| RESEARCHED BY PETER KILLACKEY |
Leaving Table Bay on 12 November 1787, the coast of New South Wales was first sighted on the 3rd January 1788, but Botany Bay was not reached until 18 January and the whole fleet was not within that harbour until the 20th.
Phillip set out at once to examine it 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."
More-over, although there were a number of useful sites, none was sufficiently large to accommodate such a company as Phillip had with him.
Before he left England the Governor had been instructed by Lord Sydney that "there can be no objection to your establishing any part of the territory or islands upon the coast of New South Wales, in the neighbourhood of Botany Bay, which you may consider as more advantageously situated for the principal settlement; but at the same time you must understand that you are not allowed to delay the disembarkation of the establish-ment upon your arrival on the coast upon the pretence of searching after a more eligible place than Botany Bay."
Phillip therefore set out in the ships' boats to examine Port Jackson and as he said "had the satisfaction of finding the finest harbour in the world, in which a thousand sail of the line may ride in the most perfect security."
Two days were spent in examining the numerous coves and then the boats returned to Botany Bay.
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