Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/582

 known, and it was under s^tood thai the Britisli Government would encourage immigi-ation of Free settlers. The charter enabled the company to cultivate, to depasture stock, to lend money on mortgage, and promote fisheries, hut not to hecome bankers or merchants. Their grant of land was to l)e500,(>00 acres on the North- West Coast. Works of mag- nitude were to be undertaken. For each convict employed there was to be a remission of (|uit-rent to the amount of £16. The total (|uit-rent was 4:468 lt>s. per annum. Another company of smaller dimensions, the ** New South W^ales and Van Diemen's Land Establishment," was founded about the same time. Both companies expended large sums in importing live stoclc. Colonel SoreU, in 1820, had taken the first step to improve the wool grown in the colony, by importation of Merino sheep, which John Maearthur sup- plied from Camden, under an arrangement by which the Crown exchanged land at the Cow-pastures for sheep deli- vered. Horell allotted the sheep to '* those whom he con- sidered most capable of giving attention to the improve- ment of their fiocks.^^ From SorelFs judicious importation the trade of Tan 1 Piemen's Land in wool may be said to date. When the island was separated from the government of New South Wales its population was about 1*2,000* It was aide, nevertheless, to export wheat to Sydney, and to prose- cute wlialiug with vigour. The revenue derived from the custom-house w^as the principal local contribution (upwards of £20,000) to the expenses of government. But the Im- perial exchequer liore the brunt of maintaining the estab- lishments. After the arrival of Colonel Arthur in 1824 the fortunes of Yan l>ieraen*s Land were greatly dependent upon his sagacity and strength of will, even before the separation of the local government from that of New South Wales was effected. The community which Arthur found was peculiar. There were more than twelve thousand souls in 1824. Of these. were military guards. There were 9250 male civil inhabitants, of whom no less tlian 5470 were convicts. There were 2250 free women » and 470 con™t Avomen. There were many freed persons amongst those styled free. hi ISiil the numbers had beeu augmented to 8B92 free