Volume 62: Walter Stevenson Davidson papers, 1815-1846: No. 130

[Page 130]

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over for a duck or two, or a few fish.  That is one way of keeping convicts in order!  Now, since I came to the Colony I have seen many establishments, and I like the country; I like sheep-farming, and I like living in the bush very much; but at what I have seen here, I am disgusted beyond measure.  It is a filthy ruinous place, whereas it might have been one of the first in the country.  I have often what my Father would say if he were to see it; and, as I flatter myself that I have imbibed a little of his taste for neatness and regularity, I am not a little annoyed at what I have see here.  I declare to you, I would not, if Mr. Jones were to offer it, undertake to manage his concerns here, if he were to give me half of all the Flocks he possesses.  
The men, as I have said, are a set of scoundrels, and if any change was made, unless all were changed, they would break out into open mutiny.  I write you every thing that I see or think, and I now declare, as I have done in former letters, that until you separate your Flocks from those of Mr. Jones, it is my opinion that you will never receive a single fraction of returns from them; no, not if they amounted to double the number.  It require only you to make up your mind what you will do, and I hope and beg that you will write me soon and very fully on the subject.  If you determine on it, which I hope you will, a division of the 'Joint Flocks', of the returns of which you have had a long and too dearly bought experience, will soon be effected.

"Having given you as correct an account as I possible could of the state of the 'Joint Flocks' and their present management, I shall now proceed to state the probable result of a division of the same, and the likely returns which your Flocks might make you.  Before a year has elapsed I shall be anxiously looking out for a letter in answer to this; and if you are of opinion that a division is necessary, and such takes place, it will be after next shearing time; when, even if the present Overseer continue in his situation, (which I suppose he will, as Mr. J. will not bother himself about it,) and let them manage as badly as ever they have done, you cannot, I should think, have fewer than five thousand Sheep, and between fifteen hundred and two thousand Lambs.  I do not pretend to say anything of how competent I may be to take charge of sheep, &c., but by that time I will have been considerably more than a year and a half in the Colony, and that time spent in endeavouring to acquire as good a knowledge of that business as possible.  In the event of my having the management of you affairs, I shall only say that there many, very many, people in the Colony, who have no such property as yours , and not nearly such large Flocks, who have handsome incomes after paying every expense.  Yes, many a man here keeps his carriage, and saves money too, on a smaller income than you ought to have, and I hope shall have before long.  This is not said at