"I am going to offer an Object, to the consideration of our Government, which may in time, atone for the loss of our American Colonies.

By the Discoveries & Enterprize of our Officers, many new Countries have been found, which know no Sovereign, and that hold out the most enticing Allurements to European Adventurers. None are more inviting, than New South Wales. Capn. Cooke, first coasted, & surveyed, the Eastern side of that fine Country from the 38th. degree of South Latitude, down to the roth. where he found every thing to induce him, to give the most favourable account of it. In this immense tract of more than 2000 miles, there was every variety of Soil, & great parts of it were extremely fertile, peopled only by a few black Inhabitants, who in the rudest state of Society, knew no other Arts than such as were necessary, to their mere animal Existence, & which was almost entirely sustained by catching Fish.

The Climate, & Soil, are so happily adapted to produce every various, & valuable Production of Europe, & of both the Indias, that with good management, & a few Settlers, in 20 or 30 Years they might cause a Revolution, in the whole system of European Commerce, & secure to England a Monopoly of some part of it, & a very large share in the whole.

Part of it lies in a Climate parrallel to the Spice Islands, & is fitted for the production of that valuable commodity, as well as the Sugar Cane, Tea, Coffee, Silk, Cotton, Indigo, Tobacco, & the other Articles of Commerce that have been so advantageous, to the Maritime Powers of Europe. I must not omit the mention of a very important Article, which may be obtained in any quantity, if the Settlement be made, the proper use of which would be of very considerable consequence both among the necessaries & conveniencies of Life. I mean the New Zeeland Hemp, or Flax Plant, an object equally of Curiosity & Utility. By proper Operations, it would serve the various purposes of Hemp, Flax, & Silk, & it is more easily manufactured than any one of them. In Naval Equipments it would be of the greatest importance: a Cable of the Circumference of ten Inches, would be equal in strength to one of eighteen Inches made of European Hemp. Our Manufacturers are of opinion, that Canvas, made of it, would be superiour in strength & beauty, to any Canvas of our own Country...

This Country besides may afford an Asylum to those unfortunate American Loyalists, to whom Great Britain is bound by every tie of honour and gratitude, to protect & support, where they may repair their broken fortunes, & again enjoy their former domestick felicity.

That the Government may run no risque, nor be left to act in a business of this kind without sufficient information, it is proposed, that one Ship of the Peace establishment (to incur the least possible Expence) be directly sent to that Country, for the discovery, and allotment of a proper district, for the intended Settlement; that one, or two Gentlemen of capacity, & knowledge, as well in Soil, & Situation, as in every other requisite, be sent in her, that there may be no imposition on the Government, nor upon the Americans, who with their Families shall adventure there.

If the Government be disposed to extend this Plan, two Vessels may be sent, with two Companies of Marines, selected from among such of that Corps, as best understand Husbandry, or Manufacturies, & about Twenty Artificers, who are all the Emigration required from the Parent State; these last, to be chiefly such as are taken on board Ships of War, for Carpenter's, & Armourer's Crews, with a few Potters, & Gardeners.

These Twenty Men, & the Marines, under a proper Person, to be left at the New Settlement, with Materials & Provisions, to prepare for the reception of the intended Settlers, that their wants may be as few as possible on their Arrival. As the Ship, or Ships, stop at the Cape of Good Hope, a sufficient stock to begin with, of Cows, Sheep, Goats, Hogs, Poultry & Seeds may be obtained there. A supply of the like Articles, as well as Cotton Seeds, Plantains, Grapes, Grain &c &c may be had in any quantity, at Savu, or any of the Moluccas, which are very near new South Wales.

When the landing is effected, the smaller Vessel may be dispatched home with the Intelligence, & while the Party designed to be left, are superintending the Gardens & increase of live Stock, the other Ship may if thought proper, be dispatched to New Caledonia, Otaheite & the neighbouring Islands, to procure a few Families thence, & as many Women, as may serve for the Men left behind: there is every reason to believe they may be obtained without difficulty. If but one Vessel goes, the Party with their Stock, may be left without apprehension of danger from the Natives...

That the Ministry may be convinced, that this is not a vain, idle Scheme, taken up without due attention & consideration, they may be assured, that the matter has been seriously considered by some of the most intelligent, & candid Americans, who all agree that under the patronage & protection of Government, it offers the most favourable Prospects, that have yet occurred to better the Fortunes, & to promote the happiness of their fellow sufferers, & Countrymen.

Sir Joseph Banks, highly approves of the Settlement, & is very ready to give his opinion of it, either to His Majesty's Ministers, or others, whenever they may please to require it.

