of the English colonies in the Pacific -- Notes gathered at Port Jackson -- Loose notes on the English colony of Port Jackson -- Observations on soil, natives and plants of Port Jackson and Botany.

Why did Britain send convicts to found a colony in the South Pacific? Why did Spain send an expedition to investigate the new colony? In March 1793, two Spanish corvettes lay at anchor off Sydney Cove, on the final stage of a fact-finding mission to Spain's far-flung Pacific dominions, a mission rivalling that of James Cook. In this book, Malaspina's secret report on the fledgling English colony is presented in English for the first time, with an introduction describing the world of international politics in which Spain, France and Holland jockey for advantage to retain their colonies in the face of competition from an England impudently spreading itself across the globe - even planting an outpost on the Pacific coast, Spain's territory since time immemorial. This book is intended for students and researchers in history and Australian/Pacific history.