This scientific and political expedition, modelled on the voyages of James Cook, was the important scientific voyage ever undertaken by Spain and the first foreign delegation to visit the infant colony.
Malaspina made many comments and observations in his Journal of the Voyage by Alejandro Malaspina, about the fledgeling colony, the convicts, the British and the Aboriginal people. Many of them not of a complementary nature.
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| Image of the Malaspina Expedition (1789–1794) — at the island of Samar, the Philippines. 1875 drawing by Fernando Brambila |
Plan to Destroy Sydney
He not only wrote of being approached by the colony's prostitutes and “easy women”, but according to Spanish naval documents found by Chris Maxworthy, from The Australian Association for Maritime History, a detailed military plan was devised to destroy the Sydney British colony.
Three years later, the planned invasion became a possibility, when war between Britain and Spain looked likely, as King Carlos IV of Spain believed that the British could cause "great harm" to Spain's colonial interests. Bustamante wrote to the Spanish government about the Sydney colony.
"The entirely helpless state in which I observed that settlement in 1793, and the general discontent of its inhabitants, would so facilitate its conquest that I believe it would be achieved with the surprise that the convincing presence of our fleet would cause. But even if some resistance were offered, it could never triumph over the gunfire from our ships or prevent the total destruction of houses, warehouses and goods located in the principal settlement.”
The plan was to attack Sydney from the Spanish colonies in South America, with a fleet of 100 medium-sized boats armed with cannons and "hot shot" cannon, that involved firing heated shots, that could set fire to ships or buildings.
Bustamante proposed that after defeating the British at Sydney, the entire population of about 7000 prisoners, from Sydney and Norfolk Island, could be sent to South America to build the Spanish colonies.
Three years later, the planned invasion became a possibility, when war between Britain and Spain looked likely, as King Carlos IV of Spain believed that the British could cause "great harm" to Spain's colonial interests. Bustamante wrote to the Spanish government about the Sydney colony.
"The entirely helpless state in which I observed that settlement in 1793, and the general discontent of its inhabitants, would so facilitate its conquest that I believe it would be achieved with the surprise that the convincing presence of our fleet would cause. But even if some resistance were offered, it could never triumph over the gunfire from our ships or prevent the total destruction of houses, warehouses and goods located in the principal settlement.”
The plan was to attack Sydney from the Spanish colonies in South America, with a fleet of 100 medium-sized boats armed with cannons and "hot shot" cannon, that involved firing heated shots, that could set fire to ships or buildings.
Bustamante proposed that after defeating the British at Sydney, the entire population of about 7000 prisoners, from Sydney and Norfolk Island, could be sent to South America to build the Spanish colonies.
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