Watkin Tench

A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay

With an Account of New South Wales, Its Productions, Inhabitants, Etc.

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

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.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Cambridge University Press
• Seitenzahl: 164
• Erscheinungstermin: 22. August 2013
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 216mm x 140mm x 9mm
• Gewicht: 216g
• ISBN-13: 9781108061681
• ISBN-10: 1108061680
• Artikelnr.: 37466981

Autorenporträt

British marine officer and author Watkin Tench (1758-1833) is most known for his in-depth accounts of the early British settlement of Australia. He was born in Chester, England, and enlisted in the Royal Marines in 1776. Tench was chosen as a marine officer for the First Fleet in 1787. The First Fleet was a fleet of ships that were intended to establish a penal colony in New South Wales, Australia. He lived in the colony for three years, during which time he maintained thorough records and published various volumes, including "A Comprehensive History of the Colony at Port Jackson" and "A Memoir of the Expedition to Botany Bay" (1789). (1793). These writings, which are still regarded and studied today, provide a unique and insightful perspective into the colony's early years. Tench continued to serve in the Royal Marines until his return to England in 1791, ultimately achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel. After taking a break in 1796, he relocated to Devon, where he remained until his death in 1833. In addition to his publications about Australia, Tench also wrote a book named "Military Diary of Major Ebenezer Denny" about his experiences in the American War of Independence (1820).

Inhaltsangabe

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.