when did the first fleet arrived in tenerife
First Fleet The First Fleet left Portsmouth, England on 13 May 1787.[25] The journey began with fine weather, and thus the convicts were allowed on deck.[26] The Fleet was accompanied by the armed frigate Hyena until it left English waters.[27] On 20 May 1787, one convict on the Scarborough reported a planned mutiny; those allegedly involved were flogged and two were transferred to Prince of Wales.[27] In general, however, most accounts of the voyage agree that the convicts were well behaved.[27] On 3 June 1787, the fleet anchored at Santa Cruz at Tenerife.[25] Here, fresh water, vegetables and meat were brought on board. Phillip and the chief officers were entertained by the local governor, while one convict tried unsuccessfully to escape.[28] On 10 June they set sail to cross the Atlantic to Rio de Janeiro,[25] taking advantage of favourable trade winds and ocean currents.
First Fleet It was soon realised that Botany Bay did not live up to the glowing account that the explorer Captain James Cook had provided.[39] The bay was open and unprotected, the water was too shallow to allow the ships to anchor close to the shore, fresh water was scarce, and the soil was poor.[40] First contact was made with the local indigenous people, the Eora, who seemed curious but suspicious of the newcomers. The area was studded with enormously strong trees. When the convicts tried to cut them down, their tools broke and the tree trunks had to be blasted out of the ground with gunpowder. The primitive huts built for the officers and officials quickly collapsed in rainstorms. The marines had a habit of getting drunk and not guarding the convicts properly, whilst their commander, Major Robert Ross, drove Phillip to despair with his arrogant and lazy attitude. Crucially, Phillip worried that his fledgling colony was exposed to attack from Aborigines or foreign powers. Although his initial instructions were to establish the colony at Botany Bay, he was authorised to establish the colony elsewhere if necessary.[41]