It was an incredible idea-to found a colony of convicts eight months'
sail away from Great Britain. In a land with no cities, no farms, no rich
spices. Just savages in huts. The Dutch, the French and the Portuguese
had known about this place for two hundred years-and had turned
their noses up at it. The Chinese had known about it for even longer
and they weren't interested either.
No country had ever thought to send a colony so far away.
Why on earth would you bother?