Phillip, however, remembered hearing that the French had an expedition of discovery either in progress or contemplation.  He was the first to form a right opinion about them, but, wishing to be certain, sent the Supply out of the bay to get a nearer view and hoist the British colours.  Lieutenant Ball, in command of that brig, after reconnoitring, reported that the ships were certainly not English.  They were either French, Spanish or Portuguese.  He could distinctly see the white field of the flag they flew, “but they were at too great a distance to discover if there was anything else on it.”  The flag, of course, showed the golden lilies of France on a white ground.  One of the ships, King records, “wore a chef D’ESCADRE’S pennant,” that is, a commodore’s.

This information satisfied Phillip, who was anxious to lose no time in getting his people ashore at Sydney Cove.  He, therefore, determined to sail in the Supply on the 25th, to make preliminary arrangements, leaving Captain Hunter of the Sirius to convoy the Fleet round as soon as possible.  The wind, just then, was blowing too strong for them to work out of the Bay.

Meanwhile, Laperouse, with the Boussole and the astrolabe, was meeting with heavy weather in his attempt to double Point Solander.  The wind blew hard from that quarter, and his ships were too heavy sailers to force their passage against wind and current combined.  The whole of the 24th was spent in full sight of Botany Bay, which they could not enter.  But their hearts were cheered by the spectacle of the pennants and ensigns on the eleven British vessels, plainly seen at intervals within, and the prospect of meeting Europeans again made them impatient to fetch their anchorage.

The Sirius was just about to sail when the French vessels entered the Bay at nine in the morning of January 26, but Captain Hunter courteously sent over a lieutenant and midshipman, with his compliments and offers of such assistance as it was in his power to give.  “I despatched an officer,” records Laperouse, “to return my thanks to Captain Hunter, who by this time had his anchor a-peak and his topsails hoisted, telling him that my wants were confined to wood and water, of which we could not fail in this Bay; and I was sensible that vessels intended to settle a colony at such a distance from Europe could not be of any assistance to navigators.”  The English lieutenant, according to Laperouse, “appeared to make a great mystery of Commodore Phillip’s plan, and we did not take the liberty of putting any questions to him on the subject.”  It was not the business of a junior officer to give unauthorised information, but perhaps his manner made a greater mystery of the Governor’s plans than the circumstances required.