Page:The Present State and Prospects of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales.djvu/40

 smaller proportion to the value of the manufactured article.

Salt beef is another article likely soon to be of importance as an article of export. No where can be seen finer natural pastures than are to be found in the fertile plains of Australia Felix; and in no part of Ireland can fat beasts be turned out in greater perfection—the mildness of the climate rendering all artificial food unnecessary. The climate, too, is favourable to the curing of meat. It is evident then that the thing can be done, and done well; the only question is whether it will pay or no; and hitherto it has been difficult to ascertain this fact, for, owing to the alteration in the tariff, salt provisions have been sent into the English market, as an experiment, from many places which probably will not continue to export them; but whether this be the case or no, at present they have equally the effect of disturbing prices, and of making it difficult to ascertain at what they will ultimately settle. Three half-pence a pound for fat beasts at the slaughter-house, or even less, will afford the Australian stockholder a very fair remuneration. But, whether the export to England pay or not, I think that we ought to be able to undersell all competitors at the Mauritius, in China, Singapore, and all through the Indian seas, besides supplying the Australian trade. Some idea of the value of this latter market may be obtained from the following consideration. The average number of ships entered inwards in the colony of New South Wales in the four years ending December 31, 1842, is 650, and the amount of tonnage 160,000, giving an average of 248 tons for