Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/549

PROPOSAL FOR A SETTLEMENT. 425 Caledonia, Otaheite, and the neighbouring islands, to procure a nss few families thence, and as many women as may serve for the men left behind. There is every reason to believe they may be the other to obtained without difficulty. If but one vessel goes, the party SJe^Sinds. with their stock may be left without apprehension of danger from the natives. Sir Joseph Banks is of opinion that we may draw any number of Banks useful inhabitants from China, agreeably to an invariable custom qS^^.^°^ of the Dutch in forming or recruiting their Eastern settlements. As it is intended not to involve the Government in either a great or useless expense (for the settlement is designed to increase the wealth of the parent country, as well as for the emolument of the adventurers), a sum not exceeding £3,000 will be more than Probable adequate to the whole expense to Government. Most of the tools, ©xpcnw. saws, axes, <bc., <&c., for the use of the party left may be drawn from the ordnance and other public stores, where, at present, they are useless ; and the vessels also, being part of the peace estab- lishment, neither can nor ought to be fairly reckoned in the expenditure. That the Ministry may be convinced that this is not a vain, idle scheme, taken up without due attention and consideration, they may be assured that the matter has been seriously considered by some of the most intelligent and candid Americans, who all Scheme ap- agree that, under the patronage and protection of Government, it ^the ^ offers the most favourable prospects that have yet occurred to Americans, better the fortunes and to promote the happiness of their fellow sufferers and countrymen. Sir Joseph Banks highly approves of the settlement, and is very and by ready to give his opinion of it either to his Majesty's Ministry or ^*°^ others whenever they may please to require it. Should this settlement be made, we may enter into a commerce that would render our trade to China, hitherto extremely against Trade with US, very favourable. The Aleutian and Foxes Islands, situated ^^°^ between Asia and America, which abound with the choicest furs, lie nearly north of New South Wales. It is from these islands the Russians get the most and best of their furs, with which they and the carry on a very lucrative trade by land with the Chinese. Our "^*""- ships that sailed under the command of Captains Cook and Clerke stopped at some of them, and the skins which they procured then sold in China at 400 hard dollars each, though for the few they brought home of the same quality they only received about £10 each. As our situation in New South Wales would enable us to carry on this trade with the utmost facility, we should be no longer under the necessity of sending such immense quantities of silver for the different articles we import from the Chinese Empire. There is also a prospect of considerably extending our woollen ^^^^^ trade. We know that large quantities of woollen cloth are Digitized by Google