little disposed to listen to the words
of eternal truth, although they were ready enough to listen to any
falsehood which promised well for their worldly interests. Thus, before
the first year of the colony had expired, it was pretended and believed
that a _gold mine_ had been discovered. The specimens of this which the
impostor produced, were manufactured out of a guinea and a brass buckle;
and his object in deceiving was, that he might get clothes and other
articles in exchange for his promised gold dust, from the people
belonging to the store ships. But his cheat was soon discovered, and all
that his gold dust finally procured him, was a severe flogging, and
before the end of the year he was executed for another offence. Yet it
would not be far from the truth to state, that the British had indeed
discovered a gold mine in Sydney, by working which with industry,
ability, and perseverance, enormous riches have been obtained. When
the story of the mine was invented, the land around Port Jackson was
unproductive, and the hills wild or barren, but in little more than
fifty years from that time the imports into the Port of Sydney amounted
in 1840 to L2,462,858, while the amount of goods exported from the same
place during that year was valued at L1,951,544.[92] Where was there
ever a gold mine that was known to make a return so profitable as this
to those that worked it?

[92] See the Australian and New Zealand Magazine, No. 2, p. 107.

The great object, and generally the most difficult to be obtained,
in forming altogether a new colony, is to make it begin to produce a
sufficiency to supply its own necessary wants. But, although this object
was kept steadily in view from the very first in New South Wales, yet
were there many hindrances to be overcome, and much suffering to be
endured, before it was finally gained. The land near the new settlement
is none of the best for farming operations, and persons at all
acquainted with agriculture appear to have been very scarce among
the settlers and convicts; besides which, the prevailing idleness was
so great, that it seemed almost impossible to make the men exert
themselves; and, perhaps, nothing less than the want and privations,
which they subsequently endured, could have had this effect. A regular
supply of provisions had constantly been issued from the government
stores, and the convicts, with that short-sighted imprudence by which
the vicious are generally distinguished,