to ascertain, what indeed is well known, that much land in New South Wales is fit for producing wine, oil, rice, tobacco, and silk; but in the instance of this new colony, when it is proposed to transplant, not people merely, but society, and to maintain in the new place the means of employing capital in the most skilful way, for whatever purpose; in this case, the probable state of the colonial society should always be borne in mind by those who would draw just conclusions from what has been ascertained respecting natural circumstances.
7. After questions of soil and climate, the most important circumstance in a region about to be colonized, is the natural means of communication. This is a consideration of great moment to those, at least, who, intending to settle in a new place, propose to establish there the desires and powers of society. To a few persons scattered over a wide district, whose labour was divided, not only into separate fractions, but also amongst many occupations, between whom, consequently, there could be but little exchange, and who could not raise commodities exchangeable in distant markets, the best natural means of communication would be of but little value. Of what great use, for instance, is the excellent harbour of King George's Sound to the few scattered, or rather isolated Englishmen, who are wandering about in that neighbourhood? What reason have settlers that remain at the Swan River, not yet raising food enough for their own subsistence, and quite incapable of producing commodities for exchange in distant markets, to regret that Gage's Roads are not a good