Should this settlement be made, we may enter into a Commerce that would render our Trade to China, hitherto extremely against us, very favourable. The Aleütian, & Foxes Islands, situated between Asia & America, which abound with the choicest Furs, lie nearly North, of new South Wales. It is from these Islands the Russians get the most & best of their Furs, with which they carry on a very lucrative Trade, by Land with the Chinese. Our Ships that sailed under the Command of Caps. Cooke & Clerke, stopped at some of them, & the Skins which they procured there, sold in China, at 400 hard Dollars each, though for the few they brought home, of the same quality, they only received about Ten Pounds each. As our situation in New South Wales, would enable us to carry on this Trade, with the utmost facility, we should no longer be under the necessity of sending such immense quantities of Silver, for the different Articles we import from the Chinese Empire.

There is also a prospect of considerably extending our Woollen Trade. We know that large quantities of woollen Cloth, are smuggled to Japan by the Russians, which as it is taken by land Carriage trom St. Petersburgh, to Kamchatka, and then to the Islands, by a very precarious Navigation in Boats must be extremely dear; the Japanese however, go in their Junks to the Islands, & purchase great quantities of it.

The Peninsula of Korea, a Kingdom tributary to the Chinese and unvisited by Europeans, has its supply at second hand chiefly from the Japanese. No Ship has ever attempted this Commerce, excepting once or twice, that the Spaniards ventured thither, from their American Domin-ions: but as the Inhabitants of New Spain, are but indifferent Navigators for the high cold Latitudes, they could not oftener repeat the Enterprize.

It may be seen by Capn. Cooke's Voyage, that New-Zeeland is covered with Timber of Size, & every quality that indicates long duration, it grows close to the water's edge, & may be easily obtained: would it not be worth while, for such Ships as may be dispatched to new South Wales to take in some of this Timber on their return for the use of the King's yards? As the two Countries are within a fortnight's run of each other, & as we might be of the utmost service to the New Zeelanders, I think it highly probable, that this Plan, might become eminently useful to us, as a Naval Power, especially as we might thus procure Masts, a single Tree of which would be large enough for a first Rate Ship, & Planks, superiour to any that Europe produces.

By the Preliminary Articles of Peace with Holland, we are entitled to a free Navigation in the Molucca Seas. Without a Settlement in the Neighbourhood, the concession is useless; for the Dutch have an Agent almost on every Island in those Seas. If we have a Settlement, it is unnecessary; for as Spices are the only Articles we could expect by it, it is probable we should stand in no need of their Indulgence; for as part of New South Wales, lies in the same Latitude with the Moluccas, & is even very close to them, there is every reason to suppose, that what Nature has so bountifully bestowed on the small Islands, may also be found on the larger: but if contrary to Analogy it should not be so, the defect is easily supplied, for as the seeds are procured without difficulty, any quantity may be speedily cultivated.

To those who are alarmed at the Idea of weakening the Mother Country, by opening a Channel for Emigration, I must answer, that it is more profitable, that a part of our Countrymen, should go to a new abode, where they may be useful to us, than to the American States. If we cannot keep our Subjects at home, it is sound policy to point out a Road, by following of which they will add to the National Strength.

The place which New South Wales holds on our Globe, might give it a very commanding Influence in the policy of Europe. If a Colony from Britain, was established in that large Tract of Country, & if we were at War with Holland or Spain, we might very powerfully annoy either State from our new Settlement. We might with a safe, & expeditious Voyage, make Naval Incursions on Java, & the other Dutch Settlements, & we might with equal facility invade the Coasts of Spanish America, & intercept the Manilla Ships, laden with the Treasures of the West. This check which new South Wales would be in time of War, on both those Powers, make it a very important Object, when we view it in the Chart of the World, with a Political Eye...

I shall take this opportunity to make a remark on Colonization, which has not occurred to me in any Author, & which I flatter myself will contain some important Civil & Political Truth.

Too great a diminution of the Inhabitants of the Mother Country is commonly apprehended from voluntary Emigration; an apprehension which seems to me, not to be the result of mature reflexion. That we almost universally have a strong affection for our Native Soil is an observation as true as it is old: it is founded on the Affections of human Nature... A Man's Affairs are generally in a very distressed, in a desperate Situation, when he resolves to take a long adieu of his Native Soil, & of connections which must always be dear to him. Hence a body of Emigrants, nay a numerous body of Emi-grants, may in a Commercial View, be of great & permanent Service to their Parent Community, in some remote part of the World, who, if they continue at home, will probably live to see their own ruin...

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