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[Page 2]
A Short account, relative to the proceedings in New South Wales, from the year 1800 to 1803, with hints and critical remarks.
As this Colony has been much the subject of conversation at home, and represented in a thriving and flourishing state, but finding matters quite the reverse, and knowing you to be a person deeply interested in the promotion of its welfare, I think it a duty incumbent upon me to give you a true and impartial statement.
When I arrived on the 15th of April 1800 the general talk was that the Settlers had but little chance of getting forwards, owing to the monopoly that then existed. This originated by the commissioned officers and others purchasing the different cargoes, whereby every one that had not a capital was obliged to deal with them and pay an exorbitant price. Nay, I have been told of articles being bargained for on board ships by persons that could not afford to pay for them, and immediately sold to others at very great gain. The persons that repurchased them, were prevented from having them in the first hand by the others being their superiors in rank. However, in General the consumers paid several hundreds percent for their articles, and their crops frequently pawned or sold before they were reaped. By the arrival of Gov. King it
per Greenwich