Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/230

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iiiixtiite, uiid increAsed in nuinl)er niul uiiprove«l in the (|Uality of their wool. In a yeav ov two after I hatl aa oppuit unity of augiiieiitiiig my tlrjcks by the pare base from Colonel Foveaiix of 12(W> sheep of the common Tape breetl/' Thus there was no element of accident Avbieli favoured Macarthur. except the fact that when he desired his friends to obtain "wool-bearing sheep/* the iinappredated Esciirial rtock was tlirown on the market at the Cape. Captains Kent and Waterhoose carried many more sheep to others than they took to Macarthnr. Bnt ignorant settlers would breed for no other purpose than foi" the meat market. PricelesH animals were wasted, and — in Macarthur'a lan- g iiage — * * d i sappear ed , ' * He having received his precious purchase in 1797, was able to carry with him to England three years afterwards such proof of success as to stir manufacturers as well as the government to aid him in his enterprise, on account of which hit^t friends fondly called hira the '* father of the colony." The kSecretary of State (Dundas) had, in 1794, thrown his weight into the scale to encourage farming and pastoral IJiirsuits. He wrote to Governor Hunter (who, however, did not arrive in the colony until 171*5) tliaji lie was displeased at hearing that '* the settlers had sold all the stock distributed among tliem by Governor Phillip/' . . . '*In order t(j avoid the dissipation of the animals, they should have been taken froDi tlie individuals (by Grose) tbe moment they evinced Buch a disposition, and should have been instantly added to the public stock, the conditions under which they were given not being complied with" by the settlers, Mr, Dundas had in 179)3 written to Grose — "In conse- quence of Governor Phillip's last despatches, and of the personal communication I have had with him,'* grantees must reside on their land, otherwise the grants will be void. At the same time he limited the convicts to be assigned to oijicers, civil and military, as such, to two. This instruction neither Grose, Paterson, nor Hunter had resolution to enforce; nor an accompanyhig order that the clandestine sale of spirits should be "strictly prevented," If officers should desire to become settlers, Htmter was authorized (June 1794) byl>undas to grant one hundred acres to each, oj' even more to the '* peculiarly well-deserving," reporting