io8 N E W H O L L A N D ,
end; two, fometimes more, will venture in one of them; they
keep along the fhoals to ftrike the fifli, which appears to be ,
their principal fubiiftence; they alfo eat the fowls, or the few
quadrupeds they can contrive to take. On many o f the taH
trees were cut notches in the items to facilitate their afcenr.
They feemed to conceal themfelves on the top, and by that
means furprife the birds as they alight, or catch them at rooft; or
from this iituation, kill with their lances any beaft that .chances
to pafs beneath. As to their cookery, they content themfelves
with eating their meat raw, or at belt with giving it a flight
broiling over their fires.
T h e country is hilly, but not mountanous; part covered with
tall trees, quite clear from underwood; in fome parts near the
fhores, were extenfive tra£ts hid by bruihwood ; and in many
places fwamps full o f 'the Mangrove, or Rbiz&phora mangle *.
Many rills difcharge themfelves into Botany bay, but- it wanted
depth of water to give room for fhips o f large -fize. The foil in
places.was black and fat, and gave Captain Cook reafon to believe
it would be productive o f any fort o f grain. The trees were
' filled with birds o f moil: beautiful colors, particularly thofe o f
the parrot tribe. The country abounded with plants, and from
that circumftance the! harbor was called Botany Bay. All this
coaft was named New South Wales, from the extreme fouth to
the extreme north; a denomination given near two centuries
ago to part of the territories adjacent to Hudjon’s bay.
O d r C o n - In iSpI year 1787, when we began to be at a lofs about the
these ENT difpofal o f our criminals, legiflature was advifed to baniih into
* Cateiby, ii. tab. 63*
this
N E W H O L L A N D .
fills country, all thofe who had been by royal mercy reprieved
from death, or who had been convidted of crimes
Kable only to the puniihment o f tranfportation to our late go-
lonies.
A n . a£t was paffed for that purpofe in the fame year, and in
eonfequence a fleet was prepared to convey to this diftant country
as many convi&s, as at- that time fell under the penalty of the
law. The Syrius frigate was fitted out to convoy the governor.
The gentleman feledted for the arduous ch arge was captain Arthur'
Phillip, who had long ferved in our navy with great credit, and-
for fome time was engaged in the fervice o f Portugal, during
part o f whieh he with great good conduft and humanity performed
a duty fimilar to that his country now committed to
h im ; for he w-as-employed once, i f not oftener, in conveying the
criminals of that nation to its colonies of the Brazils.
Thec governor failed from Spithead on May 13th, 1787, On
June 3d he and his fleet reached Peneriff-, on Auguft 5th anchored
off Rio. de Janeiro-, on OSlober 13th in table Bay,, at the
cape of Good Hope, which he left on November 12th in the
Supply; reached Botany Bay, on January 3d,. 1788, having performed,
in a. bad failer, a voyage o f feven thoufandmiles in fifty-
one days; the Syrius- and the whole convoy anchored fafely in the
bay on the 19th and 20th of the fame month.
I t is a popular opinion that the expence o f tranfportation o f
the convidls amounted to three hundred pounds a man, including
the provifion made for their cloathingand fupport for fome fmall
time after their landing. L was in hopes that two pamphlets,
publiihed by Bebrett in 1791, 1792, under authority of government,
lit9
G o v e r n o r
P h i l l i p ,