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diff --git a/17022-8.txt b/17022-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..73fd91a --- /dev/null +++ b/17022-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3649 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The First Discovery of Australia and New +Guinea, by George Collingridge + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The First Discovery of Australia and New Guinea + Being The Narrative of Portuguese and Spanish Discoveries + in the Australasian Regions, between the Years 1492-1606, + with Descriptions of their Old Charts. + +Author: George Collingridge + +Release Date: November 7, 2005 [EBook #17022] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA *** + + + + +Produced by Col Choat + + + + + +The First Discovery of Australia and New Guinea + +Being The Narrative of Portuguese and Spanish Discoveries in the +Australasian Regions, between the Years 1492-1606, with Descriptions +of their Old Charts. + +By George Collingridge De Tourcey, M.C.R.G.S., of Australasia; + +Hon. Corr. M.R.G.S., Melbourne, Victoria; Hon. Corr. M.N.G.S., Neuchatel, +Switzerland; Hon. Corr. M. of the Portuguese G.S.; Hon. Corr. M. of the +Spanish G.S.; Founder (with his brother, Arthur Collingridge) and First +Vice-President of the Royal Art Society of N.S.W., Australia; Author of +"The Discovery of Australia," etc., etc. + +First published 1906 + +"Olba a Sunda tao larga que huma banda +Esconde para o Sul difficultuoso." +CAMOĖNS.--Os Lusiadas. + + + +CONTENTS. + +I. In Quest of the Spice Islands +II. Voyages to the Spice Islands and Discovery of Papua +III. The Spice Islands in Ribero's Map +IV. Villalobos' Expedition and Further Discoveries in Papua +V. The First Map of New Guinea +VI. Jave-la-Grande, The First Map of Australia +VII. Pierre Desceliers' Map +VIII. Desliens' Map +IX. Mendana and Sarmiento Discover the Solomons +X. Mendana in Search of the Solomon Islands. An Early Map of the + Solomons +XI. Queiroz's Voyage. A Spanish Map of the Bay of St. Philip and + St. James, in Espiritu-Santo Island (New Hebrides) +XII. Torres' Discoveries + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. + +1. Prince Henry the Navigator +2. Statue of Prince Henry +3. Portuguese Fleet +4. Magellan +5. The Victoria +6. The _Trinidad_ in a Squall +7. Flying Fish (From an Old Map) +8. Sebastian del Cano +9. Scene in the Spice Islands +10. Tidor Volcano, seen from Ternate +11. The Cassowary +12. Spanish Ships +13. Nutmegs and Cloves, from an Old Chart +14. Banda Volcano +15. Diego do Couto's Pig +16. Malay Press +17. Spanish Ships +18. Guinea Fowl +19. Scene in New Guinea +20. Spanish Caravels +21. The Great Albuquerque +22. Bamboos +23. Guanaco +24. Marco Polo +25. Ant Hills +26. Mendana's Fleet +27. Crescent-shaped canoes +28. Scene in the Solomon Islands +29. Tinacula Volcano, from Santa Cruz +30. Queiroz's Fleet +31. An Atoll Reef +32. Type of Island Woman +33. War Drums +34. Scene in the Solomon Islands + + + +LIST OF MAPS IN TEXT. + +1. Portuguese Hemisphere +2. Spanish Hemisphere +3. Timor, from an Old Chart +4. Australia and Jave-la-Grande compared +5. Santa Ysabel Island +6. Guadalcanal Island +7. Santa Cruz Island +8. The Earliest Map of the Solomon Islands +9. Queiroz's Track +10. Tierra Australia del Espiritu Santo +11. New Hebrides +12. The Big Bay of Santo +13. New Holland +14. Torres' Track + + + +LIST OF COLOURED MAPS--ILLUSTRATED. + +1. The Earliest Drawing of a Wallaby +2. The Spice Islands, from Ribero's Official Map of the World +3. Nova Guinea--The First Map of New Guinea +4. Jave-la-Grande--The First Map of Australia +5. Don Diego de Prado's Map of the Bay of St Philip and St James + in Espiritu Santo +6. Don Diego de Prado's Map of the Islands at the South-east end + of New Guinea +7. Pierre Desceliers' Map of Australia +8. Desliens' Map of Australia +9. Moresby's Map of the Islands at the South-east end of New Guinea +10. The Great Bay of St Lawrence +11. Bay of St Peter of Arlanza + + + +PREFACE TO GEORGE COLLINGRIDGE'S DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA, +PUBLISHED IN 1895. + +Of the many books which have been published on subjects relating to +Australia and Australian History, I am not aware of any, since my late +friend, Mr. R. H. Major's introduction to his valuable work, "Early +Voyages to Terra Australis," which has attempted a systematic +investigation into the earliest discoveries of the great Southern +Island-Continent, and the first faint indications of knowledge that such +a land existed. Mr. Major's work was published in 1859, at a time when +the materials for such an enquiry were much smaller than at present. The +means of reproducing and distributing copies of the many ancient maps +which are scattered among the various libraries of Europe were then very +imperfect, and the science of Comparative Cartography, of which the +importance is now well recognised, was in its infancy. For these reasons +his discussion, useful though it still is, cannot be regarded as abreast +of modern opportunities. It is, indeed, after the lapse of more than a +third of a century, somewhat out of date. Having, therefore, been led to +give close attention during several years to the whole subject, I have +thought the time ripe for the present work. + +The distance from the great centres and stores of knowledge at which I +have been compelled to labour will excuse to the candid critic the errors +which will no doubt be discovered; yet I feel some confidence that these +will prove to be omissions rather than positive mistakes. No pains have +been spared in investigating the full body of documents now available. + +Though unable to examine personally some manuscripts of interest and +value, I believe I can truly say that I have read every book and examined +every map of real importance to the question which has been produced in +English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Dutch. I have +corresponded also largely during the past four years with many of the +most eminent members of the Geographical Societies of London, Paris, +Madrid, Lisbon, Rome, Amsterdam and Neuchatel. To these gentlemen I am +deeply indebted for searches which they have made for me in the libraries +and museums within their reach, for much information readily and kindly +afforded, and for the interest and sympathy which they had at all times +manifested in my labours. My thanks are due also to the gentlemen in +charge of the Sydney Free Public Library who kindly enriched their +collection with many rare, and very useful volumes of permanent +importance which I was unable to procure myself, and who aided my +researches by every means in their power. + +I cannot hope that in a subject so vast and interesting, I shall be found +to have said the last word, yet I trust that my book may prove to be of +value, both in itself, and as directing the attention of others to a +field which should be mainly explored by residents of Australia. Such as +it is, I now send it forth, with the natural solicitude of a parent, and +commend it to the indulgence of the reader, and the kindly justice of the +critic. + +GEORGE COLLINGRIDGE, +"Jave-la-Grande," +Hornsby Junction, +July, 1895. + + + +PUBLISHERS' NOTE. + +Ten years ago, Mr. George Collingridge published "The Discovery of +Australia."--a large quarto volume, bulky, erudite and expensive. It took +its place as a valuable contribution to the literature of the country, +and remains the world-accepted authority on the important and interesting +subject with which it deals. But it was in nowise suited to the general +reader--being designed more for the scholar than for the person who +desired to conveniently possess himself of authentic information relating +to the earliest annals of Australian discovery. + +To meet the requirements of the general reader, and to serve as a text +book of Australian History, the present publication has been issued as a +handy compendium of the original volume. + +From this book, all controversial matter has been omitted as irrelevant +to a work intended as a handbook for either scholar or student. + +The valuable facsimiles of rare and ancient maps have been retained, many +illustrations have been included in the text, and the story of the +explorers has been dealt with at greater length by the author, whose +patient antiquarian research, his knowledge of European and Oriental +Languages, and his opportunities as a member of several Geographical +Societies, have given him unusual facilities for the compilation of a +work which may confidently be expected to find its way into every +scholastic, public and private library in the Commonwealth. + +--The Publishers. + + + + +INTRODUCTION. + +The discovery of a continental island like Australia was not a deed that +could be performed in a day. Many years passed away, and many voyages to +these shores of ours were undertaken by the leading maritime nations of +Europe, before the problematic and mysterious TERRA AUSTRALIS INCOGNITA +of the ancients became known, even in a summary way, and its insularity +and separation from other lands positively established. + +We must not be astonished, therefore, at the strange discrepancies that +occur in early charts and narratives, for it took time to realize how +different portions of our coast lines, which had been sighted from time +to time might be connected, and how the gaps might be filled in by fresh +discoveries and approximate surveys. + +The question as to who first sighted Australia, and placed on record such +discovery, either in the shape of map or narrative, will, in all +probability, ever remain a mystery. + +However, that such a record was made appears evident when we consider +certain early charts, follow carefully the testimony which the evolution +of Australian cartography affords, and take cognisance of various +descriptive passages to be found in old authors. + +These passages will be given here in connection with the old charts, and +followed up by the narratives of voyages in search of the "Great South +Land." + +The numerous maps and illustrations have been carefully selected; they +will greatly help the student towards understanding these first pages of +the history of Australia. + +GEORGE COLLINGRIDGE. + + + +THE FIRST DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW GUINEA. + + + +CHAPTER I. + +IN QUEST OF THE SPICE ISLANDS. + +"And the New South rose with her forehead bare-- +Her forehead hare to meet the smiling sun-- +Australia in her golden panoply; +And far off Empires see her work begun, +And her large hope has compassed every sea." + + --SIR GILBERT PARKER. + + +What was the relative position of European nations in the arena of +maritime discovery at the beginning of the sixteenth century? + +Portugal was then mistress of the sea. + +Spain, too, indulging in an awakening yawn, was clutching with her +outstretched hands at the shadowy treasure-islands of an unfinished +dream. + +England had not yet launched her navy; Holland had not built hers. + +Portugal had already buried a king--the great grandson of Edward III. of +England--whose enterprise had won for him the name of Henry the +Navigator. + +Slowly and sadly--slowly always, sadly often--his vessels had crept down +the west coast of Africa; little by little one captain had overstepped +the distance traversed by his predecessor, until at last in 1497 a +successful voyager actually rounded the Cape. + +Then Portugal, clear of the long wall that had fenced her in on one side +for so many thousands of miles, trod the vast expanse of waters to the +east, and soon began to plant her flag in various ports of the Indian +Ocean. [See Portuguese flags on Desliens' Map.] + +Pushing on further east in search of the Spice Islands, she found +Sumatra, Borneo, the Celebes, Java, Timor, Ceram, the Aru Islands and +Gilolo; she had reached the famous and much coveted Moluccas, or Spice +Islands, and set to work building forts and establishing trading stations +in the same way as England is doing nowadays in South Africa and +elsewhere.* + +[* In a chart of the East Indian Archipelago, drawn probably during the +first Portuguese voyages to the Spice Islands (1511-1513), the island of +Gilolo is called Papoia. Many of the islands situated on the west and +north-west coast of New Guinea became known to the Portuguese at an early +date, and were named collectively OS PAPUAS. The name was subsequently +given to the western parts of New Guinea. Menezes, a Portuguese +navigator, is said to have been driven by a storm to some of these +islands, where he remained awaiting the monsoonal change.] + +Meanwhile the Spaniards, after the discovery of America by Columbus, were +pursuing their navigations and explorations westward with the same object +in view, and it soon dawned upon them that a vast ocean separated them +from the islands discovered by the Portuguese. + +Magellan was then sent out in search of a westerly passage; he reached +the regions where the Portuguese had established themselves, and disputes +arose as to the limits of the Portuguese and Spanish boundaries. + +Pope Alexander VI. had generously bestowed one-half of the undiscovered +world upon the Spanish, and the other half upon the Portuguese, charging +each nation with the conversion of the heathen within its prospective +domains. + +Merely as a fact this is interesting enough, but viewed in the light of +subsequent events it assumes a specific importance. + +The actual size of the earth was not known at the time, and this division +of Pope Alexander's, measured from the other side of the world, resulted +in an overlapping and duplicate charting of the Portuguese and Spanish +boundaries in the longitudes of the Spice Islands,* an overlapping due, +no doubt, principally to the desire of each contending party to include +the Spice Islands within its own hemisphere, but also to the fact that +the point of departure which had been fixed in the vicinity of the +Azores, was subsequently removed westward as far as the mouth of the +Amazons. + +If Portugal and Spain had remained to the present day in possession of +their respective hemispheres, the first arrangement would have given +Australia and New Guinea to Portugal; whereas the second arrangement +would have limited her possessions at the longitude that separates +Western Australia from her sister States to the east, which States would +have fallen to the lot of Spain. Strange to say, this line of demarcation +still separates Western Australia from South Australia so that those two +States derive their boundary demarcation from Pope Alexander's line. + +A few years after the discovery of the New World the Spanish Government +found it necessary, in order to regulate her navigations, and ascertain +what new discoveries were being made, to order the creation of an +official map of the world, in the composition of which the skill and +knowledge of all her pilots and captains were sought. + +Curiously enough, as it may appear, there is an open sea where the +Australian continent should be marked on this official map. + +Are we to infer that no land had been sighted in that region? + +Such a conclusion may be correct, but we must bear in mind that prior to +the year 1529, when this map was made,* the Spaniards had sailed along +250 leagues of the northern shores of an island which they called the +_Island of Gold_, afterwards named New Guinea, and yet there are no signs +of that discovery to be found on the Spanish official map. It is evident, +therefore, that this part of the world could not have been charted up to +date. This is not extraordinary, for it was not uncommon in those days, +nor was it deemed strange that many years should elapse before the +results of an expedition could be known at head-quarters. In order to +realise the nature of the delays and difficulties to be encountered, nay, +the disasters and sufferings to be endured and the determination required +for the distant voyages of the period, we have but to recall the fate of +Magellan's and Loaysa's expeditions. + +[* See the Ribero Map.] + +Those navigators were sent out in search of a western passage to the +Spice Islands, and with the object of determining their situation. + +Of the five vessels which composed Magellan's squadron, one alone, the +_Victoria_, performed the voyage round the world. + +The _S. Antonio_ deserted in the Straits which received Magellan's name, +seventy odd of the crew returning to Spain with her. + +The _Santiago_ was lost on the coast of Patagonia. + +The _Concepcion_, becoming unfit for navigation, was abandoned and burnt +off the island of Bohol, in the St. Lazarus Group, afterwards called the +Philippines. + +The _Trinidad_ was lost in a heavy squall in Ternate Roads, and all hands +made prisoners by the Portuguese. Many of them died, and, years after, +only four of the survivors reached their native shores. + +The _Victoria_, after an absence of three years all but twelve days, +returned to Spain with thirty-one survivors out of a total crew of two +hundred and eighty. The remaining one hundred and sixty or seventy had +perished. It is true that some of those shared the fate of Magellan, and +were killed in the war undertaken in the Philippines to help their +allies. + +The fate of Loaysa's armada was still more disastrous. A short +description of it will be given in the next chapter. + +Notwithstanding all these drawbacks, the period was one of great maritime +activity, and many unauthorised and clandestine voyages were also +performed, in the course of which Australia may have been discovered, for +the western and eastern coasts were charted before the year 1530, as we +shall see by and by. + + + +CHAPTER II. + +VOYAGES TO THE SPICE ISLANDS AND DISCOVERY OF PAPUA. + +Whilst the Portuguese and Spaniards were fighting for the possession of +the "Spicery," as they sometimes called the Moluccas, the old dispute +about the line of demarcation was resumed in Spain and Portugal. It was +referred to a convocation of learned geographers and pilots, held at +Badajoz, on the shores of the Guadiana. + +Those learned men talked and argued, and their animated discussions +extended over many months; but no decision was arrived at. + +Sebastian del Cano, who had been appointed commander after Magellan's +death at the Philippines, and had returned to Spain with the remnant of +the expedition, had been called upon to report his views at the meetings, +but he, also, had not been able to prove under what longitude the Spice +Islands were situated; and now another fleet was ordered to be fitted out +to make further investigations. + +It was entrusted to Garcia Jofre de Loaysa, with del Cano as pilot-major, +and other survivors of Magellan's armada. + +They sailed from Coruna in July, 1525, with an armament of seven ships. +Every precaution was taken to ensure the success of the voyage, but the +expedition proved a most disastrous one notwithstanding. During a fearful +storm del Cano's vessel was wrecked at the entrance to Magellan's +Straits, and the captain-general was separated from the fleet. + +Francisco de Hoces, who commanded one of the ships, is reported to have +been driven by the same storm to 55 deg. of south latitude, where he +sighted the group of islands which became known at a later date under the +name of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands. + +It was April before the rest of the fleet entered Magellan's Straits, and +the passage was tedious and dismal, several of the sailors dying from the +extreme cold. At last, on the 25th of May, 1526, they entered the Pacific +Ocean, where they were met by another storm, which dispersed the fleet +right and left. + +On this occasion an extraordinary piece of good luck befel one of the +small vessels of the fleet--a pinnace or row boat, of the kind called +_pataca_, in command of Joam de Resaga, who steered it along the coast of +Peru, unknown at the time, and reached New Spain, where they gave an +account to the famous conquerer of Mexico, Fernand Cortez, telling him +that Loaysa was on his way to the islands of cloves.