FIRST FLEET & BOTANY BAY: THE LONDON CHRONICLE.

 

The first printed accounts of the Expedition to and the Settlement at Sydney Cove, in issues of the London Chronicle newspaper issued in early 1789:

 

March 24-26, 1879: A lengthy article, "...Of the convicts and others, from the departure of the squadron from Portsmouth, to the time the ship which brings the advice left Jackson's Bay, only 40 appear to have died; and to compensate for this loss, 42 infants were born."..."Three of the convicts were induced to try their fortunes among the natives, where they hoped to have a favourable reception: two of these were in this expedition killed and eaten; and the third, after subsisting on roots for some time in the woods, returned, almost perished through hunger. This operated to deter further adventures of a like nature."