EARLY AUSTRALIA.

Grey River Argus, 29 April 1929, Page 3

EARLY AUSTRALIA.

SPANISH M S CAUSES CONTROVERSY. LONDON, April 11. Great interest is being taken here in the discovery of an old manuscript dealing with the much-debated question of whether the Spanish explorer, De Quiros, visited Australia in the sixteenth century. 11 My discovery ef the manuscript concerning De Quiros’s voyage lacked none of the elements of romance,” Mr Henry Stevens, a Condon bookseller and collector, told “The Daily Standard” representative. “Every bibliophile dreams of finding rare documents among manuscripts bound up with old books, according to the ancient practice. “It was in such a volume which I purchased three years ago that discovered De Quiros’s manuscript. It was probably stolen from Spanish Australians have already cabled offers, but I regret that I can not accept them, as I have sold it to a private English collector, but have reserved the right of publication.” “THE TORRES MYTH.” “That Daily Standard” representative urged Mr Stevens to disclose where the manuscript was purchased, and by whom it was written, in order to substantiate its authenticity. Mr Stevens declared, “To do so would anticipate the book I am publishing in the autumn. I can only say ‘hat the author was the titular head of Torres ships. The tradition that Torres commanded is a myth, about which the manuscript leaves no doubt. He was merely the chief navigating officer. It also indicates that De Quiros’s crew mutinied, opened his sealed orders, and forced him to turn Irek. Torres proceeded southwards, and undoubtedly sighted Australia. “Those declaring that Torres’ account is a geographical impossibility have not read the original Spanish, and base their criticism upon a garbled translation. The present manuscript substantiates and expands all Torres’s observations. ”