* + +[* It is strange that this voyage, along the coasts of an hitherto +unexplored country, preceding as it did, not only the conquest of Peru by +Pizarro, but even the arrival of that _conquistadore_ in the South +Pacific Ocean, should have remained unknown by Prescott and all other +historians of the conquest of the _Land of the Incas_.] + +The remnant of the fleet steered a north-westerly course when once in the +Pacific Ocean. + +They were in a sore plight. Both commanders were sick, and, nearing the +Line, on the 30th of July, Loaysa died. Four days after, Sebastian del +Cano, who had escaped and weathered so many storms and dangers, expired +also, leaving the command of the expedition to Alonzo de Salazar. + +Salazar steered for the Ladrones. On the 4th of September he arrived at +that group, where he met Gonzalo de Vigo, one of the seamen of the +_Trinidad_. + +From the Ladrones the expedition sailed for the Philippines, and on the +way Alonzo de Salazar, the third commander, died. + +Martin de Iniquez was now appointed to the command, and it was November +before they came to anchor at Zamofo, a port in an island belonging to +the King of Tidor, who had become their ally during their previous +voyage. + +Disputes immediately arose between the Spaniards and the Portuguese +commander settled at Ternate. A war ensued, which lasted for several +years, with various degrees of success and activity, the people of Tidor +supporting the Spaniards and those of Ternate the Portuguese settlers. + +Galvano, the Portuguese historian of the Moluccas, and a resident there +for many years, informs us that only one vessel of Loaysa's fleet reached +the Spice Islands. The fourth commander, Martin de Iniquez, died some +time after, poisoned, it is said, and the command of the remnant of the +expedition was entrusted to Hernando de la Torre. But the only vessel +left was found to be so much damaged in repeated actions with the +Portuguese that it had become unfit for the homeward voyage. + +About this time, 1527, Fernand Cortez, the conqueror of Mexico, sent from +New Spain his kinsman, Alvaro de Saavedra, in search of Loaysa's +expedition. + +Saavedra set out from the Pacific coast with three armed vessels and one +hundred and ten men. + +Two of the vessels were almost immediately separated from the commander, +and their destiny remains a mystery to the present day. + +Saavedra, however, in command of the _Santiago_ pursued his course alone +and reached the Spice Islands, after a voyage of a little over two +months. + +His countrymen were delighted to see him, but remembering their own sad +experiences, would hardly credit that he had come from New Spain in so +short a time. + +He was immediately attacked by the Portuguese, and various engagements +took place in which he was supported by the survivors of Loaysa's armada, +who had now built a brigantine out of the planks of their famous fleet of +seven vessels. + +Meanwhile Saavedra, during the intervals of peace, did not neglect to +load up his good ship with spices, and, in the beginning of June, 1528, +he set sail for New Spain. The prevailing winds that had favored his +outward passage were now against him. He tried to avoid them by taking a +southerly course, and, in doing so, he fell in with the northern coast of +New Guinea, the shores of which, as I have intimated, he followed for no +less than 250 leagues. + +The Spaniards found traces of gold all along this part of the country, +and Saavedra named the island _Isla del Oro_, the Island of Gold; but his +description of the natives, whom he found to be black, with short crisped +hair or wool, similar to those of the coast of Guinea in Africa, gave +rise, no doubt, to the alteration in the name, for at a later date the +island became known as _Nova Guinea_, or New Guinea. + +Upon leaving the shores of New Guinea, Saavedra hoped to be able to reach +New Spain, but the head winds which still prevailed compelled him to +return to the Spice Islands. + +The following year, in May, 1529, in another attempt to reach New Spain, +he again coasted along the northern shores of New Guinea; he then sailed +to the north-east, as in his previous voyage, and discovered some islands +which he called _Los Pintados_, from the natives being painted or +tattooed. + +The people were fierce and warlike, and from a canoe boldly attacked the +ships with showers of stones thrown from slings. + +To the north-east of Los Pintados several low inhabited islands or atolls +were discovered, and named _Los Buenos Jardines_, "The Good Gardens." + +Saavedra cast anchor here, and the natives came to the shore, waving a +flag of peace; they were light-complexioned and tattooed. The females +were beautiful, with agreeable features and long black hair; they wore +dresses of fine matting. When the Spaniards landed, they were met by men +and women in procession, with tambourines and festal songs. These islands +abounded in cocoanuts and other vegetable productions. + +From the Good Gardens Islands they set out again towards New Spain. + +On the 9th of October, 1529, Saavedra died; and the next in command, +vainly attempting to make headway in an easterly direction, returned once +more to the Spice Islands. + +The remnant of Saavedra's expedition reached Spain, by way of the Cape of +Good Hope and Lisbon, seven years later, in 1536. + +According to Galvano, the Portuguese historian, Saavedra's discoveries in +1529 were more extensive than in 1528. He says the Spaniards coasted +along the country of the _Papuas_ for five hundred leagues, and found the +coast clean and of good anchorage. + +The year that witnessed the return from the Spice Islands of the +survivors of Saavedra's expedition, 1536, witnessed also the sailing of +another fleet sent out from New Spain by Fernand Cortez to discover in +the same waters. + +It consisted of two ships commanded by Grijalva and Alvarado. + +The account of this voyage of discovery is very vague, and the various +writers on the subject do not entirely agree. This is due, perhaps, to +the fact that Alvarado abandoned the enterprise from the start, and went +to the conquest of Quito, in Peru, leaving the sole command to Grijalva. + +It appears certain, however, that Grijalva visited many islands on the +north coast of New Guinea, and one, in particular, called _Isla de los +Crespos_, Island of the Frizzly Heads, at the entrance of Geelvinck Bay, +near which a mutiny occurred, and Grijalva was murdered by his revolted +crew. + +His ship was wrecked, and the expedition came to an end, a few of the +survivors reaching the Spice Islands in 1539. + +Most of the names given during the course of the exploration are +difficult to locate. + +Besides the various place-names mentioned by Galvano, _Ostrich Point_, +the _Struis Hoek_ of later Dutch charts, is, perhaps, a reminiscence of +this untimely voyage. + +A casoar, or cassowary, would, of course, be called an ostrich, and here +we have for the first time in history a picturesque description of that +Australasian bird. + +Galvano's translator says: "There is heere a bird as bigge as a crane, +and bigger; he flieth not, nor hath any wings wherewith to flee; he +runneth on the ground like a deere. Of their small feathers they do make +haire for their idols." + + + +CHAPTER III. + +THE SPICE ISLANDS, IN RIBERO'S MAP. + +I must now say a few words about the official map of the world, alluded +to on page 16. It is by Ribero, and will be found on pages 28 and 29. The +date of this map is 1529. + +The portion reproduced shows the Spice Islands, and a glance at this part +of the world brings vividly to our minds the intense desire of each +contending party to possess a region that yielded the wealth that is here +described. + +The map is Spanish, and Spain has allotted to herself the lion's share, +planting her flag in the midst of "Spice and everything nice" (see +Spanish hemisphere), and relegating the Portuguese flag to the Straits of +Sunda (see Portuguese hemisphere). For thousands of miles around, +ships--the seas are dotted with specimens similar to the two included +within our small area--fleets of them, converge towards, or sail away +from these spice-bearing islands. Every quaint old craft, whether light +caravel or crazy galleon, is underwritten with the legend, _Vengo de +Maluco_, I come from the Moluccas, or, _Vay a Maluco_, I go to the +Moluccas, as though that region were the only one on the face of the +globe worthy of consideration. And all that "Province of Maluco" bears +inscriptions denoting the particular product for which each island is +celebrated. + +These are:-- +Timor, for Sandal-wood; Java, for Benzoin;* Borneo and Celebes, for +Camphor; Amboyna, for Mace and Nutmegs; and last, not least, Gilolo, for +Cloves. + +[* Benzoin, a fragrant gum-resin obtained from Styrax Benzoin, used in +pharmacy, and as incense.] + +Let us now consider some other features of this map. The overlapping of +territorial boundaries to which I have alluded, is apparent here in the +repetition of the western coast line of Gilolo. + +It will be seen that the Spanish map claims Gilolo and the other Spice +Islands, such as Ternate, Tidor, Batchian, etc., since they are set down, +in the western half of the world. + +This is wrong, for those islands virtually fell within the Portuguese +sphere. I have purposely drawn your attention to these deceptions and +distortions on this Spanish map because on the first map of Australia, +which we shall consider by and by, we shall see that the Portuguese made +use of similar methods which they, of course, turned to their own +advantage. + +For instance, they blocked the sea-way to the south of Java, and, in +other ways, restricted the approach to the Spice Islands to channels over +which they had control. Observe that the smaller islands of the East +Indian Archipelago, from Java to Flores, are not charted, although they +were well-known at the time. There must have been a reason for this, for +these missing islands are precisely those which we shall find grafted on +to the Australian continent (Jave-la-Grande) in the charts that we are +coming to. + +Observe also that the south coast of Java is not marked. The reason for +this is obvious, the south coast was not known. Java, indeed, was +believed to be connected with the Great Southern Continent, and was +called _Java Major_, to distinguish it from Sumatra, which was named +_Java Minor_. + +In proof of the Portuguese belief concerning the connection and size of +Java, I quote here what Camoėns, their immortal poet, says:-- + +_"Olha a Sunda* tao larger, que huma banda +Esconde pare o Sul difficultuoso." + Os Lusiadas._ +Java behold, so large that one vast end +It, covers towards the South tempestuous. + +[* Another name for Java.] + +Towards the year 1570, however, practical Portuguese seamen had become +aware of a more accurate shape for Java, and Diego do Couto, the +Portuguese historian, describes its shape in the following manner:-- + +"The figure of the island of Java resembles a pig couched on its fore +legs, with its snout to the Channel of Balabero,* and its hind legs +towards the mouth of the Straits of Sunda, which is much frequented by +our ships. The southern coast, [pig's back] is not frequented by us, and +its bays and ports are not known; but the northern coast [pig's stomach] +is much frequented, and has many good ports." + +[* Modern Straits of Bali.] + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +VILLALOBOS' EXPEDITION AND FURTHER DISCOVERIES IN PAPUA. + +After various treaties, signed at Segovia, Seville and Zaragoza, the King +of Spain renounced at last, his claim to the Spice Islands, for the sum +of 350,000 ducats. + +But this agreement did not interfere with other possessions of the +Spanish crown, nor did it prevent the Spaniards from making fresh +conquests within the limits which had been allotted to them. + +Meanwhile the Portuguese were more active in their explorations. + +Making the Spice Islands the centre of their enterprise, under the +guidance and governorship of Galvano, the "Apostle and historian of the +Moluccas," they sent their caravels in every direction, equipping also +native junks and proas for purposes of trade and discovery. From Japan in +the north, to Timor in the south, and from Java in the west, to the +Carolines and Ladrones in the east, they penetrated everywhere. + +The Spaniards on their side continued to lay claim to the islands of the +archipelago of St. Lazarus, discovered by Magellan, and, after Villalobos +expedition, called the Philippine Islands, in honour of Phillip II. of +Spain. + +These islands, situated outside the Spanish sphere, had fallen under +Portuguese sway by treaties with the native kings, and by conquests made +after the death of Magellan. + +Of these events the Spanish government knew but little, but Magellan's +initiatory work and conquests were not to be abandoned, and Don Antonio +de Mendoza, the Viceroy of New Spain, was ordered to equip and send out a +colonising expedition without delay. + +It was entrusted to Ruy Lopez de Villalobos, and set sail from New Spain +on the 1st of November, 1542. + +The Armada was composed of six ships and four or five hundred soldiers. +On their way from the west coast of North America to the Philippines, +they discovered many islands in the North Pacific Ocean; among others the +Hawaiian Group, visited many years after by Cook, and named by him the +Sandwich Islands. + +In 1543 one of the ships belonging to the fleet, the _San Juan_, +commanded by _Bernardo della Torre_, with _Gaspar Rico_ as first pilot, +made an attempt to return to New Spain. + +But in their numerous efforts to reach America from the Great Asiatic +Archipelagoes, the Spaniards had not yet found out the proper season nor +latitude to sail in, and through their want of knowledge concerning the +periodicity of the winds in those regions, they met with many +disappointments and mishaps. + +In Bernardo della Torres' attempt, many islands were discovered, and, +after sailing seven hundred leagues in their estimation, the wind +failing, they were compelled to return to the Philippines. + +Meanwhile the attempt at colonisation had been a failure and the fleet +had sailed away and reached the Moluccas, to which islands della Torre +repaired. + +In the year 1545 the _San Juan_ was despatched again. + +She was now commanded by _Inigo Ortiz de Retez, Gaspar Rico_ being still +the pilot. They sailed from Tidor in the Moluccas, in the beginning of +the year, and made extensive discoveries on the north coast of _Os +Papuas_, or Papua, which discoveries will be seen on the old Spanish +chart in the next chapter. + +One of the three great Papuan rivers, the river now called the Amberno, +was discovered and was named the _S. Augustino_, and formal possession +was taken in the name of the King of Spain. + + + +CHAPTER V. + +THE FIRST MAP OF NEW GUINEA. + +Had the Portuguese and Spanish known the map of New Guinea as we know it +nowadays they would, no doubt, have described it as a Guinea fowl, Bird +of Paradise or some such creature, as delineated above, in the same way +as they described Java and other islands in these seas.* + +[* Celebes was likened to a spider, Ceram to a caterpillar, etc., etc.] + +The map of Nova Guinea, shows, however, that their ideas were like all +original ideas concerning shapes of countries--imperfect. + +Nevertheless, some of the principal features of the Portuguese and +Spanish discoveries in Papuas and New Guinea, up to the year 1545, are +clearly discernible.* + +[* The original Portuguese and Spanish documents that were used in the +compilation of this map have been lost or have not yet come to light. Our +copy dates from the year 1600.] + +It will be noticed that Gilolo is now placed in its correct position, +twenty degrees to the west of where it was placed before in Ribero's map. + +It is now in the Portuguese sphere where it should be. + +The Portuguese discoveries in New Guinea occupy what might be described +as the fowl's head and neck. They come under the name of OS PAPUAS, and +the islands where Menezes is said to have sojourned--_hic hibernavit +Georg de Menezes_--in the year 1526. + +The three nameless large islands, between Os Papuas and Nova Guinea +represent, no doubt, the Misory Islands and Jobi of modern charts. + +The Aru Islands are also charted, and the Tenimber or Timor Laut group is +indicated (although it bears no name) as having been the sojourn of +Martin Alfonso de Melo,* a Portuguese navigator, whose name has not been +otherwise recorded, as far as I know, in the history of maritime +discovery in these parts. + +[* _Martin afonso de mela_, on the chart.] + +SPANISH SPHERE. + +The Spanish portion commemorates the expedition of Inigo Ortiz de Retez +with Gaspar Rico, in the _San Juan_, in the year 1545; some of the names +being the _Rio de S. Augustino_; the island of Ortiz, _I de Arti_; the +port of Gaspar Rico and the _I. S. Juan_, named after their little ship; +the cape named _Ancon de la Natividad de Nustra Siniora_, being the term +of their voyage which, according to Juan Gaetan, one of Villalobos' +pilots, who wrote a description of it, extended to six or seven degrees +of south latitude, must represent the modern Cape King William, or +thereabouts. + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +JAVE-LA-GRANDE. THE FIRST MAP OF AUSTRALIA. + +The maps that I am going to describe in this chapter are beautiful +specimens of medieval work; they are, however, somewhat startling, for +they reveal, in a most unexpected and sudden manner, nearly the whole of +the coasts of Australia discovered, yet, without any narrative of voyage +to prepare us for the fact. + +They stand alone, therefore, as the most important documents hitherto +come to light bearing on the early discovery and mapping of Australia. + +They belong to a type of manuscript Lusitano-French, or Lusitano-Spanish +planispheres, which is represented by several specimens, all of which are +copies from a prototype which has either been destroyed or has not yet +been found. + +As the original model, or prototype, is of a date anterior to 1536, they +may be considered collectively notwithstanding the apparent later date +of some of them.* + +[* Desliens' bears the date 1566; see pages 70-71.] + +The Australian portion, or Jave-la-Grande, of the oldest one, given here +first, is taken from a large chart of the world, on a plane scale, +painted on vellum, 8ft. 2in. by 3ft. 10in., highly ornamented with +figures, etc., and with the names in French. + +At the upper corner, on the left hand, is a shield of the arms of France, +with the collar of St. Michael; and on the right, another shield of +France and Dauphiny, quarterly. It was probably executed in the time of +Francis I. of France, for his son, the Dauphin, afterwards Henry II.; +hence, this chart has sometimes been called the "Dauphin Chart."* + +[* Another of these planispheres, belonging to the same French School of +Cartography, was presented to Henry II. of France. About that time a +movement was set on foot for the colonisation of the Great Southern +Continent, or Jave-la-Grande. The promotors failed in their endeavours, +and one of them went to England with the hopes of better success; he also +failed in his efforts, and the great colonising scheme was abandoned.] + +This chart formerly belonged to Edward Harley, Earl of Oxford and one of +the principal Lords of the Admiralty, after whose death it was taken away +by one of his servants. It. was subsequently purchased by Sir Joseph +Banks, Bart., and presented by him to the British Museum in 1790. + +Copies of this and other maps of the same category, have been made for +the Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide Free Public Libraries, at considerable +expense. This was a wise step on the part of our governments, for the +strongest evidence of early discovery as yet brought to light is shown in +the draughting of these old charts of Australia. + +Unfortunately, as I have said, they are all mere copies of copies, the +first of which were more or less altered in outline and corrupted in +nomenclature, from a prototype which has not yet been found. + +But, if the internal evidence of these odd charts clearly shows the +original or originals to have been Portuguese or Spanish, one point of +the question will be settled, and the Portuguese and Spanish will +undoubtedly be entitled to the claim and honor of having discovered +Australia. + +As to the matter of date, that is of less importance, and can be fixed +approximately, for the discovery must have taken place at some period +between the arrival of the Portuguese and Spanish in these seas and the +draughting of the earliest known chart, that is between the years 1511 +and 1536, a period of 25 years.