422 THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



Stephens, Cape Hawke, and Rockingham Bay, for 

 example, are written in places where earlier names 

 have been erased. One can imagine the enthusiastic 

 word of Banks that, in this instance, convinced Cook 

 of his mistake. Banks had spent his last day in the 

 Bay in " collecting specimens of as many things as we 

 possibly could, to be examined at sea." As day by day 

 this examination proceeded, as it was realised that their 

 treasure would revolutionise the realm of Botany, how 

 would the stingray be forgot ! l 



Banks The week's visit to Botany Bay fixed the site of the 



Botan^Bay ^ rst; British colony in the Pacific. In 1779 Banks was 

 as the site of examined by a committee of the House of Commons, that 

 colony, 1779. had been appointed to consider the question, what shall 

 we do with our convicts ? If it was thought expedient 

 to establish a colony of convicted felons in a distant part 

 whence escape would be difficult, and where from the 

 fertility of the soil they might be enabled to maintain 

 themselves after the first year with little or no help from 

 England, what place did Mr. Banks think best ? His 

 answer was Botany Bay ! The seven months' voyage, 

 he said, would make escape very difficult. The natives 

 were few and cowardly. The climate was like that of 

 the South of France. " The proportion of rich soil was 

 small in comparison to the barren, but was sufficient 

 to support a very large number of people." There were 

 no beasts of prey, and sheep and oxen would thrive. There 

 was fish in plenty. The grass was long and luxuriant. 

 There were eatable vegetables. The country was well 

 supplied with water. There was abundant timber for 

 fuel and for buildings. The convicts would need one year's 



1 The " Admiralty " Journal has " Botany Bay," which proves that 

 this part of it must have been written later than the " Corner " Journal. 

 Parkinson wrote : " From the number of curious plants we met with 

 on shore we called the Bay Botany Bay." As Parkinson died on the 

 voyage from Batavia to the Cape, this passage confirms the statement 

 that the name was changed before the Cape was reached. The author 

 of the Journal of a Voyage round the World, published September, 1771, 

 says rightly that the Bay was named " Stingray Bay " ; and, some- 

 what curiously, omits to mention that the name was changed to 

 Botany Bay. 



