Peron, has given us an excellent account of his New South "Wales experience, and after refening to the Parramatta vineyards as likely to be followed by the most excellent results, he goes on to say : — " By one of those chances " which are inconceivable. Great Britain is the only one of " the great maritime powers which does not cultivate the " vine either in her own territories or her colonies, not- " withstanding the consumption of wine on board her fleets " and throughout her vast regions is immense." This is another illustration of the old adage that lookers-on see most of the game, for this observant Frenchman has recorded an opinion the very truth of which comes well home to us. His remarks, moreover, open up a vista of what a great M 2 180 THE ART OF LIVING IN AUSTRALIA. trade might be done with India in connection with our wines ; indeed, it is this interchange of products Avhich keeps the circulation going in the blood-vessels of com- mercial life. Yet, although the vine was thus early started in Australia, it has since made but Little progress, relatively speaking, in comparison with the great industry of wool -growing, and it will be appropriate to make this reference to the grape and the fleece conjointly, for the same name — that of John Macarthur — is intimately associated with both. In a small way sheep-breeding had been initiated soon after the settle- ment of Australia. But it was John Macarthur, by his introduction of the merino sheep in 1797, who gave the first impetus which led to the subsequent creation of the Aus- tralian wool trade. It was John Macarthur, too, who formed the first vineyard in Australia at Camden Park in 1815 ; though, as I have already said, the growth of the vine industry has not advanced with anything like the same rapidity as that of wool ; if it had, Australia would now occupy a position second to none in the world. It seems most fitting and opportune also to mention the fact that at the very time I am writing there is a proposal in the Sydney Morning Herald to do something to per- petuate our gratitude to John Macarthur. It is not often that one man has the opportunity of establishing two such great industries as wine-making and wool-growing. The benefits to Australia which have followed from the latter are altogether beyond calculation ; for wliich alone the name of John Macarthur deserves to hold a place in the memory of Australians for ever, and if the wine industry had only been developed in like proportion, Australia's prosperity would have marvellously increased. Knowing, therefore, what John Macarthur has done for Australia, it is to be hoped AU8TEALIAN WINE. 181 that before these lines see the light of day what is now proposed will be an accomplished fact.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Peron, has given us an excellent account of his New South "Wales experience, and after referring to the Parramatta vineyards as likely to be followed by the most excellent results, he goes on to say : — " By one of those chances " which are inconceivable. Great Britain is the only one of " the great maritime powers which does not cultivate the " vine either in her own territories or her colonies, not- " withstanding the consumption of wine on board her fleets " and throughout her vast regions is immense." This is another illustration of the old adage that lookers-on see most of the game, for this observant Frenchman has recorded an opinion the very truth of which comes well home to us. His remarks, moreover, open up a vista of what a great M 2 trade might be done with India in connection with our wines ; indeed, it is this interchange of products which keeps the circulation going in the blood-vessels of commercial life. Yet, although the vine was thus early started in Australia, it has since made but Little progress, relatively speaking, in comparison with the great industry of wool -growing, and it will be appropriate to make this reference to the grape and the fleece conjointly, for the same name — that of John Macarthur — is intimately associated with both. In a small way sheep-breeding had been initiated soon after the settlement of Australia. But it was John Macarthur, by his introduction of the merino sheep in 1797, who gave the first impetus which led to the subsequent creation of the Australian wool trade. It was John Macarthur, too, who formed the first vineyard in Australia at Camden Park in 1815 ; though, as I have already said, the growth of the vine industry has not advanced with anything like the same rapidity as that of wool ; if it had, Australia would now occupy a position second to none in the world. It seems most fitting and opportune also to mention the fact that at the very time I am writing there is a proposal in the Sydney Morning Herald to do something to perpetuate our gratitude to John Macarthur. It is not often that one man has the opportunity of establishing two such great industries as wine-making and wool-growing. The benefits to Australia which have followed from the latter are altogether beyond calculation ; for which alone the name of John Macarthur deserves to hold a place in the memory of Australians for ever, and if the wine industry had only been developed in like proportion, Australia's prosperity would have marvellously increased. Knowing, therefore, what John Macarthur has done for Australia, it is to be hoped that before these lines see the light of day what is now proposed will be an accomplished fact.

The art of living in Australia