* + +[* When the Portuguese reached India and the East Indian Archipelago +(1511) they were the masters in those seas, and became the possessors of +many charts used by Javanese, Malay, Chinese, and Arabian sailors. +The great Albuquerque refers to a large chart of this description, which +was afterwards lost at sea, but of which copies had been made by the +pilot Rodriguez. It showed all the coasts and islands from China, the +Spice Islands, and Java, to the Cape of Good Hope and Brazil. It is +difficult to believe that the Javanese, Malays, Chinese, or Arabs had any +knowledge of Brazil in South America, although the Malays and Arabs had +rounded the Cape of Good Hope, coming from the east side, of course. I am +inclined to think that the term Brazil mentioned by Albuquerque refers to +Australia, which had been called _Brasilie Regio_ from an early date--a +date prior to the discovery of Brazil in the year 1500. See, on this +subject, my paper in the proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of +Australasia under the heading "Is Australia the Baptismal Font of +Brazil?" Vol. VI., No. 1, Sydney, N.S.W.] + +But, after all, until the very date of the expedition which resulted in +the first discovery can be ascertained, the question of nationality of +the first discoverers is a much more interesting one. + +Having no other documentary evidence except these old charts, the first +conclusion drawn was that as they are all written in French, the French +were the discoverers in spite of the fact that no French claim had been +made. + +The late R. H. Major, the author of "Early Voyages to. Australia," having +thoroughly considered the possibility of a French claim, came to the +conclusion that such a claim was untenable. Being somewhat shaken, +however, in his first belief of a Portuguese discovery, he was led to +adopt a Provenēal theory to explain certain words which on these old +Gallicized charts, were neither Portuguese nor French. The whole subject +was in this state of incertitude and confusion, when, a few years ago, +having occasion to examine minutely these old documents, I discovered on +the oldest of them a phrase in Portuguese, which, curiously enough, had +escaped the notice of all the learned critics who had made a special +study of this early specimen of cartography. + +The phrase I had discovered, "_Anda ne barcha_," or "No boats go here," +situated as it is in the Gulf of Carpentaria, had, in my mind, a very +great significance, since it not only proves the Portuguese origin of the +chart, but also the genuineness of the discovery made in that as it +showed that the discoverers were fully aware of the shallowness of the +water off this part of the coast of Australia. + +It must be admitted however, that on the original chart the nautical +phrase "_Anda ne barcha_," may refer to the difficulty of navigating the +strait between Java and Bali, or the one between Bali and Lomboc. + +When I say that this phrase proves the Portuguese origin of the chart, I +do not mean to convey the idea that I accepted it, there and then, as a +proof of Portuguese origin, but I rather took it as a clue, for the +meaning of those words had evidently not been understood by the copyist, +since he had left them in their original form, instead of translating +them into French, and had mistaken them for the names of two islands. + +This clue led me to make a special study of every word on the chart that +had proved so interesting, the result being that I came to the conclusion +that the western coasts of Australia had been chartered by the +Portuguese, whereas the eastern coasts, which fell within the hemisphere +allotted to the Spaniards, had been discovered and charted by them. + +If we take for granted--and I think we may--that these charts are +unquestionably of Portuguese and Spanish origin, the next point of +importance that calls for our attention relates to the peculiar +configuration, or, to be more precise, the strange distortion which all +these specimens have undergone. This distortion is so great that one +might fail to recognise Australia within the coast line set down, were it +not for the general fitness of the terms used as descriptive of this +coast line, terms which have been handed down to us in the course of the +geographical evolution, and some of which are recorded in the very maps +we use every day. + +Moreover, we have the equally important fact that within the latitudes +and longitudes charted, Australia does actually hold its place in the +vast ocean around. See map of Australia and Jave-la-Grande compared, +given here. + +We must make great allowance for the measurement of longitudes as +computed in the days when the first circumnavigators were called upon to +determine whether the Moluccas fell within the Spanish or the Portuguese +territory, for, after their return, the matter was as unsettled as ever. + +Albeit, the errors of these charts are far more suggestive of deliberate +distortion than, of inaccurate charting. + +In describing Ribero's chart, I made some remark about Spanish +distortions. I come now to the Portuguese ones, which refer to this +subject. + +For instance, the Portuguese, who were the first to make discoveries in +these seas, must have been perfectly aware that the coasts they had +charted lay more to the east, and if they dragged them out of position +and placed them under Java as shown in these maps, it was in order to +secure to themselves the lion's share, for their line of demarcation, as +fixed by Pope Alexander, did not extend much beyond the east coast of +Timor.* + +[* A contemporaneous Spanish pilot named Juan Gaetan, of whom we have +already heard in connection with the Spanish voyages on the north coast +of New Guinea [see pages 25, 26, 28], and who aboard Portuguese ships +navigated all the seas to the north of Australia, has put the following +remarks on record with reference to Portuguese charts. + +He says: "I saw and knew all their charts. They were all cunningly +falsified, with longitudes and latitudes distorted, and land-features +drawn in at places and stretched out at others to suit their purposes, +etc., etc., and when they found out that I understood their little pranks +they made strenuous efforts to get me to enlist in their service, and +made me advantageous offers, which, however, I scorned to accept."--In +_Ramusio_.] + +They could not have believed that Timor was situated to the east of the +peninsula, now known as York Peninsula, and clearly shown in these +charts, nor that there was not an open sea to the south of Java since the +first circumnavigators, returning to Spain from Timor, with the last ship +of Magellan's fleet, sailed through it. (See track of their ship on map +of Timor, p. 40.) + +But the secret was so well kept, that seventy-eight years after +Magellan's voyage round the world, Java and Australia were still believed +to be one and the same continent by certain otherwise well-informed +navigators, as will be seen by Linschoten's "Discours of Voyages into ye +East and West Indies," published in London, in the year 1598, in which +the following description, from Portuguese sources, occurs: + +"South, south-east, right over against the last point or corner of the +Isle of Sumatra, on the south, side of the equinoctial line, lyeth the +island called JAUA MAIOR, or Great Java, where there is a strait or +narrow passage, called the strait of Sunda, of a place so called, lying +not far from thence within the Isle of Java. The island beginneth under 7 +degrees on the south side, and runneth east and by south 150 miles long; +but touching the breadth it is not found, because as yet it is not +discovered, nor by the inhabitants themselves well known." + +"Some think it to be firme land* and parcel of the countrie called TERRA +INCOGNITA, which, being so, should reach from that place to the _Cape de +Bova Sperace_ [Cape of Good Hope]; but as [?] it is not certainly known, +and, therefore, it is accounted an island." + +[* The term implies continental land] + +The above passage [shows?] that the author was uncertain as to whether +Australia, which he calls the Great Java, was connected or not with +ANTARCTICA, which he terms TERRA INCOGNITA; and his hesitation may be +readily understood when we consider that some maps of the period +disconnected Java-la-Grande from the TERRE AUSTRALLE INCOGNEUE; whereas +others connected it with Kerguelen and Tierra del Fuego. + +THE ILLUMINATIONS. + +I shall say a few words now about the illuminations. They form a +conspicuous feature in these old maps, and lend a great charm to such +productions of a bygone age; it would be a useless task, however, to seek +in these quaint devices a strict pourtrayal of the scenes appertaining to +the countries they might be supposed to illustrate; to do so would be to +forget their chief purpose, the decorative. But, allowing for the liberty +usually granted to the artist, nay, often exacted by him, the scenes +depicted are not borrowed from the realms of "Idealism" to the extent +that has been supposed by certain commentators. + +The kangaroo is not represented; no, nor the gum-tree either, perhaps! +But that clump of bamboos* on the top of a hill is not a volcano in full +eruption, as a learned critic once ventured to assert. + +[* Bamboos are plentiful on the north-western coasts of Australia, +planted, no doubt, by Malay fishermen in search of trepang, who from time +immemorial frequented those shores.] + +We see, on these charts, fairly correct presentments of that animal seen +for the first time by the Spaniards in the straits to which Magellan gave +his name, and described by the Italian narrator, Pigafetta, who +accompanied the first circumnavigators. + +Pigafetta says:-- +"This animal has the head and ears of a mule, the body of a camel, the +legs of a stag, and the tail of a horse, and like this animal it neighs." + +The animal thus described by Pigafetta is the Guanaco, _Camelus +huanacus_, and it is not astonishing to find it represented on the +Australian continent, for we know* that this continent was supposed to be +connected with _Tierra del Fuego_ and was sometimes called _Magellanica_, +in consequence. In the chart that I am describing, Australia is called +Jave-la-Grande--La Grande Jave would have been the proper French +construction; but the term Jave-la-Grande is merely the translation of +Java Maior, the Portuguese for Marco Polo's Java Major. + +[* See remark above.] + +The great Venetian traveller, Marco Polo, described Java from hearsay as +being the largest island in the world, and the Portuguese finding this to +be incorrect, as far as their knowledge of Java proper was concerned, but +finding nevertheless, this "largest island in the world" to the +south-east of Java, in fact, approximately in the longitudes and +latitudes described by Polo; the Portuguese, I say, did the best thing +they could both for Marco Polo's sake and their own, when they marked it +on their charts where it was said to be, and with the name given to it by +Polo, for he calls it Java Major to distinguish it from Sumatra, which +island he named Java Minor. + +The channel or river, marked between Java and Australia, is evidently a +concession due to the fact that a passage was known to exist. This +channel, which is left white in the chart I am describing, is painted +over in the specimen dated 1550 [see map pp. 68-69], as though it were +blocked, and two men are represented with pick and shovel as in the act +of cutting it open. + +Curiously enough, in both maps, the upper silhouette of the landscape in +this part defines the real south shore of Java. + +On the continental part, the Australian Alps, the range of hills on the +western and north-western coast, and the great sandy interior of +Australia, are also roughly sketched in. Was it all guess-work? + +PLACE-NAMES. + +It will not be necessary, I think, to give an elaborate description of +the place-names that occur on this map; those who wish to know more about +them may consult my larger work on "The Discovery of Australia." + +We need not dwell either on those that are inscribed along the northern +shores of Java, well-known to the Portuguese twenty years at least before +these maps were made. + +The southern shores of Java are joined to Australia, or, at least, only +separated from it by a fictitious river named Rio Grande, the Great +River, which follows the sleek curve of the "pig's back" described by D. +do Couto, the Portuguese historian. + +In the Portuguese sphere some of the more salient features of the coast +lines bear the following names:-- + +_Terre ennegade._ Ennegade has no possible meaning in French. + +It is a corruption of Terra Anegada which means submerged land, or land +over which the high tides flow considerably. It refers to a long stretch +of shore at the entrance to King Sounds, where the tides cover immense +tracts of country, and which has, in consequence, been called Shoal Bay. + +_Baye Bresille;_ Brazil Bay, corresponds with King Sound. + +The islands on the western coast, known as Houtman's Abrolhos,* and those +near Sharks' Bay, are all charted with the reefs that surround them, +although they bear no names on this map. + +[* _Abrolhos_ is a Portuguese word applied to reefs; literally, it means +"open your eyes."] + +Lower down, there is a strange name, that has led to some stranger +mistakes; it is LAMA, or LAME DE SYLLA, written HAME DE SILLE on another +of these maps. It is a curious jumble that I have not been able to +decipher; it occurs close to the mouth of the Swan River of modern +charts. + +Later French and Dutch map-makers took it for the name of an island in +that locality. + +Now, in those days, navigators and geographers were constantly in search +of certain more or less fictitious islands, among which, the "Island of +Men" and the "Island of Women," had been sought for in vain. + +Could this be one of the lost islands? The old-fashioned letter s, +resembling an f, made _Hame de sille_ look like _Hame de fille_, and a +French geographer jumped at the conclusion that the word was _fille_, and +that he had found the long lost island. + +He called it accordingly _I. des Filles_,* Island of Girls. The Dutch +translated the name on their charts where a _Meisje Eylandt_ may be seen; +but, instead of the girls that they expected to see the island peopled +with, they found it overrun by beautiful creatures, it is true, but, +alas! of the small wallaby kind, peculiar to the outlying islands of +Western Australia. + +[* See Vangondy's map of Australia (1756).] + +It goes without saying that they did not know of the term _wallaby_, and +taking those pretty creatures for overgrown rats, they called the island +Rat Island or Rat's Nest, and Rottnest is the Dutch form thereof, +preserved to this day. + +Let us now turn to the eastern shores of Australia, for we need not +trouble about the southern shores as they are connected with the +Antarctic continent. + +We notice first, _Simbana_, one of the original names of the island of +Sumbawa. + +You will remember that there are several islands left out in Ribero's map +[see pp. 28-29]. Now the principal one between Java and Timor is Sumbawa, +and, strangely enough, we find that island grafted on here, and thus +forming the northernmost part of York Peninsula, with Timor to the east +of it in its actual position with reference to Sumbawa and smaller +islands around, although out of place with reference to Australia. We +next come to _Coste Dangereuse_, Dangerous Coast. It is situated in the +locality of the Great Barrier Reef, not far from the spot where, nearly +three hundred years later, Lieutenant Cook, in the _Endeavour_, was +almost wrecked. The name speaks for itself; it appears along a coast +lined with reefs, clearly shown on this map. _Baye Perdue_, Lost Bay, a +broad bay with an island in mid-channel, the modern Broad Sound and Long +Island. This name suggests a double voyage, a bay that was once +discovered and could not be found again.* + +[* Many years ago an old cannon, supposed to be of Spanish origin, was +dug out of the sand a little to the south of Broad Sound, and near Port +Curtis. It may be connected with this Lost Bay.] + +_R. de beaucoup d'isles_; the letter R, in Spanish, meant either river or +coast. This appellation refers to the locality of the Burnett river, +where the coast is lined with numerous islands. The term may, therefore, +mean either "coast of many islands," or "river of many islands." _Coste +des Herbaiges_, Coast of Pastures; it has been suggested that this name +gave rise to the term Botany Bay, chosen by Sir Joseph Banks,* instead of +Stingeray Bay, given by Cook. The locality, however, corresponds to a +stretch of coast further north than Botany Bay. + +[* It will be remembered that this chart once belonged to Sir Joseph +Banks. See above.] + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +PIERRE DESCELIERS' MAP. + +This is a map of the same type as the one I have just described. It forms +part of another large manuscript planisphere, draughted and illuminated +by Pierre Desceliers, a priest of Argues near Hāvres, and it bears in +bold characters an inscription to that effect with the date 1550. + +At first sight the most, remarkable feature of this map is the display of +descriptive matter contained in cartouches spread here and there between +the illuminations. These, however, do not refer to Australia but are +descriptive of such countries as Java, Sumatra, Pegu, Malacca, Ceylon, +the Andaman Islands, etc. + +The only illustrations which might be supposed to appertain to Australia +are those _not alluded to in the French text_, a fact which suggests that +the other, extraneous matter, has been interpolated. + +The illustrations, not alluded to in the French text, may, therefore, +have belonged to the prototypic map, such are the representations of +trees, rough guniah-looking dwellings, guanacos, and those strange, huts +on the western coast, which may have been inspired by some freak of +nature as seen by Dampier on the same coast some hundred and thirty odd +years after these charts were painted. Dampier says: "There were several +things like haycocks standing in the Savannah, which at a distance we +thought were houses, looking just like the Hottentots' houses at the Cape +of Good Hope; but we found them to be so many rocks." + +Dampier and his companions may have mistaken some anthills for rocks. +Péron the French explorer describes some huge dome-shaped ant-hills seen +on this coast, and Captain Pelsart, wrecked in 1629, also describes some +ant-hills seen by him and his companions when in search of water on this +same coast in latitude 22 degrees south. + +In 1818, Allan Cunningham, when on the west coast of Australia, at the +Bay of Rest, took occasion to measure one of these gigantic ant-hills of +that coast. He found it to be eight feet in height, and twenty-six in +girth. + +Pelsart's account runs thus: "On the 16th of June, in the morning, they +returned on shore in hopes of getting more water, but were disappointed; +and having no time to observe the country it gave them no great hopes of +better success, even if they had travelled further within land, which +appeared a thirsty, barren plain, covered with ant-hills, so high that +they looked afar off like the huts of negroes..." + +Dampier in his second voyage to this coast in the year 1699, but more +than one-hundred miles further south, describes again some of these +evidently very remarkable features of the western coast of Australia. He +says: "Here are a great many rocks in the large savannah we were in, +which are five or six feet high and round at the top like a haycock, very +remarkable; some red and some white." But Flinders, when on this coast, +actually came across native huts similar to those depicted on P. +Desceliers' chart of Australia. + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +DESLIENS' MAP. + +His is another planisphere, of the same school of map-makers. + +I give it here in its entirety, in order to show how the Australian +portion stands, in all these maps, with reference to other countries. + +It will be observed that, for accuracy, Australia compares favorably +with, for instance, North America, named on this map, La Nouvelle France. + +Besides its beautiful execution there is nothing to call for special +notice unless it be that three Portuguese flags are shown as flying over +Australian shores, a sure sign of annexation. The