Presenting New South Wales [antikvár]

New South WalesIN 1768 James Cook in HMS Endeavour set sail from England with a party of scientists to observe the transit of Venus from a favourable vantage point in Tahiti. His assignment complete, he sailed south, circumnavigated the north and south islands of New Zealand and then headed west in search of the unknown New Holland. Nineteen days sailing brought him to the coast of Australia at a place Cook named Point Hicks. 'It had,' he said, 'a very pleasing appearance' and as he sailed northwards his delight in this unknown continent increased. He landed athad been aroused by Cook's discoveries but it was not until Britain lost her American Territories in the War of Independence that there was any urgency to colonize the area. In England in the middle of the eighteenth century a large number of crimes such as pick pocketing carried the death sentence. However, a surprising degree of leniency was shown by magistrates and these sentences were often commuted to transportation.America had been the dumping ground for these transported convicts, but after the war America was no longer available and the BritishThe Heads, Sydney HarbourBotany Bay on 29 April 1770. Here Cook first came across the Aborigines who fled at the first approach of the white men. Cook sailed further north and after turning westward through Torres Strait he formally proclaimed British sovereignty over the whole east coast of the continent 'from latitude 38°S to this place 10y2°S'. He called it New South Wales.By 1779 practically the whole coast of Australia had been at least cursorily explored. Much interestjails became hopelessly crowded. The British Government had to take action and on 18 August 1786 Lord Sydney signed a letter to the Lord Commissioners of Treasury that stated that 'His Majesty. has been pleased to signify to me his royal commands that measures should immediately be pursued for sending out of this kingdom such convicts as are under sentence or order of transportation.'Action was speedily taken and the first 750 con-3