The Attorney-General, I believe by his own desire, has had communicated to him an observation on the passage of our China ships that I imagine will remove the only difficulty that I can think of in the way of the South Sea scheme.

It is a better rout and shorter for the ships bound to China to pass by the coast of New South Wales—now that it is so well known—than that which they at present pursue. Sir George Young has spoken to several of them on this subject, and it appears that the Government may send out convicts at about £15 a head, and as Mr. Pitt’s Commutation Bill will considerably page 44 increase the number of China ships, twenty being taken out by each yearly, will rid you of as many as are on hand. As perhaps the Attorney-General may not receive this in time, you will oblige me by communicating it to Ld. Sydney before he goes to the Cabinet Council.

As there are officers of some consideration in the service who are willing to go on this duty, and as the number of convicts taken out at the beginning are few, and chosen, I think the impropriety of employing King’s ships in the first instance sufficiently removed.