map-maker's name, +_Nicolas Desliens_, date 1566, and Dieppe, the place where the map was +made, are marked on a scroll right across the fictitious portion of +Java-la-Grande. + +In this short chapter, before leaving the subject of the old manuscript +maps of Australia, and devoting the remaining pages of my book to actual +voyages of discovery, I shall refer once more to the importance of the +Lusitano-Spanish planispheres of the Dieppese school of cartography* +because most of those documents, becoming the property of French +map-makers, were used in various endeavours which were made to induce +European sovereigns to colonize the Great South Land. + +[*Most of these maps were made at Dieppe; all of them were made in the +north of France.] + +In the preceding pages I have only described the most important of these +manuscript charts. The following is the list in chronological order of +all the specimens known to exist:-- + + +1. The Dauphin Chart 1530-36 +2. N. Valiard's (so-called) 1539-49 +3. Jean Roze's 1542 +4. The Henri II. (of France) 1546 +5. P. Desceliers' 1550 +6. G. Le Testu's 1555 +7. Desliens' 1566 + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +MENDANA AND SARMIENTO DISCOVER THE SOLOMONS. + +With the hope of making fresh discoveries and in pursuance of their +object to establish a trade between the Spice Islands and their newly +acquired colonies on the western shores of America, the Spaniards +continued to send out expeditions whenever an opportunity offered. + +Ever widening their sphere of action, they now looked forward to the +southern regions of the Pacific Ocean as the land of promise, the _El +Dorado_ of their dreams; Saavedra's _Isla de Oro_ and Retez's and Gaspar +Rico's discoveries were not to be forgotten either. + +It is in those regions that the legends and traditions of the times +placed the islands from which King Solomon derived the gold and other +treasures that served for the decoration of the temple of Jerusalem. + +These legends, founded partly on historical events, and partly coupled +with traditions handed down in the Royal Incarial families of Peru, seem +to have given a powerful stimulus to Spanish enterprise in the South +Pacific Ocean. + +The hopes they gave rise to were, in addition, strengthened by the desire +to discover the Great Southern Continent in a more effectual way than had +hitherto been done: these prospects originated all the expeditions which, +leaving the shores of South America, followed one after another in the +same wake. + +The Spaniards were now firmly established in Peru and it came to pass +that a certain Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, a Spanish officer of unusual +erudition in maritime and other matters, having collected and translated +many historical documents, or _guipus_,* relating to the Incas, became +aware that one of them, their wisest and greatest monarch, named Tupac +Yupanqui, had made an extensive voyage by sea towards the setting sun, +which lasted over twelve months, bringing back much treasure from the +countries he had visited. During the course of this voyage Tupac had +discovered two large islands, named _Nina-Chumpi_ and _Hahua-Chumpi_, or +_Fire-Island_ and _Outer-Island_. + +* The ancient Peruvians had a curious method of keeping tally of events. +They had no alphabet, and instead of writing they made use of strings of +various make, colour, and length, and, with the addition of knots, more +or less complicated, were able to place on record any important event. + +Sarmiento believed that he had obtained valuable information from the +Incas and their _guipus_ relative to these islands, which were also +believed to be the outposts of a southern continent, and he thought that +he could fix their position approximately. + +In consequence, in the year 1567, he made a proposal for the re-discovery +by the Spaniards of these distant lands. In one of his memorials to +Philip II, he represented that he knew of many islands in the South Sea +which were undiscovered by Europeans until his time, offering to +undertake an expedition for their re-discovery with the approval of the +Governor of Peru, who was then Lope Garcia de Castro. + +Garcia de Castro willingly accepted Sarmiento's offer, and not only +helped him in every way that lay in his power, but also offered him the +sole command of the fleet. But, Sarmiento insisted that it should be +entrusted to Alvaro de Mendana, a young nephew of Garcia de Castro. + +This was probably a mistake on the part of Sarmiento, and was, no doubt, +the cause of the failure of the expedition, and we may also attribute to +his refusal of the sole command, the fact that his name has hitherto +remained ignored not only in connection with this initiatory voyage, but +also in connection with the further voyages of Mendana, Queiroz and +Torres. + +Sarmiento, however, stipulated that he should have the conduct of the +discovery and navigation, and that no course should be altered without +his consent. + +The two ships of the expedition sailed from Callao, the port of Lima, in +Peru, on the day of the feast of Santa Ysabel, the 19th of November, +1567, and Santa Ysabel became the patroness saint of the expedition. + +Sarmiento intended to steer W.S.W. until he reached the tropic of +Capricorn,* and this direction was kept until the 28th of November. + +[* Sarmiento, and after him Torres, both endeavoured to keep in the +latitude of the tropic of Capricorn. In the charts of the period a port +or bay was marked on the coast of Java-Major in that latitude. See "Baye +Perdue," in the Lusitano-Spanish charts.] + +On that day the chief pilot, Hernando Gallego, altered the course without +Sarmiento's permission, and in defiance of the instructions, being +supported by Mendana in so doing. + +So it happened that, notwithstanding Sarmiento's protests and constant +remonstrances, Gallego and Mendana, persisted in this more northerly +course for forty days, evidently with the intention of making for the +better known seas that surround the Caroline and Philippine Islands. + +Sarmiento constantly urged that the islands and continent that he was in +search of were more to the south. + +However, no land being sighted after many days, Mendana became alarmed +and requested Sarmiento to resume charge of the navigation. + +He did so, and ordered the course to be shaped W.S.W., announcing at the +same time that land would be sighted on the next day, and this proved +correct. + +An island was discovered which received the name of _Nombre-de-Jesus_. It +has been identified with Nukufetau, in the Ellice group. + +They had been sixty-two days at sea and were sadly in want of a change of +diet. Seventeen days later, they sighted the small islands and rocks +which they called _Baixos de la Candelaria_, Candlemas Reefs; these have +been identified with Lord Howe Islands, lately ceded to England by +Germany. + +On the 7th of February, they reached at last a large island called Atoglu +by the natives. The Spaniards gave to it the name of the patroness saint +of the voyage, Santa Ysabel. + +Natives came off in crescent-shaped canoes to meet them. + +They found a bay on the northern coast, and having noticed the planet +Venus at 10 o'clock in the morning, they called this bay the _Baya de la +Estrella_, the Bay of the Star, a name which has been restored to it in +recent years. + +They began at once to build a brigantine which had been taken out in +pieces; in fifty-four days it was put together with the help of fresh +timber obtained on the island. + +Sarmiento then conducted a reconnoitering expedition inland, but met with +hostility from the natives. + +In the meanwhile, Gallego and Ortega, the camp-master, examined the coast +on board the brigantine and discovered several other islands.* + +[* Very little gold, if any, was found in the Solomon group.] + +An expedition in search of the Great Southern Continent, or _Java Maior_, +was also projected with the brigantine, but soon abandoned, as they found +the little ship unsuitable for open sea work. + +All the islands discovered were supposed to belong to the outlying +islands situated to the east of New Guinea, and the inference, as we +know, was not, far from the truth; it led, however, to a curious mistake, +which I shall explain when describing the earliest map of the Solomon +Islands, towards the end of next chapter. + +In May, the expedition left _Santa Ysabel_, and after sighting many more +islands of the group, they cast anchor off the coast of a large island +which Gallego named _Guadalcanal_, after his own native place near +Seville. + +On the 19th and 22nd, Sarmiento and Mendana, accompanied by Ortega, made +excursions into the interior, ascending a high mountain and enjoying a +magnificent panorama. Afterwards a boat's crew was massacred by the +natives, and Sarmiento was obliged to make severe reprisals. + +In August, the expedition removed to another island which was named _San +Christobal_, where they remained for forty days, refitting and taking in +supplies, and here the brigantine, which had done such good service in +exploring the shallow coasts, was abandoned. + +Sarmiento now desired to return by way of the islands discovered by the +Inca Tupac Yupanqui, and submitted a report to that effect on September +the 4th, 1568. + +But Mendana insisted upon steering east, and notwithstanding the +remonstrances of many, he shaped a course for New Spain. + +On the 23rd of January, 1569, they reached the port of Santiago de +Colima, refitted at Realejo, and returned to Callao on September 2, after +an absence of 19 months. + +During the voyage there had been many disagreements, and Mendana intended +to bring charges against Sarmiento when he arrived at Lima. + +As little justice could be expected from the uncle in adjudicating on his +nephew's conduct, Sarmiento considered it to be the wisest course to +leave the ship at Realejo, and wait at Guatemala until Lope Garcia de +Castro should be relieved of his command. + + + +CHAPTER X. + +MENDANA IN SEARCH OF THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. + +Twenty-six years had elapsed since the Sarmiento-Mendana voyage, and now +Mendana was sent out again with instructions to found a colony at the +island of _San Christobal_, in the Solomon Group; and from thence to make +another attempt to discover the Great Southern Continent, the Java Maior, +that formed such a conspicuous feature on the maps of the period, and was +beginning to attract the attention of other countries besides Spain. + +Mendana's fleet was composed of three large vessels and a frigate. + +Pedro Fernandez de Queiroz was his captain and chief pilot; the other +officers were Lope de Vega, Felipe Corzo, and Alenzo de Leyva. + +As it was intended to settle a colony, many took their wives with them, +and amongst these were: Da. Isabel de Barreto, Mendana's wife, and Da. +Mariana de Castro, the wife of Lope de Vega. + +They set sail from Callao on the 9th of April, 1595, and, after +discovering the Marquesas, and a few smaller islands, they sighted land +on September the 7th, which Mendana believed, at first, to be the +Solomons, of which he was in quest. + +They soon found out their mistake, and named the island _Santa Cruz_. To +the northward of this island was seen a most remarkable volcano in full +eruption.* The frigate was ordered to sail round it to search for Lope de +Vega's ship, which had parted company some time previously. + +[* Tinacula Volcano, in eruption at the present day.] + +They thought that she might have passed to the north, but the hopes of +seeing her again were very faint. + +Mendana continued near the north coast of Santa Cruz, searching for a +port, and was rejoined there by the frigate, which returned without any +tidings of Lope de Vega and his ship. + +At last a port was discovered where the ships anchored in smooth water, +close to the shore. + +On the 21st of September, they found a better port, which Mendana named +_La Graciosa_, for it was very beautiful, larger and more commodious than +the one where they were first anchored. A river of moderate size and a +copious stream of very clear water gushing from beneath some rocks was +found in proximity to the anchorage. Here an attempt at colonisation was +made, but what with the hostility of the natives, sickness, and a +mutinous spirit, the young colony did not progress favorably. To make +matters worse, Mendana himself fell ill and died, and the grand scheme +which, under favourable circumstances, might have resulted in the +foundation of a Spanish Australian Empire, was, perforce, abandoned for +the while. The remnant of this disastrous expedition, having repaired to +the Philippine Islands, returned to New Spain in the year 1596. + +AN EARLY MAP OF THE SOLOMONS ISLANDS. + +The discovery of true Solomon Islands was soon forgotten and Mendana's +vague notions about them led historians and geographers astray as to +their position and size.* + +[* In a map of the South Sea, _Mar del Zur_, published towards the year +1650, the Solomon Islands are represented as extending in a sweeping +curve, resembling their natural trend it is true, but the position is +from the locality of New Caledonia and New Zealand, right across the +Pacific Ocean to the south of Cape Horn. In that distance 40 islands are +represented, of an average size equal to the two large islands of New +Zealand, truly a magnificent mistake!] + +In the few old maps that exist, it is difficult to determine precisely in +what measure the members of the expedition are responsible for the +charting; some of it is certainly the guesswork of geographers, based, it +must be acknowledged, on the best information then available, for we must +bear in mind that the accounts of Mendana's expedition were only known +from a few extracts, the actual narratives being lost at the time these +charts were draughted. + +Now that some of those narratives have been found, it is easy to identify +the present day Solomon Islands with the group discovered by the +Spaniards; most of the latitudes in the old chart that I give here, agree +with those given by Herrera, the Spanish historian, which shows that if +they have been thrown out of position, as they are on some old charts, it +is through the fault of the map-makers. + +The map given here is by Mazza, an Italian geographer of distinction; it +is the earliest one that I have been able to procure, the earliest known +to exist, the date being between 1583 and 1589. + +I have marked on it the probable track of the ships; the first bay where +they anchored, and which was called _Baya de la Estrella_, is marked by +No. 1. The second anchorage, on the coast of Guadalcanal, marked No. 2, +was named _Puerto de la Cruz_; and the locality where the third sojourn +was made, and where the brigantine was abandoned, is marked by the No. 3. + +The island thus marked, bears no name on the map; it is the southernmost +large island, however, and corresponds therefore with _San Christobal_, +where the third and last sojourn was made, and where, at a later period, +a colony was to have been founded. + +The island bearing the name _Nombre de Jesus_, is misnamed, evidently as +the result of interference on the part of the cartographer, for, +according to the narrative, it lies at many days' sail from the first +land sighted in the Solomon Group, and has been identified, as I have +said before, with Nukufetau in the Ellice Group. + +Other mistakes of the map-maker are, _Amacifre_ instead of _Arecifes_ +reefs; and _Maiulata_ for _Malaita_. Malaita, however, is a mistake of +the Spaniards, for the natives call their island Mala and ita means +"here"; as one might say, "here is Mala." + +The curious mistake alluded to on page 63 is this: + +In most of the old maps that were made prior to the identification of +Sarmiento's and Mendana's discoveries, the Solomon Islands were placed +much too close to New Guinea, occupying, in fact, the position of New +Britain and New Ireland. This was owing to the belief on the part of the +Spaniards, that they had reached the region where their predecessors, +Saavedra, Retez and Gaspar Rico, had made their discoveries: so that, New +Britain, New Ireland, and all the other islands, of the Bismark +Archipelago were once believed to be the Solomon and Guadalcanal the +extreme east end of New Guinea. + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +QUEIROZ'S VOYAGE. + +We come now to the most important expedition that ever set out in search +of Australia. We have reached the year 1605, in the month of December, of +which Queiroz, this time the commander of another Spanish fleet, set sail +from the coast of Peru with the object of renewing the attempt at +settlement in the island of Santa Cruz, and from thence to search, for +the "continent towards the south," which he believed to be "spacious, +populous and fertile." + +The intentions of navigators and the instructions given to them are +seldom thoroughly carried out. We shall see, in this case, that Queiroz +failed to reach Santa Cruz in the same way as Mendana had failed to reach +the Solomans; although they both sailed almost within sight of the +islands they were looking for. + +THE VOYAGE. + +According to Gonzales de Leza, the pilot of the expedition, the name of +the _Capitana_, or Queiroz's ship, was the _San Pedro y San Pablo_; the +_Almiranta_, named the _San Pedro_ was commanded by Luis Vaes de Torres; +the brigantine or Zabra, was named the _Tres Reyes_, and was commanded by +Pedro Bernal Cermeno. + +With variable winds, the three ships that composed the fleet sailed +towards the west till the 26th of January, 1606, when, in the afternoon, +they sighted a small island. No anchorage could be found and it was +thought that it could not be inhabited, so they passed it. Continuing on +a westerly course three days later, they came in sight of another island +of larger dimensions; here, also, finding no convenient landing place, +they passed on. + +The sky now became obscured, and, as they proceeded, rain set in, +followed by thunder and lightning; then a fearful tempest threatened +their destruction. + +Presently, however, the storm abated, and through a rift in the clouds +they perceived land and made for it. + +They found it to be an island about thirty leagues in circumference, +apparently an atoll, for it was described as having "a lagoon inside," +and was surrounded by a coral reef. Here they wanted to get wood and +water, but finding no entrance or bay they had to abandon their attempt. + +They continued their course, and the next day, 5th of February, they came +in sight of four other islands of the same description, and all equally +inaccessible. + +They passed them, keeping on a westerly and north westerly course, +passing several other islands, all unfavourable to their purpose. + +At last being in 18° 40' south, they passed the day with some rain, and +the next day, 10th of February, from the topmast head a sailor cried out, +"Land-a-head." + +It is strange how all the early navigators, Magellan, Sarmiento, Mendana, +Queiroz and many others, always managed to steer clear of the larger +islands that spread like a net across the South Pacific Ocean, and either +found an open sea, or hit upon some insignificant atoll. + +From a careful study of the various narratives of this voyage it is +evident that Queiroz had just sailed an the outskirts of the Tuamotu or +Low Archipelago, and was now nearing Tahiti, which island however, he +never set foot on.