STORY OF AUSTRALIA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 2 June 1930, Page 2

STORY OF AUSTRALIA

THE FIRST DISCOVERER EARLY SPANISH VOYAGE PAPERS ROST FOR 300 YEARS The description of Lire voyage of a Spaniard, who. it is claimed, discovered Australia but was not aware of that fact, Ims come to light with the finding of a manuscript that hud been lost for 300 years.

The manuscript, which is the narrative of Captain Don Diego de Prado y Tovar, was bought some years ago at a,n auction at Sotheby’s, but it was not until recently that it-was inspected, and was found to contain the first detailed account that has come to hand of the discovery of Torres Strait and North Australia. It has now been translated by Hr G. E. Harwich, Keeper of printed Hooks, British Museum, and, edited by Air ITenry X. Stevens. It is published to-day uTider the title of “New Light on the Discovery of Australia

The voyage of Prado and Torres, which took place in 1005-00, was, states tlu> editor, “one of the most eventful made since the days of Columbus, alike ugh the great importance of its results lmd not been fully recognised because so little has hitherto been know about it. . . We now learn that Prado, in company with Torres as his second in command, . . . instead of

passing to the north of Xcw Guinea as provided for in the general orders, was compelled by stress of weather to sail along the south coast.

“To that fortuitous circumstance we owe not only the discovery of the tortuous passage between New Guinea and Australia, now known as Torres Strait, hut incidentally Clio first definite discovery of 'Australia itself.” The book comes-as a surprise-to Australia House, where an official said recently that it had been thought hitherto that Australia’s first discoverer was the unknown captain of the Duyfhen, a vessel manned by Dutchmen, which sailed in this region in 1000. Air Stevens would appear to distinguish between first “definite” discovery and just discovery, since he later gives the palm for the latter to the Dutch by “a few months’ priority.” He adds, however, that when the importance of tlie two voyages is compared the palm must unquestionably be awarded to the Spaniards, since the Dutch, in their account of their voyage, practically ndmitted.its failure, for it is stated that nothing could he learned of the land or water visited.” In either ease the discovery of Australia was unconscious. The commander of the Duyfhen thought it was New Guinea, while Prado who was certainly within 10 miles of Cape York Peninsula, took Australia to he a small island.