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?