* + +[* Many writers have erroneously identified Queiroz's "_Conversion de San +Pablo_," Torqamada's "_Sagitaria_," with Tahiti. Sagitaria is Makatea or +Aurocra Island of the modern chart, and Conversion de San Pablo is Anaa, +or Chain Island, about 200 miles east of Tahiti, in the same latitude.] + +At the announcement of "Land-a-head" their joy was great, for in several +places they saw columns of smoke arising, which was a clear sign of +inhabitants, whence they concluded that all their sufferings were at an +end. + +They bore down to the land on the northern side; but finding no harbour, +the _Capitana_ endeavoured to beat up against the wind and pass along the +island again, but in vain. + +Queiroz then detached the smallest vessel, or brigantine, to look for a +port, while the two other vessels lay alongside of each other in sight of +the land. + +The brigantine cast anchor near the coast, "in ten fathoms, stones and +coral." + +The commander then gave orders to man the armed boats, and then made to +shore. As they approached the land the Spaniards saw about a hundred +natives inviting them, by signs of friendship, to land and go to them, +but it was not practicable to make good their landing, the waves broke +with such fury upon the rocks, that all their efforts proved ineffectual. + +The enterprise was abandoned with the more regret, as the fleet began to +be in want of fresh water, and they had come to the sad conclusion that +they had nothing to do but to return, when a young sailor, full of fire +and courage, braving the danger, and generously devoting himself for the +honor of the expedition, and the preservation of his companions, stripped +off his clothes, threw himself into the sea, and swam to the rocks. + +The natives, struck by this act of courage, went into the water to his +assistance, took him in their arms, embraced him affectionately, and +received him with all manners of caresses, which his gratitude abundantly +returned. + +His example was soon imitated by several Spaniards, who passed the +breakers, and were received by the islanders with the same testimonies of +sensibility and affection. These brave savages were all armed: some +carried lances of twenty-five or thirty palms in length; some a sort of +sabres, and others stone-headed clubs; all these weapons were of wood. + +These islanders were tall, with dark brown skins and bodies well +proportioned; their habitations were scattered irregularly on the +sea-shore, among palms and other trees which abounded in the island. On +the fruits of these, together with the produce of their fishing, the +inhabitants subsisted. + +When night came on the Spaniards swam back to their boats; some natives +followed them, and were treated with those marks of friendship which +their generosity deserved: presents were also added; but they could not +ever be prevailed upon to go on board the brigantine; instead of that +they plunged into the water in order to return to shore. + +During the night the vessels drifted considerably, and at eleven in the +morning had lost eight leagues, but were still within sight of land; they +were now in hopes of being able to get water there. They sent out the +boats to seek for a river; and as the appearance of the shore gave no +promise of anchorage, the vessels lay-to alongside of each other as +before. + +The waves broke upon the coast with such violence, that it was impossible +to attempt making the rock without risking the loss of boats and men; the +sailors, therefore, threw themselves into the water, and by dint of +industry and efforts, were enabled to raise their boats, and fix them on +some rocks which were dry at low tide. + +Having thus secured their boats, the Spaniards visited two small +plantations of palms, cocoanut and other useful trees which were near the +place where they had landed; but all their endeavours to discover fresh +water were fruitless. + +They came at length to a small opening where the soil was moist; here +they dug wells, but the water proved brackish. Their trouble was a little +recompensed by the ease with which they procured an ample provision of +cocoa and other nuts. With these they allayed their hunger and their +thirst at pleasure; and every man loaded himself with as many as he could +carry for his comrades who remained on board the ships. + +To regain the place where they had landed they walked about half a +league, and in the passage had the water up to their knees, because the +sea, flowing full in, with great impetuosity, had risen above the rocks +surrounding the island and overflowed the shore. + +Fortunately, when they least expected it, they discovered a passage +between the rocks; there they got into the boats and brought them so near +to land, that they could all embark with ease and return to their +vessels. + +The ships stood off all night; and the following day, the 12th of +February, they coasted along the island to the N.W. point., the latitude +of which they determined by an observation of the sun to be 17° 40' S. +This island they called _Conversion de San Pablo_. It is Anaa, or Chain +Island, about 200 miles east of Tahiti, in the same latitude. + +Departing from Conversion de San Pablo, and continuing his route in a N. +westerly direction, Queiroz discovered the islands following:-- + +_La Fugitiva_, two days and a half from Conversion de San Pablo. Seen to +the N.E., but, as the fleet was too much to leeward, they did not attempt +to touch there. + +_La Isla del Peregrino_, a day's sail further. They left this also to +windward, and proceeded to the W. + +On February the 21st, land was seen a-head; the brigantine was detached +to reconnoitre this new island more closely, and anchored on the coast in +a bad harbour, where the ships could not lie with safety. + +_Isla de San Bernardo_, which was the name given to this island, was +found to be very flat, with a lagoon in its centre, and thirty miles in +circumference. + +The boats were sent out in hopes of getting water; but they searched in +vain for it, and only met with great quantities of cocoanuts. The fish, +which abounded on the coasts, and the birds, which were also very +numerous, suffered themselves to be caught by hand. + +It was supposed to be inhabited; its latitude, by observation, was about +10½° S. From this island they proceeded all night under very little sail, +because the wind blew fresh in their stern, and the great number of birds +that passed them proved that land was near. + +On the 2nd of March, land was discovered to the W. It was an island six +leagues round, which offered but a bad anchorage. The boats landed with +difficulty, and one of them was actually overset in one of their visits +and the crew nearly drowned among the breakers. + +This natural obstacle was probably not the most obstinate that existed +there; they found the island inhabited by a warlike people, that opposed +them in every enterprise. + +In different skirmishes, several natives were killed, and some of the +Spaniards wounded, so that after some unsuccessful attempts to get water +they were obliged to abandon the place. + +They speak particularly with enthusiasm of the beauty and studied dress +of the women, who, according to their accounts, surpassed the fairest +Spanish ladies, both in grace and beauty. + +This island was called _Isla de la Gente Hermosa_, Island of the Handsome +People. I have been able to obtain a photograph of one of the descendants +of the native women so much admired by the Spaniards, and you may judge +for yourselves whether they were right in their appreciation. + +The design of Queiroz was to reach Santa Cruz without delay, and with +this object in view he directed his course westward, for in these +latitudes they expected to come in sight of the lofty volcano, Tinacula, +which would enable them to identify Santa Cruz. + +After many days' navigation, they discovered, from the mast-head of the +Capitana, a high and black-looking island, having the appearance of a +volcano and lying W.N.W. They could not reach it for several days; after +which they soon perceived that it was not Tivacula, as they had at first +thought, for they had to pass among several small islands in order to get +near it, and they well remembered that Tinacula stood alone in its awful +and solemn grandeur. + +The small islands that surrounded the larger one that they had taken for +a volcano were most of them on the western side, but far enough from the +larger one to leave a channel capable of receiving ships. Torres, the +second in command, was sent to reconnoitre this island. + +(I shall give his description in Chapter XII.) + +In this harbour the fleet anchored in twenty-five fathoms. At no great +distance, and within the reefs that surrounded these islands, a smaller +island was observed, not more than five or six feet above the level of +the water. It was formed of stones and coral, and seemed to be the work +of man. They counted there seventy houses, which were covered with palm +leaves, and hung with mats within. + +The islanders gave them to understand that it was a retreat for them, for +the sake of security and defence, when the inhabitants of the +neighbouring islands came to attack their possessions; and that they, in +their turn, invaded their neighbours in strong and large canoes, in which +they could with safety commit themselves to the open sea. They also +informed them that towards the south there were very extensive lands, and +one in particular called Mallicolo.* + +[* This indication of lands to the south, named Mallicolo, may have meant +either Vanikoro (where La Perouse was wrecked after leaving Botany Bay), +or Mallicolo (sometimes called Malekula), to the south of Santo, in the +New Hebrides group.] + +The Spaniards had, therefore, sufficient information that there were many +more islands in the neighbourhood of that on which they had landed, and +this knowledge led Queiroz to abandon, for the while, the idea of making +for Santa Cruz. The natives called their island TAUMACO; it abounded with +bananas, cocoanut trees and palms; it produced also sugar canes, and many +kinds of nutritious roots. + +The fleet here obtained, without difficulty, refreshments, wood, and +water, of which it stood in great need. The Spaniards lived on good terms +with the natives, who were eager to procure them all the assistance that +their island afforded; nor was peace infringed till the very moment of +their departure. + +Thinking that it would be of service in the remainder of the voyage, to +have some natives on board, who might act as guides or interpreters, the +Spaniards seized four, whom they carried on board by force. Their chief +was soon informed of it, and came to demand them in the most earnest +manner; but, seeing the need in which they would be of interpreters +should they land as they hoped on the Great Southern Continent, the +chief, whose name was Tomai, was informed that they could not be +returned, and war was instantly declared. + +A fleet of canoes came out to attack the Spanish ships, which their fire +arms quickly dispersed, and would totally have destroyed, had not these +brave islanders, with all their courage, been sensible of their +inferiority. Thus the thunder of European artillery made good the right +of the Spaniards; but force by no means gives a sanction to base +treachery. + +THE FLEET LEAVES TAUMACO. + +Queiroz quitted this island of Taumaco on the 18th of April, and, _giving +up his project of settlement at Santa Cruz_, sailed towards the south in +search of the land of Mallicolo and other lands indicated by the chiefs +of Taumaco. + +On the 21st, in the evening, they discovered land in the S.E. They +manoeuvred cautiously all night. They then sailed along the northern +shores of what proved to be a small island. The captain of the Almiranta, +Luis Vaez de Torres, went in a canoe to examine it. + +He could not find an anchorage for the fleet; but he went near enough to +the land to converse with the natives, who offered him a present of nuts, +and a piece of stuff made of palm leaves woven together. + +He learned from them that their island was caged TUCOPIA*; and they made +him understand by signs that, if he sailed southwards, he would meet with +extensive countries, where the inhabitants were fairer than those he had +yet seen. As this island afforded no shelter from the wind, they did not +remain there. In coasting along it, they perceived that it produced many +fruit trees, of which they saw several plantations. They say that "It +lies in latitude 12° S." + +[* The first island arrived at by the Spaniards bearing a native name +preserved to this day, and that can, therefore, be positively identified, +with reference to this voyage.] + +QUEIROZ'S REGION OF ESPIRITU SANTO. + +As we are coming now to islands which I have positively identified,* it +will be well to follow the itinerary on the maps given here. + +[* See Portuguese, Spanish, and Victorian Geographical Societies' +Journals. 1903-1904.] + +The fleet proceeded southwards, with variable winds, till the 25th of +April, when, at day-break, a very high land was seen in the latitude of +14½° (Bougainville's "Pic de l'Etoile," the "Star Island" or Merlav, of +modern charts.) They named it San Marcos. + +From San Marcos they went on a S.W. course, with men at the mast-head; +and at 10 in the forenoon, at a distance of 12 leagues to the S.E., a +land of many mountains and plains was sighted, the end of which could not +be seen throughout the day. Queiroz gave it the name of _Margaritana_. It +is the island of the New Hebrides group which Bougainville named Aurora. + +About 20 leagues to the west, an island was seen that looked so beautiful +that they determined to go to it. About a third of the way they saw +another island, 3 leagues off. It was flat, with a hill that looked like +a rock in the distance. Two canoes under sail came from it, from which +they knew that it was inhabited. + +On account of its thick woods and pleasant appearance, the name of +_Vergel_, or Flower-Garden, was given to it. There was little wind, and, +owing to the necessary caution in navigating among unknown islands, they +hove-to during the night. + +To the north of Vergel island, which is the Merig Island of modern +charts, they saw another large island running N.E. and S.W., and the +peaks of its numerous mountains gave the captain a strong desire to go +and see it; but he gave it up, owing to other things that occurred. Its +latitude they found to be 13°, and they named it _Las Lagrimas da San +Pedro_. The Tears of St. Peter. + +To the N.W. another island was seen, with a circumference of 60 leagues. +It had two high and sloping hills, one at each end. The rest was flat and +of very pleasant appearance, alike from its shape and numerous trees. Its +latitude they found to be less than 14°. They named it _Portales de +Belen_. + +Upon nearing the island to the westward of San Marcos, they saw columns +of smoke arising in all directions, and at night many fires. In the +centre it was rather high, and thence its slopes extended in all +directions to the sea, so that its form was a massive round with only the +parts towards the south, broken with ravines. + +There were many palm trees, plantains, verdure, abundant water, and the +land was thickly inhabited. The circumference was about 50 leagues, +though some gave it much more and thought that it would support about +200,000 inhabitants. Its latitude was 14° 30'. Owing to its great beauty, +it was named _Virgen Maria_; it is the modern Gaua, in the Banks' group. + +Four canoes with unarmed natives came to the Almiranta, and made signs to +offer to take him into port. Seeing that the Spaniards did not wish it, +they made presents of cocoanuts and other fruits. Having received a good +return, they went back to their island. As the disposition of the natives +seemed to be good, the captain sent a party in the launch and one boat, +to examine the coast and find a port. The party was under the command of +Pedro Lopez de Soto. They found to the S. and S.E. clean bottom at 20 +fathoms or less, where the ships might have anchored if the weather to be +experienced had been known. They saw a great number of people on the +island, who came out to see and call to them. They followed the boat +without passing certain boundaries, and by this they supposed that there +were partitions of property between the people not on good terms. + +Among them there were two distinct colours. While the natives were +looking at each other and talking by signs, a man rushed down from behind +some rocks. He was well made, of a clear mulatto colour, the hairs of his +beard and head brown and crisp, and rather long. He was robust and +vigorous. With a jump he got into the boat, and, according to the signs +he made, he appeared to ask: "Where do you come from? What do you want? +What do you seek?" Assuming that these were the questions asked, some of +the Spaniards said, "We come from the east, we are Christians, we seek +you, and we want you to be ours." + +He showed himself to be so bold, that the Spaniards understood that he +wanted to make them believe that to him they were a small affair. He +presently was undeceived, for he was seized and brought to the ship, +where he came on board so fearlessly that the Spaniards had to confess +that he was no coward. + +The captain embraced him, and asked about the land by signs, of which he +appeared to give extensive information. He pointed to several places on +the horizon, counted on his fingers several times, and ended by +pronouncing several words in Spanish, thereby showing that he had come in +contact with earlier Spanish navigators in those seas. The Spaniards say +that it was "very pleasant to hear him, to see how lively he was, how +vigorous and agreeable in his manner; having a bright look for all, +including those who importuned him with a desire for information." + +The night having come on, the launch arrived, and the pilot of her told +Queiroz that they were bringing a native prisoner, secured by a hatchway +chain. Soon after, however, the prisoner broke his chain; and, taking +part of it and the padlock with him on one foot, he jumped overboard. + +Queiroz heard this with great regret, fearing that the man had been +drowned. To make sure of their first prisoner, he ordered him to be given +his supper and to be put in the stocks, but on a bed where he could +sleep. He also ordered that the ships should go in search of the one that +had escaped. + +Going in search at 10 at night, the look-out man heard a voice from the +water, and made out the place where the native, being tired out, was +struggling with death. + +To the cries of the swimmer carne answer from the prisoner, in such +doleful tunes that it caused grief to all to see the one and hear the +other. The swimmer was got on board, to the joy of himself and the crew, +and to their surprise that he could have sustained such a weight on his +foot for four hours. + +The padlock and chain were at once taken off, and he was given his +supper, with wine to drink, and then put in the stocks, that he might not +try it on again. There both remained all night, talking sadly and in +confusion. At dawn, the captain, pretending that he quarrelled with all +for putting them in the stocks, let them out. He then ordered the barber +to shave off their beards and hair, except one tuft on the side of their +heads. He also ordered their finger-nails and toe-nails to be cut with +scissors, the uses of which they admired. Queiroz caused them to be +dressed in silk of divers colours, gave them hats with plumes, tinsel, +and other ornaments, knives, and a mirror, into which they looked with +caution. + +This done, the captain had them put into the boat, and told Sojo to take +them on shore, coasting along to the end of the island, to see what there +was beyond. The natives came, and the fear being passed, they sang their +happy and unhoped-for fate. Arrived at the beach, they were told to jump +out, which they could hardly believe. + +Finally, they jumped overboard, where there were many natives; among them +a woman with a child in her arms, who received the two with great joy. It +appeared that she was the wife of the first native, and that he was a +chief, for all respected and obeyed his orders. They seemed to be +contented and gave each other many embraces, with gentle murmurings. The +chief, pointing with his finger, seemed to be saying that the Spaniards +were a good people. Many came to where the boat was, and they showed such +confidence, that when one of the Spaniards asked the mother for her baby, +she gave it. Seeing that it was passed from one to another, to be seen +and embraced, the natives were well pleased. In fine, a good +understanding was established. + +The swimmer ran away, and presently came back with a pig on his +shoulders, which he offered to his new friends. The chief gave them +another, and a bunch of curious plantains, their shape being like that of +moderate-sized egg-plants without points, the pulp orange colour, sweet +and tender. The other natives emulously presented cocoanuts, sweet canes, +and other fruits, and water in joints of cane four _palmos_ long, and one +thick. Pointing to the ships, they seemed to say that they should anchor +there, that they might give them all they had in the island. The +Spaniards took their leave and went on to the point, where they saw the +coast of the island