In The First Sighting of Australia by the English, Ida Lee recounts the story of the first English expedition to Australia in 1770. Led by Captain James Cook, the expedition was the first to chart the eastern coast of Australia. The book begins with a brief overview of the history of exploration in the Pacific Ocean, and then moves on to the preparations for the expedition. It then follows the journey of the expedition, from the departure from England to the arrival in Australia. The book also covers the interactions between the English and the Indigenous Australians, and the impact of the expedition on the Indigenous Australians. The book also includes a detailed account of the expedition's discoveries, including the first sighting of the Great Barrier Reef, the first charting of the eastern coast of Australia, and the first contact with the Indigenous Australians. The book concludes with a discussion of the legacy of the expedition, and the impact it had on the exploration of Australia. It also includes a discussion of the impact of the expedition on the Indigenous Australians, and the legacy of the expedition in Australia today.
By Ida Lee · First published 1934 · Genre: Historical Non-Fiction, Biography, Adventure