2-267 (Text)

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Adelaide is laid out on both sides of the Torrens; it has an open space of parkland, reserved in the midst, and is divided into 1,040 acres, exclusive of streets, which cross at right-angles, so as to give to every acre, one side of street-frontage, and to about half of them, two sides. The acres sold originally, at from £3 to about £12 each, and they are now bringing from £40 to £65 each! The population already amounts to about 1,200, but being scattered over so large an area, they make little show. Some of the immigrants are erecting comfortable dwellings of wood, stone, or terrapisa, but many are living in rush huts, which are exceedingly obnoxious to fire. The day was excessively hot, and every thing was consequently very dry. One of the huts caught fire, and was destroyed in a few minutes So many persons settling together in an open, fertile country, and having generally brought good supplies with them, from England, and a few who had capital, having imported cattle from Tasmania, they have suffered but a small share of the privations to which the early emigrants to N.S. Wales and V.D.'s Land were subjected. Provisions are however high; fresh meat 1s. per pound, bread 20d. the four-pound loaf; but if made at home, it does not cost half that sum. Mechanics are obtaining 10s. a day, wages, in cash, or notes of the Bank of Australia, which issues 2s. 5s. and 10s. as well as larger notes, and receives small deposits at interest.