26o- Australian Life 



More than half a century later came Captain 

 Cook, the most accurate, painstaking, and scien- 

 tific explorer the world has ever known. The 

 conclusion of his remarkable life-work left little 

 more to be learned about the Australian coast, 

 and that little was carefully and well investigated 

 by men who had the advantage of acquaintance 

 with his methods. On the scientific side of 

 Cook's expedition was Sir Joseph Banks, whose 

 enthusiastic account of Botany Bay remains to 

 this day as an apt illustration of the deception 

 practised by Australia in her most winsome 

 moments. The worthlessness of the land at 

 Botany Bay, which appeared to Banks an earthly 

 paradise, was soon discovered by Governor 

 Phillip, and to this day it remains barren and 

 unproductive. But it is well that Banks formed 

 such a glowing opinion of the new country, for 

 his advocacy had no little weight with the Gov- 

 ernment that first attempted the colonisation of 

 Australia. 



The long discussion that ended in the despatch 

 of Captain Phillip to establish a penal settlement 

 in Australia may well be passed over. It should 

 be said, however, that the early advocates of the 

 colonisation of Australia did not even include 

 a convict establishment in their scheme. That 

 was added by a Government hard pressed to dis- 

 pose of its malefactors, and in time the Colony 

 became a penal establishment, and little else. 

 Captain Phillip landed at Port Jackson January 26, 



