Page:Australia, from Port Macquarie to Moreton Bay.djvu/157

 sheep have been sold for cash, for less than one shilling per head, scarcely half the value of a skin!

Matters continued in this bad state until Mr. Frederick Ebsworth of Sydney suggested the plan of slaughtering and boiling down sheep, for their skins and tallow. The feasibility of this suggestion was immediately felt by most of the flock-masters in the colony; numerous experiments were made as soon as possible at various places, and the result was extremely satisfactory, as the quality of the tallow was very good, and the quantity, yielded by sheep in average condition, was quite equal to the most sanguine expectations.

All these experiments have appeared in the columns of the Sydney Morning Herald, the leading journal of the colony, and the strenuous advocate of the necessity of creating new articles of export.

In consequence of the discovery of this novel way of turning sheep to account, extensive sheep-boiling establishments have been formed in eligible situations near the coast, to boil down the sheep, sort and pack the tallow, skin, wool, &c. The following advertisement, respecting one of these establishments at Hunter's River, is extracted from "The Australian," of October 3rd, 1843, and will shew to the reader the expenses attending the conversion of sheep into tallow.

" having engaged a competent superintendent to boil down his own surplus sheep, is willing to