The high moon sailing on her beauteous way,
while it shewed an almost boundless level, without a tree, threw an uncertain light over the distant horizon, that made it difficult to say how far the Plains extended. — Coming out of the dark and murky forest, a strong breeze swept along the Plain, alike refreshing by its chilliness to man and beast. This spot, indeed, deserves the name of Plains; it was only discovered on Saint Patrick’s day 1819. We still had a long ride through the wheat stubble, and large fields of maize, belonging to the owner of Castle Forbes, though we could not see the castle. If ever I had been inclined to smile at the apparent bad taste and vanity of giving such high sounding names to our bits of bush in New South Wales — our colonial castles, courts, halls, mounts, and parks, it was not at that moment, for I thought the owner of an estate comprising 4 or 5000 acres of such land, need not hesitate to call it after the most favored spot in Britain. If there is not a castle on it yet, there is a very neat and commodious cottage, which, for the present, as much more convenient than any castle could be. Although not at all acquainted with the proprietor, I should not have hesitated in storming his castle for a night’s lodging, but we had previously heard that he was gone to Sydney.
This and the adjoining property are two of the finest grants in the colony, and inferior to none in any part of the world. Thirty-six to forty bushels, to the acre is the usual produce of their wheat crops; and I saw what few people have seen in this country, if any, two stack yards within a mile of each other, containing together 10,000 bushels of wheat! And yet when the proprietor of Castle Forbes chose his land in this distant, out-of-the-way country, as it was then called, not four years ago, he was laughed at and considered mad. Let them laugh who win. But what is to be done with all this wheat, is not so easy to decide. Upto the present year the demands of the new settlers have been sufficient to carry off the superabundant produce of this district; but now that there are no new settlers, it is to be hoped some liberal and judicious system of distillation laws may be adopted to keep the plough going.
To send wheat from Patrick’s Plains to Sydney, to obtain the present market price of four shillings per bushel, is out of the question; whereas, if a distillery were established there, the proprietor would make a fortune, populational ready seven hundred souls, would soon be trebled, the plough share would never rust, and a labouring man, from the low price of spirits, might obtain his glass of grog without robbing his neighbour to obtain the means. Is it to be supposed that men can gather in the golden harvest of 400 acres of wheat in one spot, under an almost vertical sun, without having a glass of grog? Impossible. Beer, no doubt, would be better; and thee will soon be room at Patrick’s Plains, for both a brewery and distillery.
We arrived at the country inn, Patrick’s Plains, very late and very tired; but our man not having come up with the luggage, no beds had been prepared, as we expected, and mine host of the Plough was taken a little unawares. But late as it was, supper, and tea was soon on the table, and we found a grilled chicken and some slices of home made bacon very acceptable after a day’s fasting. There’s nothing like an inn, after all
Whoe’er has travelled life’s dull round,
Where’er his stages may have been,
May sigh to think he still has found,
The warmest welcome at an inn.
We had very good beds, and our horses were as well off as their masters. It required little, indeed, to make us satisfied.
I was soon up in the morning, like a man on board ship, to see whereabouts we were, and read over the door “Plough Inn, by Joseph Singleton, dealer in wines and spirits.” It is the most northern inn in the colony, being situate in 32.30 South latitude. We were on the edge of the river without knowing it, not having seen it for nearly 40 miles. It was reduced considerably in size, and when we went down the deep kloof to bathe, it was with difficulty we could find a place over our heads, although marks of the flood were visible 20 and 30 feet above the present bed but, in the memory of the oldest settler, the water was never known so low. It must be an extraordinary, flood, say 70 feet, that can overflow the banks of Hunter’s River, at this part of Patrick’s Plains; but such an event, we were told, may be looked for every six or seven years. There is plenty of building ground in the rear.
I give my bill for a night’s lodging at the Plough Inn, Patricks Plains, nothing can be more moderate; yet look at the brandy.
Supper with tea . . . 1/ 3
Bed . . . 1/3
Horse, as much corn as he could eat . . . 1/3
Breakfast eggs and pork . . . 1/3
Servants eating . . . 1/0
Half pint of brandy . . . 3/9
Total . . . 9/9
This is the price of 16 bushels of wheat for one gallon of spirits!!! It is not quite so bad as Faltaff’s bill of three shillings for sack, and a penny for bread; but it is an invaluable commentary upon the masterly legislation of Sir T. Brisbane’s early Council, and that precious enactment, the preamble of which talks about “the revenue being sunk by the weight of said impositions,” and, which literally came out, “like a thief in the night” and, as the Chronicle writer, says, at one stroke of his pen made men beggars at breakfast time, who, the night before, were in the flood tide of prosperity, enriching themselves and their country by their enterprise and skill.
Patrick’s Plains, by reason of the extent and fertility of the land, is capable of supporting a very thick population, and some day or other must be a place of great consequence. At present there is neither magistrate, school, nor medical man;— the nearest doctor being 40 miles off. This is a serious want, and naturally tends to prevent the settlement of families; -’tis as bad as the large county of Sutherland at home, which with a population of 23,000 inhabitants, can only boast of one doctor, whose house was shewn me at the extremity of the county, near the little ferry between Dornoch and Golspie.
This is the usual place for fording the river; but I must cut short this letter, for the present, and defer crossing ’till my next, when I will endeavour to point out to you a valuable and astonishing plan of rapidly raising immense herds of cattle, without costing you a shilling.
X. Y. Z