trending north, and the other of Belen at a distance +of 4 leagues to the N.W. Satisfied with their view, they returned to the +ship. + +All the natives of this island were not equally well disposed towards the +Spaniards, for the boatswain's mate of the Almiranta was wounded in one +cheek by an arrow: certain natives being envious of the friendship of the +others, or being enraged because, when they called to the Spaniards, they +did not care to stop and speak with them, shot off arrows, and had an +answer from muskets. The wound of the boatswain's mate healed quickly, +and they knew thereby that the arrows were not poisoned. More mischief +would have been done if their friend the swimmer had not come running, +shouting, and making signs for the boat to keep away--"a great proof of +gratitude," says the Spanish narrator. + +Towards the end of April, one Melchor de los Reyes was looking out at the +mast-head, when, at three in the afternoon, he saw at a distance of 12 +leagues to the S.W. and S., more or less, an extensive land. For this, +and because the eye could not turn to a point that was not all land, the +day was the most joyful and the most celebrated day of the whole voyage. + +They went towards the land, and next day found themselves near a coast +running to the west. The name of _Cardona_ * was given to this land in +memory of the Duke of Sesa, who had taken a deep interest in the voyage, +as well at Rome as at the Court of Spain, and because the captain felt +very grateful. + +[* The name of the Duke of Sesa was Don Antonio de Cardona, Y Cordova. On +a visit to Rome, as a pilgrim, Queiroz was well received by Cardona, who +was the ambassador from Spain at that Court. The land which Queiroz, +named Cardona was Aoba Island of the modern chart.] + +When they set out for the said land there was seen, far away to the S.E., +a massive and very lofty chain of mountains, covered with thick masses of +white clouds, in the middle and on the heights, while the bases were +clear. + +It seemed from aloft that the coasts of these two lands approached to +form one. The captain gave the name of _La Clementina_ to this range of +mountains. It seemed to be in about 17°. (The lofty range that crowns +Pentecost Island). + +Having come nearer to the land, an opening was seen in it, and, as it +appeared to be a port, Queiroz sent an officer in a boat, with soldiers +and rowers, to examine it. In the afternoon this officer returned, +reporting that the opening formed a narrow island 6 leagues long, running +N. and S., rather high, inhabited, and well wooded; and where it was +found to be sheltered to the E. and N.E., there was bottom at 30 fathoms, +and a strong current. The captain gave it the name of _San Raimundo_. (It +is the _Isla de Santiago_ of de Prado's chart.) See p. 34. + +Coasting along this island to the W., there came out on the beach many +tawny men, very tall, with bows in their hands, calling loudly to the +Spaniards. + +As the new-comers would not approach, they threw a great bundle of +capon's feathers into the sea, intending with that, and by sending out +boys, to induce the Spaniards to come within shot of their arrows. + +Then they shot off volleys from their bows which the Spaniards returned +with muskets. Further on they saw many natives of fine make and good +colour, and away to the S. and S.E. three and four ranges of very high +mountains (Malicolo and Ambrym), which seemed to join on to the other +ranges that had been seen to the S.E. + +With such good news that the land was inhabited, they sailed onwards on a +western course; and at a distance of 6 leagues, on the 1st of May, 1606, +they entered a great bay, where they passed the night. + +Next day, the captain sent the admiral* away in a boat to look for a +port. + +[* The Spanish term applied to the second in command.] + +Two canoes came out to the ships with men in them, having their bows +ready. They stopped for an interval and rowed for another. They spoke +loudly, and looked at the newcomers and at the shore, showing themselves +to be troubled. Those in the launch fired off a piece to astonish them, +which it did, for they took to flight, rowing as hard as they could. + +Torres, the admiral, returned in the afternoon very well satisfied, and +those who accompanied him were equally pleased, and could not hold back +the joyful news that they had found a good port; for this is what they +had hitherto failed to find, though they had sought for one with anxious +wishes to succeed. Without a port, the discovery, they knew, would be of +little importance. + +Next day, being the 3rd of May, the three vessels anchored in the port +with great joy, giving many thanks to God. Natives were seen passing +along the beach. + +The captain, with the boats, went to look at them, with the desire to +take some of them and send them back clothed and kindly treated, so that +in this and other ways friendship might be established. He did all he +could to induce them to get into the boats. They did the same to get the +Spaniards to land, and as the latter would not, the natives flung certain +fruits into the water, which the men in the boats collected, and with +which they returned to the ships. + +The day after, the captain ordered the admiral to go on shore with a +party of soldiers, and try by all possible means to catch some natives, +so as to establish peace and friendship, based on the good work they +intended to do for them. + +The party ran the boat high up on the beach, and quickly formed in a +squadron, for the natives were coming, and it was not known with what +object. Being near, they made signs and spoke, but were not understood. +The Spaniards called to them in return; then the natives drew a line on +the ground and seemed to say that the new-comers were not to pass beyond +it. They could not understand one another, and there seems to have been a +want of management and discipline. Natives were seen in the woods, and to +frighten them some muskets were fired into the air. A soldier who had +lost patience, or who had forgotten his orders, fired low and killed a +native. The others, with loud cries, fled. A Moor, who was the drummer in +the Spanish corps, cut off the head and one foot of the dead native, and +hung the body on the branch of a tree, without being seen to do it by +those on the beach. + +It then happened that three native chiefs came to where the Spaniards +were, who, instead of showing them kindness, and taking them on board, +showed them the headless body of their comrade, pretending that this +cruelty was a means of making peace. + +The chiefs, showing great sorrow, went back to where their people were, +and shortly afterwards sounded their instruments, that is, their war +drums, with great force and noise, which was heard on the hills among the +trees. + +Then from many directions they began shooting arrows and darts, and +throwing stones, while the Spaniards fired on them, turning on one side +or the other. + +Queiroz saw all this from the ship where he was, with great regret to +find peace turned into war. It appeared to him best to land more men in +the direction taken by a number of natives, who were trying to surround +the Spaniards. The supporting party got into such conflict with the enemy +that the captain was obliged to fire two pieces. The balls, tearing the +branches of the trees, passed over the natives; but, after this, and the +resistance made by the soldiers, the enemy retired. + +At the same time, the natives who were on the beach moved forward, +brandishing their clubs, and with arrows fitted to their bows--and darts +poised to throw, menacing with loud shouts. Then a tall old native +advanced making a sound on a shell with great force. He seemed to be the +same chief who had spoken to the soldiers, and they understood him to say +that his people would defend their country against those who came to it +killing their inhabitants. Eight of the musketeers were in ambush, and +one of them, unfortunately, as he afterwards stated, killed this chief, +and presently the rest desisted. + +Three or four raised their dead on their shoulders with great celerity, +and went inland, leaving the neighbouring villages deserted. The narrator +here remarks: "Such was the end of the peace that the captain hoped for +and sought for, the means of discovering the grandeur of the land, and +all was contained in it." + +Shortly after Queiroz went on shore again and instituted an order of +knights of the Holy Ghost, with a badge, or insignia, in the shape of a +cross of a blue colour, to be worn on the breast. + +Towards evening of the same day all three vessels displayed many lights, +and they sent off many rockets and fire-wheels. All the artillery was +fired off; and when the natives heard the noise and the echoes resounding +over hills and valleys, thy raised great shouts. + +The Spaniards sounded drums, rang the bells, had music and dancing, and +had other forms of rejoicing, in which the men showed great pleasure... + +Next morning it was not quite dawn when the camp-master and ministers, +taking with them an armed party in the two boats, went on shore. They +landed near the launch with four small pieces of artillery to be used in +a fort in case of necessity. Within, the monks arranged a clean and +well-ordered altar under a canopy. This was the first church, and was +named by the captain "Our Lady of Loreto." + +Everything having been arranged as well as the tine would allow, it was +reported to the captain, who left the ship with the rest of the people. +All the three companies were drawn up in good order on the beach... + +The Royal Ensign, Lucas de Queiroz (Queiroz's nephew), came forth with +the standard in his hands. + +The banners, which were fluttering and brightening the whole scene, +received their tribute from discharges of muskets and arquebuses. +Presently, the captain came out and went down on his knees, saying: "To +God alone be the honour and glory." Then, putting his hand on the ground, +he kissed it, and said: "O Land sought for so long, intended to be found +by many, and so desired by me!" Then formal possession was taken under +six different headings, the last being: "Possession in the name of His +Majesty,"--which read as follows:-- + +"Finally, I take possession of this bay, named the Bay of St. Philip and +St. James, and of its port named Santa Cruz, and of the site on which is +to be founded the City of New Jerusalem, in latitude 15° 10', and of all +the lands which I sighted and am going to sight, and of all this region +of the south as far as the Pole, which, from this time shall be called +AUSTRALIA DEL ESPIRITU SANTO, with all its dependencies and belongings; +and this for ever, and so long as right exists, in the name of the king, +Don Philip, third of that name, king of Spain, and of the eastern and +western Indies, my king and natural lord, whose is the cost and expense +of this fleet, and from whose will and power came its mission, with the +government, spiritual and temporal, of these lands and people, in whose +royal name are displayed these his three banners, and I hereby hoist the +royal standard."... + +Then followed masses and various other ceremonies, including the creation +of a municipality and the elections of officers thereto. + +After which Queiroz ordered Torres to take an armed party, and penetrate +further into the interior...They saw more and better farms and villages +than before, and at one village they found the natives much occupied with +their dances. When they saw the Spaniards approaching, they began a +flight to the mountains, leaving strewn about, as they fled, bows, +arrows, and darts. The people of the party found two roast pigs, and all +their other food, which they eat at their ease. They carried off twelve +live pigs, eight hens and chickens, and they saw a tree which astonished +them, for its trunk could not have been encircled by fifteen or twenty +men; so they returned to the ships. Queiroz, on the last day of Easter, +taking with him such an escort as seemed necessary, went to an adjacent +farm of the natives and sowed a quantity of maize, cotton, anions, +melons, pumpkins, beans, pulse, and other seeds of Spain; and returned to +the ships laden with many roots and fish caught on the beach. Next day +Queiroz sent the master of the camp, with thirty soldiers, to reconnoitre +a certain height, where they found a large and pleasant valley, with +villages. When the inhabitants saw them coming, many assembled together +in arms. They caught there three boys, the oldest being about seven years +of age, and twenty pigs. With these they began to retreat, and the +natives, with vigour and bravery, attacked their vanguard, centre and +rearguard, shooting many arrows. The chiefs came to the encounter, and by +their charges forced the Spaniards to lose the ground they were gaining. +Arrived at a certain pass, they found the rocks occupied by many natives, +who were animated by the desire to do them as much harm as possible. Here +was the hardest fight, their arrows and stones hurled down from the +heights causing great damage to the party. + +When the captain heard the noise of the muskets and the shouting, he +ordered three guns to be fired off, to frighten the natives and encourage +his people, and the better to effect this at the port, those in the ships +and on the beach were sent to support the retreating party in great +haste. The forces having united, they came to the ships, saving the +spoils, and all well. + +Shortly after, the master of the camp was sent to examine the mouth of +the river, which is in the middle of the bay, with the launch, a boat, +and a party of men. He tried the depth at the mouth, and found that there +was no bottom, with the length of an oar and his own arm. He went further +up in the beat, and the view of the river gave much pleasure to those who +were with him, as well for its size and the clearness of the water, as +for its gentle current and the beauty of the trees on its banks. + +The launch passed further up, and they landed on the bank and went +inland. They found a small village of four streets, and an open space at +the most elevated part. All round there were many farms, surrounded by +palings. Two spies were posted, who warned the natives, and they all +fled. The Spaniards found in their houses several kinds of fish, roasted +and wrapped in plantain leaves, and a quantity of raw mussel in baskets, +as well as fruits and flowers hung on poles. Near, there was a burial +place. They also found a flute and certain small things worked out of +pieces of marble and jasper. As they heard drums and shells sounding, and +a great murmuring noise, understanding that it came from a large number +of people, they retreated, followed by the natives, who did not dare to +attack them. Finally, they got to the launch in peace, and returned to +the ships. + +On many other occasions they went to fish and to seek for things very +necessary for the requirements of the ships, returning well content with +the excellence of the land. Encounters with the natives were not wanting, +and it is believed that some of the natives were killed by the Spaniards, +although the latter denied it, when suspected and accused of the deed. + +After the celebration of the Festival of Corpus Christi, Queiroz +announced his intention of visiting the "lands to windward." At which +Torres asked, "in his name and those of the crew, that another day might +be allowed for the people to catch fish," and the historian says that "it +happened that they fished in a certain place whence they brought to the +ship a quantity of _paryos_, which are considered poisonous, like those +in Havana and other ports. As many as ate them were attacked by nausea, +vomiting, and feverish symptoms."* + +[* The ill-effects of the poisonous fish of Santo.] + +SPANISH DESCRIPTION OF THE BIG BAY OF SANTO. + +This bay, to which the captain gave the name of St. Philip and St. +James, because it was discovered on their day, is 1700 leagues from Lima, +from Acapulco 1300, from Manila in the Philippines 1100 leagues. + +Its entrance is to the N.W., in 15° S., and the port is in 15° 10' S. The +bay has a circuit of 20 leagues at the entrance 4 leagues across. The +variation of the compass is 7° N.E. + +The land which forms, the bay runs directly N. on the E. side, with +sloping heights and peopled valleys well covered with trees. This side +ends at the mouth of the bay with a height rising to a peak, and the +coast runs E. and then S.E., but we could not see how it ends. + +The other land to the W. runs nearly N.W., and to the point is 11 leagues +in length, consisting of a range of hills of moderate height, which the +sun bathes when it rises and where there are patches without trees, +covered with dried up grass. + +Here are ravines and streams, some falling from the heights to the skirts +of the hills, where many palm groves and villages were seen. From the +point on this side the coast turns to the W. + +The front of the bay, which is to the S., is 3 leagues long, and forms a +beach. In the middle there is a river which was judged to be the size of +the Guadalquivir at Seville. At its mouth the depth is 2 and more +fathoms; so that boats, and even frigates could enter. It received the +name of the 'Jordan.' On its right is seen the Southern Cross in the +heavens, which makes the spot noteworthy. + +To the eastward, at the corner of this bay, there is another +moderate-sized river called 'Salvador,' into which the boats entered at +their pleasure to get water. + +The waters of both rivers are sweet, pleasant, and fresh. The one is +distant from the other a league and a half, consisting of a beach of +black gravel, with small heavy stones, excellent for ballast for a ship. + +Between the said two rivers is the port. The bottom is clean, consisting +of black sand, and here a great number of Ships would have room up to 40½ +_brazos_. + +It is not known whether there are worms.* + +[* _Teredo Navalis_.] + +As the beach is not bare nor driven up, and the herbs are green near the +water, it was assumed that it was not beaten by the seas; and as the +trees are straight and their branches unbroken, it was judged that there +were no great storms. The port was named 'Vera Cruz,' because we anchored +there on that day. + +In the whole bay we did not see a bank, rock, or reef; but it is so deep +that there is no anchorage except at the above port. It is better to +approach near the river Salvador, and there is another moderate port +which is distant 2 leagues from this on the N. to S. coast. + +All the said beach is bordered by a dense mass of great trees, with paths +leading from them to the shore. It seemed to serve as a wall, the better +to carry on defensive or offensive operations against other natives +coming to make war. All the rest is a level plain, with hills on either +side. Those on the W. side run southward, becoming more elevated and more +massive as their distances increase. As for the plain, we have not seen +where it ends. The earth is black, rich, and in large particles. It is +cleared of wild trees to make room for fruit trees, crops, and gardens +surrounded by railings. There are many houses scattered about, and +whenever a view could be obtained, many fires and columns of smoke were +discerned, witnesses of a large population. + +The natives generally seen here are corpulent, not quite black nor +mulatto. Their hair is frizzled. They have good eyes. They cover their +parts with certain cloths they weave. They are clean, fond of festivities +and dancing to the sound of flute and drums made of a hollow piece of +wood. They use shells also for musical instruments, and in their dances +make great shouting at the advances, balances, and retreats. They were +not known to use the herb.* + +[* Betel.] + +Their arms are heavy wooden clubs, and bows of the same, arrows of reed +with wooden points, hardened in the fire, darts with pieces of bone +enclosed. + +Their interments are covered. We saw some enclosed burial grounds with +oratories and carved figures, to which they make offerings. It is, to all +appearance, a courageous and sociable people, but without care for the +ills of their neighbours; for they saw some fighting with us without +coming to help them. + +The houses are of wood, covered with palm-leaves, with two sloping sides +to the roof, and with a certain kind of outhouse, where they keep their +food. All their things are kept very clean. + +They also have flower-pots with small trees of an unknown kind. The +leaves are very soft, and of a yellow-reddish colour. + +The bread they use is mainly of roots, whose young shoots climb on poles, +which are put near them for that purpose.