In Van Dieman's Land, the weekly ration was—beef, 10½lbs.; flour, 10½lbs.; sugar, 7oz.; soap, 3½oz.; salt, 2oz. The clothing, per annum, consists of two suits of woollen slop clothing, three pairs of strong boots, four shirts, one cap or hat, and a palliasse stuffed with wool, two blankets, and a rug. Last year, the ration of beef and flour was reduced in Van Dieman's Land, and a proportion of vegetables substituted—a very beneficial alteration to the settler, and also to the prisoner; and I have no doubt that, in New South Wales, vegetables will also form a part of the established ration. Indeed, it is surprising, that this has not been the case long ago, both on the score of economy and health.
The generality of settlers allow their assigned servants as much as they can eat, and supply them with clothes whenever they stand in need of them; as they find, by experience, that thus acting is conducive to their own comfort and interest. A stranger, on visiting a settler's establishment, may easily know whether it is well managed, by the appearance of the servants, especially on a Sunday. If they are observed to be clean in their persons, and neatly dressed, he may conclude that the farm is in a flourishing condition; while, on the contrary, if he notice them, on that day of rest, with tattered garments, long beards, and unwashed faces, skulking about their dirty, miserable huts, he may safely conclude, that neither the pigsties, nor the stables, nor the barn yard, nor the dairy, nor the flocks, nor the herds, nor the settler's mansion, are in the best order; but he will find disorder, insubordination, and mutual dislike, prevailing; and that the neighbouring magistrates have a great deal of trouble and inconvenience.
Those settlers who treat their assigned servants with kindness and sympathy, rarely have occasion to regret doing so; as they thereby get a fair proportion of labour done, as quietly and contentedly as if they had employed free men. I do not intend, by these remarks, to advocate over-leniency, which is as injudicious as too much severity; and I cannot too strongly
