THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA

Evening Star, Issue 20019, 9 November 1928, Page 9

THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA

UNPUBLISHED BOCUMEHTS Through the courtesy of Dr A. S. W. Boson bach, of New York, ‘The Times’ lias been able to print a facsimile of the signature of Pedro Fernandez; de Quires, the discoverer ol Australia. It is on a commission given by De Quiros which forms one of a series of hitherto unknown documents bearing on the earliest attempts to discover- Australia. It is the only signature of his' known to be in existence, and that in itself is sufficient to indicate the historical interest and importance of these documents. Other autograph signatures of De Quiros may exist in unexplored archives in Spain or in South America, but they remain to be discovered. The documents which have recently come into Dr Bosenbach’s possession came to him from a private source in a South American city. The document with which wc are more particularly concerned (says ‘ The Times-’) is a commission given by Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, in which he names the sailing masters — Manuel Noble and Caspar do Gay—to command the ships San Pedro and San Pedro, y San Pablo, about to proceed “ on the discovery of the unknown austral regions of this South Sea, by order of the King, onr Lord.” The commission is dated Lima, July 27, 1005. Quiros (or Quiroz) was born about 1505, and followed the life of a common sailor in his youth. Later ho became a sea notary, and still later a pilot. Ho accompanied Mandana on his last expedition, and on the death of Mandana it fell to 1 him to navigate the expedition to Manila, and later to Mexico. While engaged in the voyage of discovery with Mandana he conceived the idea that a great southern continent existed, and, returning to Spain in 1599, after having made futile attempts in the Vice-regal Court at Lima, ho was there able to convince the ruling powers-of the- feasibility of his plan. Ho went to Peru, where he arrived in April, 1605, with Royal Letters directing the Viceroy to furnish him with ships arid ineu. He was ably seconded by the Viceroy, Count de Monterey, and on December 21, 1605, set sail. It is related that on leaving the harbour of Callao his pilot came to him and asked him today down a cmirse. Quiros asked the pilot in what direction they were then headed, and on the pilot answering him, Quiros told him; “Let her go on as she is; God will take us somewhere.”

The expedition discovered the islands which fringe T the coast of Australia, and, the two small ships becoming separated in a storm, Quiros returned to Mexico, while tho other ship went to Manila. Quiros, landing in Mexico, was coldly received by the Crown authorities, but managed to make his way to Spain, where he landed with only a few coppers in his pocket, which lie gave to the first beggar he encountered. His experiences and sufferings during the years which followed, ■when ho tried to convince tho Royal authorities to fit out a new expedition, are very pathetic. In 1613 he secured the desired permission. Instructions wore given to the new Viceroy of Pern, Francisco dc Borja, cousin of Lucrczia Borgia, to despatch him on his arrival in Porn. Quiros accompanied the Viceroy, and,-being taken sick with fever, died in Panama in 1614, thus possible escaping many disappointments, of which he had already had so many. It will bo seen', therefore, that while Captain Pedro Fernandez do Quiros came within sight of the great Australian continent and actually discovered tho outlying islands, he never reached tho continent itself. A NEGRO SLAVE.

Another of the documents is a letter of instruction, given by Captain Luis Vaez de Torres, captain and pilot of the flagship of Pedro Fernandez do Quiros, ordering, among other things, that freedom be granted a negro girl slave whom ho was leaving in Peru. The letter is dated Callao, the day tho expedition sailed for the discovery of Australia, December 21, 1605. Vaez do Torres, whoso ship became separated from that of Quiros on tho const of Australia, sailed his ship through tho strait which, now bears bis name to Manila, Nothing is known of bis Hie, save that be is presumed to have died in Goa.

Another document is a letter of instruction of Seaman Juan Martinez, companion of Quiros, dated Callao, December 17,'TOOa, and signed for him by Luis tie Mcdiano; in it be describes himself as sailor of the ship Sun Pedro, flagship; of the Royal Armada for tho new discovery to bo made by Captain Pedro Fernandez do Quiros. There are four other similar letters, all dated at Gallao. either December 15 or December 16, 1605, all written by_sailors. Three were able to sign their own names—Marcial tie Casanova, Jorge Dominguez, and Mannel tie Acosta; — while the fourth, that of Alberto deMorera, was signed tie Ortega. De Acosta described himself as sailor and artilleryman. In each case the “parte mistrial” is explicitly mentioned as the object for which they wore “signing

on.” . These exceedingly interesting documents in,the early history of Australia will doubtless'in time he translated and annotated. The story of the voyages of Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, 1595 to 1606, is told in two admirable volumes, translated and edited by the late Sir Clements Markham, and published by the Hakluyt Society in 1904. The Rosonbach documents would form a most desirable appendix to any new edition of Sir Clements Markham’s book, and every fact, however small, which deals with the history of Australasia cannot but bo interesting to British readers.