who, it may be readily imagined, is the owner of the adjoining land, and who thinks that the emigrant has committed a flagrant breach of hospitality, in putting the said land up for sale; while the emigrant thinks the other party has acted in a very unfriendly manner, by bidding against him.
Thus disappointed, the emigrant proceeds to put up for sale several lots, similarly situated, in the hopes that he may be successful in obtaining one of them; but each lot is purchased by the owner of the adjacent land, who feels much annoyance at being thus compelled to buy the land, which he purposed doing at a more convenient opportunity.
The emigrant now loses heart, and thinks every person combined against him, while, in fact, his disappointments are caused by his own injudicious conduct. In a pastoral country, it is of the greatest importance to the sheep-farmer, to possess extent of run; and he therefore uses every endeavour to prevent being hemmed in, as he is then forced, at much inconvenience and expense, to form new establishments, at a considerable distance in the interior. It is, therefore, not to be expected, that any individual—unless possessing a greater share of disinterestedness than usually falls to the lot of humanity—will, if he can prevent it, permit a stranger to occupy land, which would diminish the value of his own, by taking away the advantages of an extensive Government run. He, therefore, very naturally, uses the unlocated land, as long as he can, for nothing; with the determination, however, to purchase it at some future tune, or whenever it is put up for sale.
I therefore advise the emigrant not to be tempted to put up land for sale, immediately in the vicinity of another settler's, as he will not obtain it, unless at a price far above its real value; while, at the same time, by such a proceeding, he will subject himself to disappointment, and ruinous delay, which he will avoid, by proceeding, at once, to some distance from any located land, where he should select a section[1], or more,
- ↑ A square mile, 640 acres. Government do not dispose of less, except under peculiar circumstances.
