KING TO CAMDEN. 681 [Enclosure E.] lg06 RETURN of Live Stock, March 8th-15th 1806. is March. [A copy of this return is not available.] HveUstock for use as STATEMENT of the time the Cattle belonging to the Crown in Provisions- New South Wales will last at whole and half Rations for the Numbers Victualled from the Stores, Say 2,000 full Rations at 7 lbs. of Fresh Meat a week each full Ration. 3 014 Cattle 300 lbs At full { ' ® - each ") 68 Weekg \ 1,410 Sheep @ 30 „ „ j b» weeks. At half j 3.0W Cattle @ 300 lbs. each ( 186 Weeks \ 1,410 Sheep @ 30 „ „ ) The whole Number of Cattle, Young and old being taken, they are averaged at 300 lbs. each; But the grown Cattle well fattened will weigh from 6 to 800 Weight. For the Cattle and other Stock belonging to Individuals, a Reference may be made to the last General Muster in August, 1805. [Enclosure F.] MR. JOHN MACARTHUR TO GOVERNOR KING. Sir, Parramatta, 2nd March, 1806. When I received my Grants of Land at the Cow Pastures, Macarthur's consequent on the Right Hon'ble Earl Camden's directions, Tour gJ'g^Hd cattle Excellency was pleased to signify, if a Proposal were to be made for reclaiming the numerous Herds of Wild Cattle on Terms equitable and of evident Advantage to Government, such a Pro­ posal might receive Your Approbation, and induce You to enter into a Contract for the Accomplishment of that Object. Having since very attentively reflected on the Practicability of such an Undertaking, I now do myself the honor to lay before You the enclosed Proposal, And I trust it will appear to Your Excellency both moderate and equitable, Altho' doubtless it will admit of, and perhaps require, some Modifications. If the business be prosecuted upon anything like the Plan I have proposed, You will observe, Sir, that Government is to be exposed to no possible risk, And the only Expence they can incur will be about £50 a Year for the Repair of Casks, and £14 per Ton for Salt, One Ton of which will cure Eight or Nine Ton of Beef. At present, it may be fairly assumed, the different Wild Herds do not contain less than 4,000 Head of Cattle. Amongst these it is probable there are 2,000 Head of Bulls. Of that Num­ ber there must be 500 fit for immediate use, 500 that might be killed in a Year, and 500 more in two Years. These Fifteen hundred Head (the youngest 500 I calculate upon catching) averaging their Weight so low as 600 Weight each, would supply 682 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1806. His Majesty's Stores with 900,000 Wts. of Beef. To import that is March. Quantity from England it would cost £30,000, Whereas this Macarthur's Supply would occasion no other Expence to Government than the the wild cattle, purchase of Salt and the repair of Casks, both of which would not amount to £1,000. This is in itself an Object of great Importance, but not to be compared with the almost incalculable benefits that must result from taming the Wild Cattle, and thereby furnishing such Num­ bers, both for Slaughter and labour, as will be quite Sufficient in a few Years to supply all the demands of these Colonies. Amongst other Advantages, I am persuaded Your Excellency will not think an Abundant and Cheap Supply of Shoe-Leather to the Colonists an inconsiderable one; but I will not trespass upon Your Excellency's time by a detail of the many Minor benefits that taming the part of the Wild Cattle that can be taken and killing the useless Bulls will produce—They are many and obvious. It may, perhaps, be necessary I should say a few Words in explanation of the Principle upon which I have founded my Ex­ pectation of personal Remuneration. I have calculated that the Expence of providing Bread for the numerous Establishment the Business will require, the Amount of their Wages, the Expence of Buildings, Waggons, Carts, Cattle, Harness, and other Con­ tingencies, will amount to more than the Value of the Hides, Tallow, and Offal. The surplus, therefore, whatever it may be, must be defrayed from the Produce of the third of the Young Cattle. What remains will be my Compensation; And, as Your Excellency cannot fail to discover that the Price of Cattle must be greatly diminished by this Plan being carried into Effect, I respectfully hope You will not think I have set an improper Value on my own labour. Indeed, I presume to think there is not another Person in the Colony, of Character to be relied upon, who could execute the business so much to the Advantage of the Government as I have proposed to do it. On the other hand, I must candidly acknowledge that the thing is pregnant with benefit to me, from the Circumstance of my Establishment for raising fine-Woolled Sheep being, as it were, in the Midst of the Wild Cattle, and on that Account the Contract for reclaiming them will create many facilities for the successful prosecution of that Object. I have, &c, JOHN MCARTHUR. [Enclosure.] PROPOSALS respectfully submitted by Mr. McArthur to His Ex­ cellency Governor King for taming such Cows and Young Cattle in the Wild Herds at the Cow Pastures as it may be KING TO CAMDEN. 