowest and most wretched class of women.
The summer sets in in October, and wheat harvest begins in November. The
weather then becomes exceedingly hot, and the heat is occasionally
increased by the hot winds that blow from the north-west. These
generally (I speak of what I have observed on the Paterson) blow for
three days successively, with considerable violence, and do no small
injury to the farmer: they are very dry, make the lips crack, and the
skin feel as if about to crack; and should they come across a field of
wheat just shewing the ear, they would blight it to a certainty. After
expending their force for three days, they are usually succeeded by a
sharp southerly gale, which is frequently accompanied with rain, and
soon makes every thing not actually blighted look green again. Though
the sun, during summer, has, apparently, as much power as in India, I
have never experienced any injurious effects from it, though frequently
exposed to its rays all day, both on foot and on horseback. The European
labourer works in the field here through the day, the same as in
England, and does not seem to suffer from the heat. During the hot
winds, indeed, he is liable to an almost unquenchable thirst, to relieve
which, he may drink with perfect impunity a large quantity of sugar and
water; but those who have recourse to water only, are sure to suffer for
their imprudence, though not seriously.
November and December are the busy months at sheep-stations, all hands
being then employed in clipping the wool and preparing it for market.