of the committee of the privy council on the pastoral
capabilities of New South Wales. He requested the crown to grant the use
of public lands and servants, and offered to supply the commissariat at
a given price, and to sustain the entire risk or loss of his experiment.
The statement of increase was doubted: the testimony respecting the
quality of wool could not be disputed, as Macarthur had procured the
certificates of eminent manufacturers. It was, however, asserted that
the natural pasture would be unable to subsist flocks, and it was
necessary to combat this objection. Macarthur proposed to sell his flock
at their value to a company, and on credit; on condition that the
company procured a grant from the crown for pasture. This was declined;
but Lord Camden was requested by their lordships to encourage Macarthur,
and he received in consequence permission to occupy the cow pastures,
where natural fences prevented the intermixture of his flocks. A grant
of 5,000 acres--ultimately of an additional 5,000--was made to him.
Never was a reward more justly due, or given with less sacrifice.[112]

Mr. Macarthur procured from the royal flock at Kew, one ewe and nine
rams:[113] with these he raised his flock to 6,000 (1818), and
frequently sold pure merino rams at from L14 to L28 per head.

The merino stock of George III., from which the Australian stocks were
partly drawn, was sent to that monarch by the Spanish cortes. The king's
love of rural pleasures was thus instrumental in adding immense wealth
to his empire.

It was not until 1820, that settlers of Van Diemen's Land entered the
career of improvement. The original stock were introduced by Colonel
Paterson: a mixture of Teeswater, Leicester, and Bengal breeds. The
lieutenant-governor was anxious to improve the quality by an importation
of merino lambs. By an engagement with Macarthur, three hundred were
shipped at Sydney;[114] but more than one-third died: the rest were
distributed to the settlers by lot, who gave the engagements to repay at
the stipulated sum, and who received facilities for the experiment in
suitable tickets of occupation. Macarthur received, at 7s. 6d. per acre,
4,368 acres of land for the 300 lambs, valued to the crown at L5 per
head.[115] From this date the wool of the Tasmanian flocks became known
to commerce.

Van Diemen's Land wool was not an article of export until 1819. Only
71,000 pounds had been sent to London from New South Wales, but so