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[Page 2]
which is attributed in a great measure to almost the whole of the Convicts being out of their time, & taking themselves off the store, which enables individuals to hire them, & which is done by Liquor principaly, I understand it is valued from 20 to 30 Shillings per Gallon let it be of what kind it will, by which means every Officer here has nearly one hundred Acres in cultivation, I mean with stock & all; the poorest of which will return Wheat & other grain into store from one hundred to two Hundred pounds this year from the present appearance it is suppos'd there will be grain enough rais'd to supply the Colony, it is already recommended to the settlers to turn their minds principally to stock, which appears to thrive exceeding well, in addition to which (as I mentiond in my last) the Cattle that were first landed in this Country & strayed away, have lately been seen by partyes shooting & persons sent out for that purpose, upwards of forty have been counted in one drove, a moderate calculation of their probable increase since their emigration will admit of double that number - the very wild state in which they have been found, will render it an arduous task, if not impracticable the bringing them into the settlement, & making them usefull in agriculture, & manuring the land. It is to be fear'd & expected that many will be destroy'd by Convicts, & others whom