DE QUIROS

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 52, 24 November 1928, Page 27

DE QUIROS

AN EARLY AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURER

If ever a name should be honoured by Australia it is that* of Captain Pedro Fernandez de Qulros, says a writer in the “Sydney Morning Herald.” True, he never set foot in Australia; he never even sighted the continent —though he believed that he had. His connection with our country may seem remote, let the discovery of Australia was the one great aim and inspiration of his life. To that end he toiled constantly, navigated oceans, faced mutiny, petitioned monarchs, and finally gave up his life. He is somewhat forgotten by us, but his memory is freshened by the recent news that some autograph documents of his have come to light. We cannot hope that they will be purchased for the Commonwealth: Spain or some American collector will probably covet them. But it would be pleasant if a transcript of them could be made for our new national library at Canberra. De Qulros was a Portuguese pilot who sailed from Peru with Admiral de Torres in December, 1605, westward to discover new lands for the King of Spain. They discovered in the next year the island of the New Hebrides, now known as Espiritu Santo, but which de Quiros called La Australia del Espiritu Santo, thinking he had at last touched the southern country of his dreams. As is well known, mutiny broke out on his ship, and the rebellious' crew compelled him to turn about and make for Mexico; so back he was forced to go, leaving de Torres to proceed to the Philippines, and thence to make his famous voyage above our continent (he may possibly have sighted it) through the strait that now bears his name.

De Quiros meanwhile returned to Spain, and set to work to raise an expedition for capturing and colonising these new lands of the Western Pacific The recently discovered document will probably be connected in some way with these many attempts to obtain support for his venture. .Some printed memorials of a like nature recently passed through the London saleroom, and came ■ into the possession of Messrs. Maggs Bros., and a bibliographical notice in the “Times” prints extracts from them. Two of the memorials are about de Quiros’ second expedition to explore and colonise Aus-

tralin. They show the earnestness of his purpose, the courage and perseverance with which he sought to gain the royal help and encouragement. One of them, dated 1612, begs the King of Spain to despatch him with a fleet to Australia for the purpose of colonisation. Unless he is sent quickly, he pleads, other nations will forestall and he reinforces his arguments with appeals to the King’s vanity: “I say that God has made your Majesty the richest of kings and the Lord of the Earth.” He reminds the King, too, that it was only because the appeal for help of Columbus was heeded that Spain became the richest of the nations of the world.

So in the second of the memorials he writes: ‘God is giving you all the unknown southern lands, where already other lands have been sighted, fatmore extensive than those possessed by the Christian, Turkish, and Moorish Kings and Princes of Africa”; and he ends by begging the King ‘not to let this cause destroy him, for it is the motive of his being.’ A third item from the saleroom was a MS. report on the newly discovered lands of Captain Quiros, the New Hebrides islands are probably meant. “It seems that God (the document concludes) in His own providential manner has seen, fit to reserve the discovery of these beautiful lands for the latter days, and in this way to conquer the souls of those who have to populate the land, that they may continue the work of converting all the natives: for which all honour and glory to God; and to His Majesty, that which has been proposed.” By which we understand the wordly riches these new lands would provide for his most Christian Majesty. This document was probably a piece of propaganda written by de Quiros to influence the Cjourt favourably towards the venture. He estimates that expenses would run to about a million ducats, and not the half million which the King is willing the Viceroy of Peru should devote to the expedition. De Quiros had a tragic end. He never fulfilled his life’s ambition of colonising Australia in the name of His Majesty the King of Spain. He died of fever at Panama on his wayout, and no one knows where he lies buried. Had he succeeded who knows whether our continent might not have known such international struggles as India was to experience. Would Spain have been able to hold her conquest and the many-quartered Spanish standard be now flying above another Buenos Aires; or would New Spain have gone the way of the neighbouring Philippines ?