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[Page 9]
was carried on through the Missionaries, They informed me of Pomarees kindness to them, and of the articles which were in request among them. This decided me trying the Experiment, which if it only procures a sufficiency of Salt Pork for the use of the Ship, is better than letting her lye idle to[look at: If it succeeds, as I expect it will, its utility to Colony, [indecipherable] to the Publick on the article of Salt meat, will be very great, as that supply must be procured from some Quarter or other for a long time; as our Cattle are far from being equal to a present resource nor would it be long, before that resource, if used, would be exhausted, which would at one strike, and all the Expence that has been laid out, to get our present Stock together, But if left for a few years, its increase will be nearly equal to maintaining the Inhabitants.
In my last dated in March, I informed you of the great losses we had met with from the badnes of the weather, & the Floods that had happened at the Hawkesbury; since then, Two other Floods have taken place, which has taken away the remains of the Settlers Wheat, & Corn; so that our means of making out the Year are much reduced. The indifference & ruin that all the Settlers in this Colony are involved in from the infamous practices carried on here, has been such a Death hand to every species of Cultivation & Improvement, that it will be some time before it recovers. You will hardly believe it when I assure you that out of 300 Settlers of all descriptions upwards of 150 have assigned over their all to the Vultures