* The rind is grey, the pulp +murrey colour, yellow, or reddish; some much larger than others. There +are some a yard and a half in thickness, also two kinds; one almost +round, and the size of two fists, more or less. Their taste resembles the +potatoes of Peru. The inside of the other root is white, its form and +size that of a cob of maize when stripped. All these kinds have a pulp +without fibres, loose, soft, and pleasant to the taste. These roots are +bread made without trouble, there being nothing to do but to take them +out of the earth, and eat them, roast or boiled. They are very good +cooked in pots. Our people ate a great deal; and, being of a pleasant +taste and satisfying, they left off the ship's biscuit for them. These +roots last so long without getting bad, that on reaching Acapulco those +that were left were quite good. + +[* The Kumara, or sweet potato, and yams.] + +Their meat consists of a great quantity of tame pigs, some reddish, +others black, white, or speckled. We saw tusks 1¼ _palmos_ in length, and +a porker was killed weighing 200 lbs. The natives roast them on hearths, +wrapped up in plantain leaves. It is a clean way, which gives the meat a +good colour, and none of the substance is lost. + +There are many fowls like those of Europe. They use capons. There are +many wild pigeons, doves, ducks, and birds like partridges, with very +fine plumage. One was found in a lasso, with which the natives catch +them. There are many swallows; we saw a macaw and flocks of paraquets; +and we heard, when on board at early dawn, a sweet harmony from thousands +of different birds, apparently buntings, blackbirds, nightingales, and +others. The mornings and afternoons were enjoyable from the pleasant +odours emitted from the trees and many kinds of flowers, together with +the sweet basil. A bee was also seen, and harvest flies were heard +buzzing. + +The fish are skate, sole, pollack, red mullet, shad, eels, _pargos_, +sardines, and others; for which natives fish with a three-pronged dart, +with thread of a fibrous plant, with nets in a bow shape, and at night +with a light. Our people fished with hooks and with nets for the most +part. In swampy parts of the beach shrimps and mussels were seen. + +Their fruits are large, and they have many cocoanuts, so that they were +not understood to put much store by them. But from these palms they make +wine, vinegar, honey, and whey to give to the sick. They eat the small +palms raw and cooked. The cocoanuts, when green, serve as _cardos_ and +for cream. Ripe, they are nourishment as food and drink by land and sea. + +When old, they yield oil for lighting, and a curative balsam. The shells +are good for cups and bottles. The fibres furnish tow for caulking a +ship; and to make cables, ropes, and ordinary string, the best for an +arquebus. Of the leaves they make sails for their canoes, and fine mats +with which they cover their houses, built with trunks of the trees, which +are straight and high. From the wood they get planks, also lances and +other weapons, and many things for ordinary use, all very durable. From +the grease they get the _yalagala_, used instead of tar. + +In fine, it is a tree without necessity for cultivation, and bearing all +the year round. + +There are three kinds of plantains: one, the best I have seen, pleasant +to smell, tender and sweet. + +There are many _Obos_, which is a fruit nearly the size and taste of a +peach, on whose leaves may be reared silkworms, as is done in other +parts. + +There is a great abundance of a fruit which grows on tall trees, with +large serrated leaves. They are the size of ordinary melons, their shape +nearly round, the skin delicate, the surface crossed into four parts, the +pulp between yellow and white, with seven or eight pips. When ripe it is +very sweet, when green, it is eaten boiled or roasted. It is much eaten, +and is found wholesome. The natives use it as ordinary food. There are +two kinds of almonds: one with as much kernel as four nuts lengthways, +the other in the shape of a triangle; its kernel is larger than three +large ones of ours, and of an excellent taste. + +There is a kind of nut, hard outside, and the inside in one piece without +a division, almost like a chestnut; the taste nearly the same as the nuts +of Europe. + +Oranges grow without being planted. With some the rind is very thick, +with others delicate. The natives do not eat them. Some of our people +said there were lemons. + +There are many, and very large, sweet canes; red and green, very long, +with jointed parts. Sugar might be made from them. + +Many and large trees, bearing a kind of nut, grew on the forest-covered +slopes near the port. They brought these nuts on board as green as they +were on the branches. Their leaves are not all green on one side, and on +the other they turn to a yellowish grey. Their length is a _geme_,* more +or less, and in the widest part three fingers. The nut contains two +skins, between which grows what they call mace, like a small nut. Its +colour is orange. The nut is rather large, and there are those who say +that this is the best kind. The natives make no use of it, and our people +used to eat it green, and put it into the pots, and used the mace for +saffron. + +[* The space between the end of the thumb and the end of the forefinger, +both stretched out.] + +On the beach a fruit was found like a pine apple. There were other +fruits, like figs, filberts, and _albaricoques_,* which were eaten. +Others were seen, but it was not known what fruits they were, nor what +others grew in that land. To give a. complete account of them and other +things, it is necessary to be a year in the country, and to travel over +much ground. + +[* Apricots.] + +As regards vegetables, I* only knew amaranth, purslane, and calabashes. + +[* It is Belmonte, Queiroz's secretary, who is describing the bay and its +products.--G. C.] + +The natives make from a black clay some very well-worked pots, large and +small, as well as pans and porringers in the shape of small boats.* + +[* I have seen some of these in the Noumea Museum.-G.C.] + +It was supposed that they made some beverage, because in the pots and in +cavities were found certain sour fruits. + +It appeared to us that we saw there quarries of good marble*; I say good, +because several things were seen that were made of it and of jasper. +There were also seen ebony and large mother-o'-pearl shells; also some +moderate-sized looms. In one house a heap of heavy black stones was seen, +which afterwards proved to be metal from whence silver could be +extracted. Two of our people said they had seen the footprints of a large +animal. + +[* Coral cliffs.] + +The climate appeared to be very healthy, both from the rigour and size of +the natives, as because none of our men became ill all the time we were +there, nor felt any discomfort, nor tired from work. They had not to keep +from drinking while fasting, not at unusual times, nor when sweating, nor +from being wet with salt or fresh water, nor from eating whatever grew in +the country, nor from being out in the evening under the moon, nor the +sun, which was not very burning at noon, and at midnight we were glad of +a blanket. The land is shown to be healthy, from the natives living in +houses on terraces, and having so much wood, and because so many old +people were seen. We heard few claps of thunder, and had little rain. As +the river flowed with clear water, it was understood that the rains were +over. + +It is to be noted that we had not seen cactus nor sandy wastes, nor were +the trees thorny, while many of the wild trees yielded good fruit. It is +also to be noted that we did not see snow on the mountains, nor were +there any mosquitos or ants in the land, which are very harmful, both in +houses and fields. + +There were no poisonous lizards either in the woods or the cultivated +ground, nor alligators in the rivers. Fish and flesh keep good for +salting during two or more days. The land is so pleasant, so covered with +trees; there are so many kinds of birds, that owing to this and other +good signs, the climate may be considered to be clement and that it +preserves its natural order. Of what happens in the mountains we cannot +speak until we have been there. As no very large canoes were seen, with +so large a population, and such fine trees, but only some small ones, and +the mountain ranges being so very high to W. and E., and to the S., and +the river Jordan being so large, with great trees torn up and brought +down at its mouth, we came to the conclusion that the land must be +extensive, and yielding abundantly; and that consequently the people were +indolent, and have no need to seek other lands. + +I am able to say with good reason, that a land more delightful, healthy +and fertile; a site better supplied with quarries, timber, clay for +tiles, bricks for founding a great city on the sea, with a port and a +good river on a plain; with level lands near the hills, ridges, and +ravines; nor better adapted to raise plants and all that Europe and the +Indies produce, could not be found. No port could be found more +agreeable, nor better supplied with all necessaries, without any +drawbacks; nor with such advantages for dockyards in which to build +ships; nor forests more abundant in suitable timber good for buttock +timbers, houses, compass timbers, beams, planks, masts and yards. Nor is +there any other land that could sustain so many strangers so pleasantly, +if what has been written is well considered. Nor does any other land have +what this land has close by, at hand, and in sight of its port; for quite +near there are seven islands,* with coasts extending for 200 leagues, +apparently with the same advantages, and which have so many, and such +good signs, that they may be sought for and found without shoals or other +obstacles; while nearly half-way there are other known islands,** with +inhabitants and ports where anchorages may be found. I have never seen, +anywhere where I have been, nor have heard of such advantages... + +[* Vanua Lava, Gaua, Aurora, Aoba, Pentecost, Ambryna, and Malekula.] + +[** Gente hermosa, etc.] + +As it was arranged that the ships should leave the port, understanding +that the sickness was not very bad, they made sail on the 28th of May. In +the afternoon the sick were so helpless that the captain ordered the +pilots to keep the ships within the mouth of the bay until the condition +of the people was seen next day. They were all in such a state that the +captain gave orders for the ships to return to port where, the wind being +fair, they were easily anchored. Then steps were taken to take care of +the sick, and they all got well in a short tune. + +On the day after they anchored a number of natives were seen on the +beach, playing on their shells. To find out what it was about, the +captain ordered the master of the camp to go with a party of men in the +two boats to learn what they wanted. When the Spaniards were near them, +they vainly shot off their arrows to the sound of their instruments. From +the boats four musket-shots were fired in the air, and they returned to +the ships. + +Soon afterwards the captain ordered them to return to the shore, taking +the three boys, that the natives might see them, and be assured that no +harm had been done to them, the fear of which was supposed to be the +cause of all this disturbance. When they arrived, the boys called to +their fathers, who, though they heard them, did not know their sons by +the voices or by sight, because they were dressed in silk. The boats came +nearer, that they might get a better view; and, when the boys were known, +two natives waded into the water up to their breasts, showing by this, +and by their joy during all the time the sweet discourse lasted, that +they were the fathers of the boys. + +The natives were given to understand that the muskets were fired because +they fired the arrows. To this they answered that it was not them, but +others of a different tribe; and that, as they were friends, they should +be given the three boys. They said they would bring fowls, pigs, and +fruit, and present them. They were told by pointing to the sun, that they +were to return at noon. They went away, and the boats went back to the +ships. At the time arranged the natives sounded two shells, and the boats +went back with the three boys, whose fathers, when they saw and spoke to +them, did not show less joy than at the first interview. They gave the +Spaniards a pig, and asked for the boys. They said that they would bring +many on the next day, which, accordingly they did, sounding the shells. + +The boats again went to the shore, taking a he- and a she-goat, to leave +there to breed; also taking the boys as a decoy to induce the natives to +come, so as to take them to the ships, and let them return. They found +two pigs on the beach; and, when they were delivered up, the Spaniards +gave the goats in exchange, which the natives looked at cautiously, with +much talking among themselves. + +The fathers begged for their sons; and, because their demand was not +granted, they said they would bring more pigs, and that the Spaniards +were to come back for them when they gave the signal. In the afternoon +the same signal was made, and the boats returned to the shore. But they +only saw the goats tied up, and two natives near them, who said that they +would go to seek for others, as they did not want the goats. Thinking +that this looked bad, a careful observation was made, and many natives +were seen among the trees with bows and arrows. Understanding that this +was a plan for seizing some of the men, or for some other had object, the +muskets were fired off, and the natives hastily fled with loud shouts. + +The Spaniards recovered the goats and returned to the ships. + +Queiroz, seeing that the natives of that bay continued to be hostile, +owing to the bad treatment they had received, resolved to proceed south +to get a nearer view of the great and high chain of mountains in that +direction; desiring by the sight of them to reanimate all his companions; +because, as he said, "in the event of his death, he felt sure they would +continue the work with ardour until it was finished." He left the bay +with the three vessels on Thursday, the 8th of June, in the afternoon. +They met with contrary winds and decided to return to port. All night +they were beating on different tacks at the mouth of the bay. At dawn the +_Almiranta_ was 3 leagues to windward, and at three in the afternoon she +and the launch were near the port...The force of the wind was increasing, +and the night was near, owing to which the pilot* ordered that if they +could not reach the port, they were to anchor wherever it was possible. +The night came on very dark. The _Almiranta_ and the launch appeared to +have anchored. + +[* Gonzalez de Leza.] + +They saw the lanterns lighted, to give the _Capitana_ leading marks, as +she was also going to anchor. Soundings were taken, and they found 30 +fathoms, not being an arquebus shot from the port. The wind came down in +a gust over the land. Sails were taken in, and the ship was only under a +fore course, falling off a little. The chief pilot, exaggerating very +much the importance of being unable to find bottom, together with the +darkness of the night, the strong wind, the numerous lights he saw +without being able to judge with certainty which were those of the two +ships, said to the captain that he was unable to reach the port. + +The captain commended his zeal and vigilance. There was one who said, and +made it clearly to be understood, that more diligence might easily have +been shown to anchor or to remain without leaving the bay; and that, with +only the sprit sail braced up, she might have run for shelter under the +cape to windward. It was also said that they went to sleep. In the +morning the captain asked the pilot what was the position of the ship. He +replied that she was to leeward of the cape; and the captain told him to +make sail that she might not make leeway. The pilot answered that the sea +was too high and against them, and that the bows driving into the water +would cause her timbers to open, though he would do his best. The +narrator here remarks "that this was a great misfortune, owing to the +captain being disabled by illness on this and other occasions when the +pilots wasted time, obliging him to believe what they said, to take what +they gave, measured out as they pleased." Finally, during this and the +two following days, attempts were made to enter the bay. The other +vessels did not come out, the wind did not go down; while, owing to the +force of this wind the ship, having little sail on, and her head E.N.E., +lost ground to such an extent that they found themselves 20 leagues to +leeward of the port, all looking at those high mountains with sorrow at +not being able to get near them. + +The island of _Virgen Maria_ was so hidden by mist that they could never +get a sight of it. They saw the other island of _Belen_*, and passed near +another, 7 leagues long. It consisted of a very high hill, almost like +the first. It received the name of _Pilar de Zaragoza_. It is the +Ureparapara of modern charts. Many growing crops, palms, and other trees, +and columns of smoke were seen on it. It was about 30 leagues to the N.W. +of the bay; but there were no soundings and no port. + +[* Vanua Lava, in the Banks group.] + +They diligently sought its shelter, but were obliged to give it up owing +to the wind and current; and on the next day they found themselves at +sea, out of sight of land. + +Queiroz made an attempt to reach Santa Cruz where, in case of separation, +the fleet was to rendezvous in Graciosa Bay. He failed to reach that +island and sailed for Acapulco, which he sighted on the 3rd of October, +1606, and thence overland he reached Mexico with a small escort on his +way back to Spain, where he arrived destitute. + +On his return to Spain, Queiroz reported to the king the discovery of the +Australian continent. Thus it came to pass, in after years, that +Australia was represented as shown in the accompanying map, and not until +the French navigator Bougainville, and after him our immortal Cook, +re-discovered the New Hebrides, was the illusion concerning Queiroz's +discovery of Australia thoroughly dispelled. + +In a work published in Paris, in 1756, the same year, therefore, as the +map by Vaugondy, given here, De Brosses, the author of a work on +Australian Discovery, describing New Holland, the name then given to +Australia, says:-- + +"On the eastern coast is the _Terre du St. Esprit_ (the Land of the Holy +Ghost), discovered by Queiroz." + +SPANISH MAP OF THE BAY OF ST. PHILIP AND ST. JAMES IN ESPIRITU SANTO +ISLAND (NEW HEBRIDES). + +The map given here was drafted by Don Diego de Prado, the cartographer of +Queiroz' fleet. When compared with a modern map (see pp. 97-114), it will +be seen how correct it is. The Spaniards approached their anchoring +ground from the north and the perspective elevations of the hilly country +is given as seen from the decks of their ships, a common practice in +those days, but one, which in this case, necessitated placing the south +on top; for purposes of comparison, it will be necessary, therefore, to +reverse the map, mentally or otherwise. + +The original map, which is of a much larger size, bears an inscription in +Spanish (for want of space incomplete in my copy), referring to the +discovery, date of taking possession, latitude, etc. It draws attention +to the anchors marked in the bay and says that in those places the ships +cast anchor. It will be noticed that no less than nine of these +anchorages are marked, and that most of them are in the port of Vera +Cruz. The inscription says also that the _Capitana_ left them on the 11th +of June. + +It has often been said that Queiroz's port of Vera Cruz is not to be +found in the big bay of St. Philip and St. James, that the water is too +shallow in the locality where the port was said to be. This objection, +however, may be overcome. + +When amongst the islands of the group, a couple of years ago, a friend of +mine, a French geologist of note, informed me that he had found numerous +signs of upheaval in the corner of the bay, where, precisely, the port of +Vera Cruz is marked on D. Diego de Prado's chart. This, coupled with what +Queiroz says about "great trees torn up and brought down" by the rivers, +accounts, no doubt, for what appears to be incorrect in the Spanish chart +if compared with modern features. + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +TORRES' DISCOVERIES. + +I shall give here Torres' account from that portion of it that has come +to be intimately connected with Australian discovery. + +As there was a misunderstanding, to say the least of it, between Queiroz, +the Portuguese, and his lieutenant Torres, the proud Spaniard, the second +in command during the voyage we have just read about, it will be just as +well to hear both sides of the question, and thus be able to form a more +correct opinion of what really happened on the occasion of the last of +Spain's great navigators' memorable voyage towards the Great South Land. + +Torres, in a letter to the king of Spain says: + +About sixty leagues before reaching Santa Cruz, we found a small island +of 6 leagues, very high, and all around it very good soundings; and other +small islands near it, under shelter of which the ships anchored.