[Having fairly established the first settlement of white men on the
continent of Australia, Governor Phillip wrote an account of his work to
the Colonial Secretary.]
GOVERNOR PHILLIP TO LORD SYDNEY
Sydney Cove, New South Wales, _May 15th, 1788._
My Lord,
I had the honour of informing your Lordship, by Captain Cox, who was
returning to Europe from Madras that I was ready to sail from the Cape
of Good Hope, and which I did, with the ships under my command, the 12th
of November. The 25th, being eighty leagues to the eastward of the Cape,
I left the _Sirius_, and went on board the _Supply_ tender, in hopes, by
leaving the convoy, to gain sufficient time to examine the country round
Botany Bay and fix on the most eligible situation for the colony before
the transports arrived.
The _Supply_, sailing very badly, had not permitted my gaining the
advantage hoped for, but I began to examine the bay as soon as we
anchored, and found that tho' extensive, it did not afford shelter to
ships from the easterly winds; the greater part of the Bay being so
shoal that ships of even a moderate draught of water are obliged to
anchor with the entrance of the bay open, and are exposed to a heavy sea
that rolls in when it blows hard from the eastward.
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