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he must not look back after having put his hand to the plough. Imagination paints this sunny clime as the land of fruits; so it is! but time, labour, money, skill, and judgment, must combine to raise them. The land of pastoral ease and simplicity; so it may be! but the flocks and herds must first be acquired; here again money! money! The land of agriculture and smiling harvests; true, it may be! but money is the manure to set them growing.
"Oh cives, cives quærenda est pecunia primum."
A little will do to set things going, if managed judiciously, and persevering with skill and activity. Servants are so scarce and consequential, that we must serve ourselves as far as possible; so that a fine gentleman has no business here. I read your plan, last night, for supplying us with workmen; we have many projects among ourselves, but can do little in this respect, unless Government assist us. I should like to make some arrangement about getting out some of your labourers; but we are, at present in suspense, every day expecting to hear from England the result of the personal application of Governor Stirling[1]; we scarce know on what ground we stand, whether we shall be better or worse. However, in a month or two we shall know our probable fate. I am prepared for any vicissitudes of fortune.
I wished this morning for you, father, to aid me in keeping the servants in working order; for you, J, and W, to advise and plan improvements, sowings, plantings, gardenings; for you, S, to contrive machinery and woodwork; and for you, my dear sisters, to arrange the housekeeping department, and snuggify things; but you could not make things snug here, for I have as yet neither press nor table that you would call
- ↑ When this letter was written, the colonists were uncertain whether they were to receive any further assistance from the British Government, or to be left to themselves. It has been determined, however, to support the colony, as appears from a letter of Sir James Stirling, written in England. See the copy of this letter in Appendix.
