LEAVE SYDNEY. 
173 
continent; this was in 1640. After this some forty 
years elapsed, when William Dampier landed on the 
western coast, and was, as far as we know, the first 
Englishman to put his foot on the soil of our great 
dependency. For nearly a century now, it seems, 
English, French, and Dutch, with intermittent ener- 
gies, endeavoured to become masters of New Hol- 
land. It was not until some seventeen years after 
Cook had really taken possession (in 1787) that Com- 
modore Phillips, the first Australian governor, was 
despatched from England with the view of forming 
a penal settlement at Botany Bay ; but soon after 
his arrival he found that locality altogether unfitted 
for the purpose. Then he sailed northward, entered 
Port Jackson (as he first, called it), and created the 
colony of New South Wales, from whence have sprung 
all our Australian colonies. 
This (June 8th) might be said to have brought 
our visit to a close. Unfortunately, it was a rough 
and boisterous morning ; so the plan that had been 
in contemplation by some of our friends to accom- 
pany the vessel outside the Heads was frustrated. 
Instead, however, of their presence on board, the 
white signals of waving handkerchiefs from the 
shore showed that they were near at hand, and, 
with all their good wishes, about 11 a.m. we steamed 
out from the anchorage, receiving quite an ovation 
on passing the Pearl and Dido , by the ships’ com- 
panies manning the rigging and cheering heartily, 