683 possible to catch, And for slaughtering and salting for the 1806. use of Government the grown Bulls which are now, from a their Numbers, very detrimental to the Increase of those Macarthur's ' proposals re Herds. the wild cattle. 1st. Mr. McArthur would undertake to defray the Expence of the Men employed in catching and taming the Cows and Young Cattle. 2nd. He would deliver the Cows and Young Cattle Three Months after they were taken, either at Prospect Hill or Parra­ matta, as might be desired. 3rd. All the Bulls that he could kill he would Salt, Pack, and deliver, without any reservation or Appropriation whatever of Meat so Salted, into His Majesty's Stores at Parramatta, Govern­ ment furnishing Salt and Casks, or any other Mode of Packing it. Mr. McArthur would defray any other Expence. 4th. In return for the Sacrifice of his time and the great Ex- pence he must incur, Mr. McArthur respectfully proposes That he be allowed to Supply the Men engaged in the different Branches of catching, taming, Slaughtering, Salting, packing, carrying, and superintending, a Sufficient Quantity of the Bulls' Flesh for their own Support on the Spot, he engaging in honor not to suffer wilful Waste, And to act as if the whole were his own Property, to prevent Embezzlement. 5th. That he be allowed one-fourth of the Calves under a Year old, and one-third of the Cattle exceeding that Age that he may catch and tame, And the Hides, Tallow, and Offal (that is to say, all but the four Quarters) of the Slaughtered Bulls. 6th. The Contract to be binding and conclusive for the Term of two Years from the date of Signing the Agreement, And a further extension thereof to two Years from the date of the first official Dispatches wrote by the Governor to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and sent by a direct Conveyance to Eng­ land. And on His Majesty's Government approving or dis­ approving the continuation of the said Contract to Mr. McArthur beyond the Term of Two Years as aforesaid, the said Contract is to continue or cease on such Pleasure being notified officially to the Governor or Officer in Command of the Territory for the time being. And it is to be clearly understood that the said Contract is to remain exclusive with Mr. McArthur for the time it remains in force. 7th. To have the labour of ten Convicts assigned for that Pur­ pose during the Period the Contract remains in force, and as many more as may appear reasonable to the Governor or Officer in Command for the time being to allow; But the Number not to be Less than Ten. 684 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1806. 8th. To give a Return the first of each Month of the Number of 15 March. Males Slaughtered, Cows and Young Cattle taken, And such Macarthur's other Observations on the State of those Wild Herds as it may proposals re the wild cattle. be necessary for the Governor or Officer in Command for the time being to be informed of. JOHN MCARTHUR. Added afterwards.—That it is to be clearly understood, as the Agreement will be greatly to the Advantage of the Crown as well as to Mr. McArthur, that the Agreement to be drawn from these Proposals is to be taken on both parts according to its literal and obvious Meaning. [Enclosure G.] COMMISSARY'S Return of Stores and Clothing remaining in His Majesty's Stores at Sydney, 31st December, 1805. [A copy of this return is not available.] THE RIGHT HON. WILLIAM WINDHAM TO GOVERNOR BLIGH. (Per whaler Albion.) 19 March. Sir, Downing Street, 19th March, 1806. George Thomas Mr. George Thomas Palmer, Son of Mr. Palmer Com­ Palmer allowed to become a missary of Stores in New South Wales, having applied to me for settler. Permission to proceed to that Settlement, I have acceded to his request, and I trust that by his Conduct, he will prove himself ?.. useful Member of Society in the Government over which you preside. I have, &c, W. WINDHAM. THE RIGHT HON.