<P> The weather became increasingly hot and humid as the Fleet sailed through the tropics . Vermin, such as rats, and parasites such as bedbugs, lice, cockroaches and fleas, tormented the convicts, officers and marines . Bilges became foul and the smell, especially below the closed hatches, was over-powering . While Phillip gave orders that the bilge - water was to be pumped out daily and the bilges cleaned, these orders were not followed on the Alexander and a number of convicts fell sick and died . Tropical rainstorms meant that the convicts could not exercise on deck as they had no change of clothes and no method of drying wet clothing . Consequently, they were kept below in the foul, cramped holds . On the female transports, promiscuity between the convicts, the crew and marines was rampant, despite punishments for some of the men involved . In the doldrums, Phillip was forced to ration the water to three pints a day . </P> <P> The Fleet reached Rio de Janeiro on 5 August and stayed for a month . The ships were cleaned and water taken on board, repairs were made, and Phillip ordered large quantities of food . The women convicts' clothing had become infested with lice and was burnt . As additional clothing for the female convicts had not arrived before the Fleet left England, the women were issued with new clothes made from rice sacks . While the convicts remained below deck, the officers explored the city and were entertained by its inhabitants . A convict and a marine were punished for passing forged quarter - dollars made from old buckles and pewter spoons . </P> <P> The Fleet left Rio de Janeiro on 4 September to run before the westerlies to the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa, which it reached on 13 October . This was the last port of call, so the main task was to stock up on plants, seeds and livestock for their arrival in Australia . The livestock taken on board from the Cape of Good Hope destined for the new colony included two bulls, seven cows, one stallion, three mares, 44 sheep, 32 pigs, four goats and "a very large quantity of poultry of every kind". Women convicts on the Friendship were moved to other transports to make room for livestock purchased there . The convicts were provided with fresh beef and mutton, bread and vegetables, to build up their strength for the journey and maintain their health . The Dutch colony of Cape Town was the last outpost of European settlement which the fleet members would see for years, perhaps for the rest of their lives . "Before them stretched the awesome, lonely void of the Indian and Southern Oceans, and beyond that lay nothing they could imagine ." </P> <P> Assisted by the gales in the "Roaring Forties" latitudes below the 40th parallel, the heavily laden transports surged through the violent seas . In the last two months of the voyage, the Fleet faced challenging conditions, spending some days becalmed and on others covering significant distances; the Friendship travelled 166 miles one day, while a seaman was blown from the Prince of Wales at night and drowned . Water was rationed as supplies ran low, and the supply of other goods including wine ran out altogether on some vessels . Van Diemen's Land was sighted from the Friendship on 4 January 1788 . A freak storm struck as they began to head north around the island, damaging the sails and masts of some of the ships . </P>

When did the first fleet leave cape of good hope
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