Page:The Present State and Prospects of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales.djvu/41

 each ship: of course many of these are coasters. If the English ships were only to bring out salt provisions enough for the passage out, and were to take Australian provisions for the passage home, it would save them so much freight out, besides giving them the advantage of purchasing in a cheaper market. However this they cannot be expected to do, until the thing is so established that they can always depend on a plentiful supply of good meat at a low rate. The experiment has already been tried on a small scale, in 1842, by a company, and in 1843, by two stockholders, who only salted down their own bullocks, and the detail was managed by an overseer, hired for the purpose. But what is wanted is some man who thoroughly understands the business, who would give to it his undivided attention, and who should have sufficient capital to carry it on properly. In the hands of such a man, I have myself no doubt of its success.

Preserving meat fresh in tins hermetically closed might also, I am pretty sure, be made a very profitable business where meat of the very best quality can be had at so low a rate. Turkeys, fowls, geese, &c., might also be had on very reasonable terms; and I should think it would be worth the while of some person having sufficient capital, and who is practically acquainted with the process, to set up an establishment for this purpose at Melbourne. All extra fat might be rendered down for exportation. In this, as in the other branch of the provision trade, the Colonial, India, and China shipping would afford a market, in which we could appear with decided advantage over all competitors.

Many persons are very sanguine about the export