Mr. Peters 10,000
Messrs. Phelps & Co 20,000
Mr. Wentworth 50,000
Laing 15,000
Firebrace 6,000
Messrs. Firebrace and Brown 10,000
Mr. Nyne 40,000
Total number of sheep 443,000
To this number may be added an unestimated amount of sheep upon the
Darling River, amounting certainly, to 17,000; which at a very low
calculation will give 460,000 sheep; yielding a supply of wool--at 2
lbs. per sheep, and an average of 250 lbs. weight per bale--of 3,680
bales; or, at a rough estimate of £20 per bale, £73,600; or, at the not
unusual yield of 2¼ lbs. per sheep, £82,080.
This estimate extends no further than Swan Hill, about 280,000
1,300 miles from the sea. To give a correct idea of
the probable amount of wool to be derived from Swan
Hill and north of the Murray, onwards, is not easy,
but including the runs to Albury and Gundegai, and
from thence again to near the junction of the
Lachlan, it may be estimated at
Again, on the north bank of the Murrumbidgee there may be 90,000
set down twenty stations, depasturing each 4,500
sheep, or
In Victoria, and on the south side of the Murray, from 220,000
Swan Hill to Albury, not embracing the stations at
the Campaspe, Goulburn, or Ovens, excepting those at
their respective junctions
Total 590,000[31]
In this calculation, out of 124 stations, seventy only have been put
down as cattle stations, or unlikely to send their wool to Adelaide.
A third estimate of produce likely to go to the Adelaide market, and
taking Swan Hill as a depôt, would bring in a very large quantity of
wool, _via_ Lake Lalbert to Swan Hill.
The stations producing this wool are situated on the Rivers Loddon,
Avoca, Avon, Richardson, and the Wimmeira country, towards Lake
Hindmarsh; and a good road, with a little trouble, might be made
available to Lake Lalbert, which is distant only twenty-five miles from
Swan Hill.
From the above enumeration, it is evident that the opening of the Murray
navigation by steam cannot be otherwise than most advantageous to the
interests of the settlers.
In previous years they were necessitated to forward their wool by dray
to Melbourne, at a cost of £40 or £45 per ton. In many cases these
drays, instead of bringing back the annual supplies of provisions, &c.,
have been detained, broken down, or delayed by the loss of bullocks, or
other difficulties. The settlers are now to pay £20 or at most £25 per
ton for the same purposes, and even this freight will gradually come
down. In a word, as has been before observed, "the steamer has quite set
the squatters on their legs again," many of them having actually
resolved, in consequence of the difficulties attending labour and
transport, to abandon their runs.
It may, at the same time, be mentioned that, in all probability, the
steamer's profit returns will be highly remunerative, which, indeed,
would be requisite, as the daily expenses during our stay have been
estimated at £30.