A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay With an Account of New South Wales, its Productions, Inhabitants, etc. Cambridge Library Collection - History of Oceania Series

In May 1787, eleven ships left England with more than seven hundred convicts on board, along with orders to establish a penal colony at Botany Bay, New South Wales. Watkin Tench (c.1758?1833) was a crew member on one of the ships of this First Fleet, the Charlotte, and he recalls the voyage and early days of the settlement in this vivid and engaging account, first published in 1789. The first half of the work retraces the route of the six-month journey, which took the fleet to Brazil and the Cape of Good Hope. The later chapters recount the landing at Botany Bay in January 1788, the establishment of a colony at nearby Port Jackson and observations about the natural world in this new settlement. Tench also discusses the initial interaction with the Aboriginal people, making this work an important source for scholars of British colonialism and Australian history.

Introduction; 1. From the embarkation of the convicts to the departure of the ships from England; 2. From the departure to the arrival of the fleet at Teneriffe; 3. The fleet's arrival at Teneriffe to its departure for Rio de Janeiro, in the Brazils; 4. The passage from Teneriffe to Rio de Janeiro; 5. From the arrival of the fleet at Rio de Janeiro till its departure for the Cape of Good Hope, with some remarks on the Brazils; 6. The passage from the Brazils to the Cape of Good Hope, with an account of the transactions of the fleet there; 7. The passage from the Cape of Good Hope to Botany Bay; 8. From the fleet's arrival at Botany Bay to the evacuation of it, and taking possession of Port Jackson. Interviews with the natives, and an account of the country about Botany Bay; 9. The taking possession of Port Jackson; with the disembarkation of the marines and convicts; 10. The reading of the commissions, and taking possession of the settlement in form, with an account of the courts of law, and the mode of administering public justice in this country; 11. A description of the natives of New South Wales, and our transactions with them; 12. The departure of the French from Botany Bay, and the return of the supply from Norfolk Island, with a discovery made by Lieut. Ball in his passage to it; 13. Transactions at Port Jackson in the months of April and May; 14. From the beginning of June to the departure of the ships for Europe; 15. The face of the country, its productions, climate, &c.; 16. The progress made in the settlement, and the situation of affairs at the time of the ship, which conveys this account, sailing for England; 17. Some thoughts on the advantages which may arise to the mother country from forming the colony; A list of the civil and military establishments in New South Wales.