Captain Arthur Phillip, Lieutenant King and a party of seamen and marines, the Supply's landing party, stepped ashore at Botany Bay in January, 1788. The shore was a barren marsh beyond the sandy beach on which had first set foot. As they progressed further inland they saw that the timber was stunted and the grass, far from being lush and green as they had been led to expect, proved on examination to be coarse and spiny, growing in tussocks amongst rocks and sand dunes. And, although mid January, it was hot, the air alive with myraid's of insects whilst, among the trees, hundreds of brightly hued birds, resembling small parrots darted this way and that, clearly disturbed by the intruders.

Sir Joseph Banks had waxed lyrical concerning this Bay when he and the late James Cook had landed here, almost eighteen years before, Phillip reminded himself. Cook had claimed it in the King's name, together with the whole of the unexplored eastern coast between the forty-third and the tenth degrees of southern latitude - a vast landaus, which he had named New South Wales. In his report, Cook had written of' 'deep black soil, capable of producing any kind of grain and at present producing, besides timber, as fine a meadow as ever was seen...' The words were indelibly imprinted in his memory, he had read and thought of them so often. Phillip expelled his breath in a long drawn sigh. He could see nothing fitting Cook's description of Botany Bay.

Unable to discern any sign of water, Phillip gave the order to retrace their steps, his face carefully expressionless. They returned abreast of the ship and there had their first encounter with a party of aborigines.

'Indians, sir!' King shouted in warning. 'And they don't appear pleased to see us.'

"Stand back,' Captain Phillip ordered. 'We must endeavour to get on friendly terms with them if we can.'

The Indians were of unprepossessing appearance, dark skinned and bearded. Their naked bodies, Phillip observed, had been liberally daubed with mud which had dried to a greyish dust, and their hair was ragged and unkempt. All were armed with spears and clubs and they brandished these on approach of the strangers, adopting a menacing pose and calling out in an unintelligible tongue, whose meaning was neverless quite plain.

He advanced toward the threatening little group, alone and unarmed offering gifts of beads and a mirror, and making signs to indicate he was seeking water. It was some time before he managed to disarm their suspicions but finally, after motioning him to deposit his gifts on the ground, an old man with a hideously flattened face stepped forward and possessed himself of the trinkets. He then indicated that there was a stream in the opposite direction to the one in which they had been searching, and having inspected this and found its quality good, the Supply party filled their casks and rowed back to the ship.

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Published August 1997 - Updated December 2007 ©