* + +[* The island mentioned here was TAUMACO, which has been identified as +one of the large islands of the Duff group, not far from Santa Cruz.] + +I went with the two boats and fifty men to reconnoitre the people of this +island; and at a distance of a musket shot from the island, we found a +town surrounded with a wall, and only one entrance without a gate. + +Being near with the two boats, with an intention of investing them, as +they did not by signs choose peace, at length their chief came into the +water up to his neck, with a staff in his hand, and without fear came +directly to the boats; where he was very well received, and by signs +which we very well understood, he told me that his people were in great +terror of the muskets,* and, therefore, he entreated us not to land, and +said that they would bring water and wood if we gave them vessels. I told +him that it was necessary to remain five days on shore to refresh. Seeing +he could not do more with me he quieted his people, who were very uneasy +and turbulent, and so it happened that no hostility was committed on +either side. + +[* Some of them had, no doubt, a lively remembrance of the effect of +Spanish fire arms, having been at Santa Cruz, eleven years before, when +Mendana's fleet anchored in Graciosa Bay.] + +We went into the fort very safely; and, having halted, I made them give +up their arms, and made them bring from their houses their effects, which +were not of any value, and go with them to the island to other towns. + +They thanked me very much; the chief always continued with me. They then +told me that TAUMACO was the name of their island. + +All came to me to make peace, and the chiefs assisted me, making their +people get water and wood, and carry it on board the ship. In this we +spent six days. + +The people of this island are of agreeable conversation, understanding us +very well, desirous of learning our language and to teach us theirs. + +They are great cruisers; they have much beard; they are great archers and +hurlers of darts; the vessels in which they sail are large, and can go a +great way. They informed us of more than forty islands, great and small, +all peopled, naming them, and telling us they were at war with many of +them. They also gave us intelligence of Santa Cruz Island, and of what +happened when Mendana was there. + +The people of this island are of ordinary stature. They have amongst them +people white and red, some in color like those of the Indies, others +woolly-headed, blacks and mulattoes. Slavery is in use amongst them. +Their food is yams, fish, cocoanuts, and they have pigs and fowls. The +name of the chief is Tomai. + +QUEIROZ AND TORRES LEAVE TAUMACO FOR THE SOUTH. + +We departed from Taumaco with four natives of the place, whom we took, at +which they were not much pleased; and as we here got wood and water, +there was no necessity for us to go to Santa Cruz Island; which is, in +this parallel* sixty leagues further on. + +[* It is not exactly in the same parallel.] + +So we sailed from hence, steering S.S.E. to 12° 30' S. latitude, where we +found an island like that of Taumaco, and with the same kind of people, +named Tucopia. There is only one small anchoring place; and passing in +the offing, a small canoe with only two men came to me to make peace, and +presented me with some bark of a tree, which appeared like a very fine +handkerchief, four yards long and three palms wide; on this I parted from +them. + +From hence we steered south. We had a hard gale of wind from the north, +which obliged us to lie to for two days: at the end of that time it was +thought, as it was winter, that we could not exceed the latitude of 14° +S., in which we were, though my opinion was always directly contrary, +thinking we should search for the islands named by the chiefs of Taumaco. + +Wherefore, sailing from this place we steered west, and in one day's sail +we discovered a volcano, very high and large [Star, or Merlav Island], +above three leagues in circuit, full of trees, and of black people with +much beard. + +To the westward, and in sight of this volcano, was an island not very +high, and pleasant in appearance. There are few anchoring places, and +those very close to the shore; it was very full of black people. + +Here we caught two in some canoes, whom we clothed and gave presents to, +and the next day we put them ashore. In return for this they shot a +flight of arrows at a Spaniard, though in truth it was not in the same +port, but about a musket shot further on. They are, however, a people +that never miss an opportunity of doing mischief. + +In sight of this island and around it are many islands, very high and +large, and to the southward one so large* that we stood for it, naming +the island where our man was wounded, _Santa, Maria_. + +[* This "one so large." is _Espiritu Santo_; Torres, evidently, did not +share Queiroz's belief, but took it for what it was, an island. See for +corroboration what he says further on, 8 paragraphs below.] + +Sailing thence to the southward towards the large island we discovered a +very large bay, well peopled, and very fertile in yams and fruits, pigs +and fowls. + +They are all black people and naked. They fought with bows, darts and +clubs. They did not choose to have peace with us, though we frequently +spoke to them and made presents; and they never, with their good will, +let us set foot on shore. + +This bay is very refreshing, and in it fall many and large rivers. It is +in 15° 45' S., latitude and in circuit it is twenty-five leagues. We +named it the bay of _San Felipe_ and _Santiago_, and the land _del +Espiritu Santo_. + +There we remained fifty days; we took possession in the Name of Your +Majesty. + +From within this bay, and from the most sheltered part of it, the +_Capitana_ departed at one hour past midnight, without any notice given +to us, and without making any signal. This happened the 11th of June, and +although the next morning we went out to seek for them, and made all +proper efforts, it was not possible for us to find them, for they did not +sail on the proper course, nor with good intention. + +So I was obliged to return to the bay, to see if by chance they had +returned thither. And on the same account we remained in this bay fifteen +days, at the end of which we took Your Majesty's orders,* and held a +consultation with the officers of the _Brigantine_. + +[* The orders included instructions to sail as far as the 21st parallel; +also to _rendezvous_ at _Graciosa_ bay, which order Torres appears to +have disobeyed.] + +It was determined that we should fulfil them, although contrary to the +inclination of many, I may say of the greater part; but my condition was +different from that of Captain Pedro Fernandez de Queiroz.* + +[* Torres insinuates here that Queiroz was overruled by his crew.] + +TORRES LEAVES SANTO. + +At length we sailed from this bay, in conformity to the order, although +with intention to sail round this island,* but the season and strong +currents would not allow of this, although I ran along a great part of +it. In what I saw there are very large mountains. It has many ports, +though soma of them are small. All of it is well watered with rivers. + +[* Again, Torres states that Espiritu Santo is an Island, see 8 +paragraphs previous.] + +We had at this time nothing but bread and water. It was the depth of +winter, and I had sea, wind, and ill will of my crew against me. All this +did not prevent me from reaching the latitude mentioned (21° S.), which I +passed by one degree, and would have gone further if the weather had +permitted,* for the ship was good. It was proper to act in this manner, +for these are not voyages performed every day, nor could Your Majesty +otherwise be properly informed. + +[* When Torres says, he "would have gone further," etc., he evidently +thought he was not far from the Australian Continent; a few days' sail, +three at the most, would have brought him to Cape Capricorne, on the +coast of Queensland, a little to the south of the "Lost Bay" that was +marked on some of the maps of the period.] + +Going in the said latitude on a S.W. course, we had no signs of land that +way. + +From hence I stood back to the N.W. till 11° 30' S. latitude; there we +fell in with the beginning of New Guinea, the coast of which runs W. by +N. and E. by S. + +I could not weather the E. point, so I coasted along to the westward on +the south side. + +I may here interrupt Torres' description in order to point out the +various discoveries which he made along the southern shores of New Guinea +during the course of his voyage to Manila in which he passed through the +straits that bear his name. + +The recovery of some ancient manuscript charts and other documents throws +considerable light on this perilous and interesting voyage.* + +[* The charts in question were pillaged from the Spanish archives during +the wars of Napoleon I., and taken to Paris. There, buried away and +uncatalogued, they were found, some years ago, by a friend of mine, who +caused them to be returned to their original owners and acquainted me +with their existence, thus enabling me to get copies of them which were +first published to the English speaking world in my work on "The +Discovery of Australia," in the year 1894.] + +There lies at the eastern extremity of New Guinea a group of beautiful +islands supposed to have been first sighted in the year 1873 by the +leader of an English expedition, bent on discovery. Captain John Moresby, +of H.M.S. _Basilisk_, the leader in question, in the account of his +discoveries in New Guinea, published in 1876, says: + +"I trust that the work done by H.M.S. _Basilisk_, in waters hitherto +untracted, on shores hitherto untrodden, and among races hitherto unknown +by Europeans will be held to call for some account." + +Now, by comparing the Spanish map given here, with Moresby's it will be +seen how Moresby's work, on this point of the coast, had been forestalled +by Torres. + +The features and place-names in the Spanish chart will reveal some of the +most important of Torres' discoveries at the south-east end of New +Guinea, where the Spanish navigator made his first stay in order to +refresh the crews of the _Almiranta_ and _Brigantine_. + +From a description on this chart we learn that during five days and +nights the Spaniards stood in sight of those tantalizing verdant shores, +unable to effect a landing, threading their way through perilous reefs +and over dangerous shoals. + +Then, at last, they rounded, no doubt, the cape which Torres called _Cabo +de tres hermanas_, or Cape of the Three Sisters, passed the next point +marked (A) on the map, near the east point of the compass, and came to +anchor in a little bay which was called _Puerto de San Francisco_. + +It is situated near the south-east entrance to Rocky Pass, between +Basilisk and Hayter Islands, and formed, in all probability, during their +sojourn in these parts, the centre of their various excursions to the +islands and bays around. + +Its name, San Francisco, gives us the date of Torres' landing (14th of +July, 1606), for it was customary in those days to name discoveries after +the saints of the calendar; but the feast of St. Bonaventure occurs also +on July the 14th, so that name was likewise made use of, and given to the +whole territory discovered. + +Contrary to Torres', Moresby's approach, in the year 1873, was from the +N.E. where the mainland of New Guinea was supposed to extend beyond +Hayter, Basilisk and Moresby's Islands. + +The English captain had already cut off Moresby's Island, left his good +ship _Basilisk_ at anchor in the strait thus discovered (Fortescue +Strait), and--the numerous reefs rendering navigation impossible for his +ship--taken to his boats, the galley and cutter. + +Moresby and party then rounded the northern shores of what they thought +might prove to be the "beginning of New Guinea," when, suddenly, a bay +seemed to open towards the south. + +Moresby entered it, and, by the merest chance, hit upon the identical +narrow passage which Torres, 267 years previously, had discovered from +the south side and named _Boca de la Batalla_, Mouth of the Battle; +having, no doubt, had an encounter there with the natives. + +Moresby called that mouth Rocky Pass, and grew enthusiastic at the +discovery, and at having "separated another island from New Guinea." + +He was anxious to find if Rocky Pass would afford a passage for his ship, +and spent the remainder of the day in examining it; but a rocky ledge, +which ran across, barred it to the ship, and made it dangerous even for +boats at the strength of the tide. + +Moresby's experiences help to show the difficulties that the Spaniards +had to deal with, and also that Torres must have been compelled to leave +his two ships at anchor somewhere to the south of the _Baya de San +Milian_; San Francisco Bay, for instance; and use the only rowing boat he +had for his excursions. + +In this he explored the bay formed by the horse-shoe-shape of Basilisk +Island, named it the _Baya de San Milian_ (modern Jenkins Bay), and +penetrated to the largest bay to be found among all the islands he had +discovered in this region--that is Milne Bay. He says: "We went a long +way out from _Cabo Fresco_ [modern Challis Head of Moresby's chart], +which is as far as we could go towards the east in a boat." + +Other nautical remarks which I translate from the old Spanish text of the +chart are: "Towards the E. [N.E.] we did not see the end of the land, but +we could judge from the various small islands that the channels were +wide; towards the west there are no channels, only land and continuous +lofty ridges, '_Tierra alta y cerrada_' (evidently the Mount Owen Stanly +ranges in the distance). We steered in that direction, but had to give up +further progress after a while owing to the inadequacy of our boat." + +These and other notes on the Spanish chart correspond exactly with what +Moresby says of Milne Bay; and the dimensions given to that bay by de +Prado, the cartographer of the expedition (40 leagues in circumference), +may be considered as a fairly correct estimate. + +On the 18th of July, Torres and his party having concluded their running +survey of Basilisk Island, landed and took possession in the name of the +king of Spain, naming as I have said, the whole territory the TIERRA DE +SAN BUENAVENTURA. + +A careful examination which I have made of a much distorted copy of a +general map of New Guinea, made by Torres' cartographer, shows that +Torres' _Tierra de san Buenaventura_ (Basilisk Island), is one of several +islands off the south-eastern extremity of New Guinea; and, by coupling +this fact with what Torres says of his inability to navigate the bay +(Milne Bay), and proceed east of Cabo Fresco (Challis Head), although he +noticed wide channels in that direction, we may infer that the reefs and +coral patches (not contrary winds as generally believed) compelled him to +seek the southwest passage to Manila.* + +[* Torres evidently did not discover the passage, discovered by Moresby +and named by him China Strait, otherwise he might have been able to take +the northern course.] + +This becomes still more evident when we consider that Moresby also was +unable to take his ship through to the northern shores. + +From these regions Torres sailed to Orangerie Bay of modern charts, which +he discovered on the 10th of August, 1606, and named in consequence, THE +GREAT BAY OF ST. LAWRENCE.* + +[* On the same day, one hundred years before, the Portuguese had +discovered Madagascar, which they called the Island of St. Lawrence.] + +Here, another lengthy stay was made and an extensive survey, comprising +the laying out of a township, as may be seen by the accompanying map. + +Then the little squadron went right up into the Gulf of Papua and down +again as far as 11° S. latitude. + +Not, therefore, through Torres Strait, so called, did Torres pass, but +through Endeavour Strait, which has been named after Captain Cook's ship, +the _Endeavour_. + +Sailing along the shores of the islands to the north of Australia, +between Cape York and Prince of Wales Island, Torres regained the coast +of New Guinea and put in at the bay of St. Peter of Arlanza (modern +Triton Bay), in order to refresh his crews. + +There he took possession on the 18th of October, 1606, and, after a +lengthy sojourn, sailed away to the Philippine Islands. + +He had discovered Australia without being aware of the fact, and had +completed the Spanish circumnavigation of New Guinea. + +* * * * * + +CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF IMPORTANT EVENTS. + +1492. Discovery of America, by C. Columbus. Marco Polo's. "Java-Major" + appears on Martin Behaim's globe. + +1497. Cape of Good Hope rounded by the Portuguese. + +1502. Second Portuguese fleet sails for India. + +1503. Third Portuguese fleet sails for India. + +1504. Three Great Portuguese fleets dispatched to. India. + +1511. The Spice Islands discovered by the Portuguese. + +1519-22. Magellan's Expedition Round the World, sent out, from Spain. + Sebastian del Cano, in the Victoria, puts in at Timor. + +1525. Garcia Jofre de Loaysa, with Sabastian del Cano, sets sail for the + Spice Islands, via the Straits of Magellan. + +1527. Fernand Cortez sends his kinsman, Saavedra, in search of Loaysa's + expedition. + +1529. Saavedra discovers the Northern Shores of New Guinea. + +1530-36. Copies of early Portuguese charts of Australia made in France. + +1536. Remnant of Saavedra's Expedition reaches Lisbon. + Grijalva's Expedition sent out by F. Cortez, to the Spice Islands. + +1539. A few survivors of Grijalva's Expedition reach the Spice Islands. + +1542. Ruy Lopes de Villalobos sets sail for the Philippines. + +1545. Ortiz de Retez and Gaspar Rico make discoveries on Northern Shores + of New Guinea. + +1567. Samiento and Mendana sail from Peru in search of Western Islands, + and Continental Land; they discover the Solomon Islands. + +1569. Sarmiento and Mendana return to America. + +1595. Mendana and Pedro Fernandez de Queiroz set sail from Peru in search + of the Solomon Islands; they fail in their attempt, and reach the + island of Santa Cruz, to the West of the Solomons, where they + attempt a settlement. + +1596. The remnant of Mendana's expedition reach New Spain. + +1605-6. De Queiroz sets sail from Peru, with the object of renewing the + attempt at settlement in the island of Santa Cruz, and from + thence to search for the Great Australian Continent. He fails to + reach Santa Cruz, and puts in at the New Hebrides. + +1606. Torres sails towards Australia from the New Hebrides, + passes through the straits that bear his name, and discovers + Australia, without, apparently, being aware of the fact. + + + +THE END + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The First Discovery of Australia and +New Guinea, by George Collingridge + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA *** + +***** This file should be named 17022-8.txt or 17022-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/7/0/2/17022/ + +Produced by Col Choat + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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