Descriptions of Sydney Harbour (text)
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Transcript of audio file: January 23rd. This day the Governor returned from exploring the coast and determined to go to Port Jackson, about 5 miles distant from Botany Bay by land, but 10 or 12 by sea. This is certainly, in the opinion of everyone, one of the finest harbours in the world, not excepting that of Trincamale in the East Indies, and was the adjacent country fertile instead of being so barren as it is, it would exceed anything yet known.
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Transcript of audio file: We reached the mouth of Broken Bay, Port Jackson about 7 o'clock pm and sailed about 8 miles up to Sydney Cove, where the settlement is made. As I have already endeavoured to describe the appearance of the different bays and coves in this harbour, I shall just observe here that there are many islands in the centre of most of the coves which have a very novel and romantic appearance. The soil and produce of all of them the same as mentioned of the other parts. The ships, many of them lie so near the shore that they might with ease be fastened by ropes to the trees instead of putting down their anchors.
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Transcript of audio file: It abounds with many capacious bays and coves for many miles up the country and all these surrounded with rocks of stone exactly similar to the Portland Stone, and which extends in ridges some miles up the country. The water close to the sides of these rocks in all the coves is deep enough for a line of battle ships to lie close.
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