Transcription

[Page 128]

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"The number of Sheep at present depasturing here (i.e. on Mr. J's and your land) are about from thirteen to fourteen thousand, not including Lambs.  Of these, 5000 are the property of Mr. Edward Jones, and the remainder yours and Mr. R. Jones's.  Of these about five or six hundred are the sole property of Mr. Jones; and the Flocks of Jones and Davidson amount to nearly 8000 shearing Sheep.  In my humble opinion, they ought considerably exceeds this number; but of that enough; we cannot make them more than they are.  But this I know, it is now nearly nine years since the Sheep which you imported to Australia per the ship 'Saracen' arrived in this Colony; and considering that you never had any thing from them, it is now high time that something was coming in.  Owing to the drought which has prevailed here, there will not be a large increase in the Flocks this year; but there are between eleven and twelve hundred of the last autumn Lambs, half of which are yours; and there will be five hundred * saved, I hope of what were lambed some few weeks ago, half of which are, of course your property.  There ought to be nearly three thousand again next March; - you see how they increase.  They will increase in spite of poor management; but more is required to take good returns from your Flocks than merely the Ewes dropping their Lambs. 

Well, I having told you the number of your Sheep, I will proceed to inform you of the way they are managed.  Such a number of Sheep must, consequently. run over a large tract of country, and they are in Flocks of from three to five hundred each,   On both Carleroy
and Mr. J's land, are Stations here and there.  There are about twenty Flocks in the Joint Concern, and two or three Flocks at every Station, in order to give the Sheep as little distance to travel as possible.  At Cocrabil, the headquarters of the Establishment, the Overseer resides, and the cultivated land is there; also the Stores, i.e. provisions for the men, such as beef or mutton, flour, tea, sugar, tobacco, soap, and all sorts of things which you require on a farm, and not in immediate use.  Of course, in this country, and such a distance from Sydney, you must keep several things by you that you do not immediately require; and the place in which all these things are kept is called the Stores.  The assigned servants' rations are issued every Friday.  Now, I told Mr. H. McA and the two Macarthurs of Camden, the state of your proceeds,they were perfectly astonished and shocked; so was I, when I saw how other people's Flocks paid.  But on coming up here, I was no longer surprised that you had never received a

* There are so few, owing to the great drought that has prevailed, added to the bad management.

 

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