DE QUIROS

Evening Star, Issue 20132, 23 March 1929, Page 25

DE QUIROS

AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURER H over a name should be honoured by Australia it is that of Captain Pedro Fernandez do Quires, says a writer in the Sydney 1 Morning Herald.’ 'True, lie never set foot in Australia; lie never even sighted the continent—though he believed that ho had. His connection with our country may seem remote. Yet the discovery of Australia was the one great aim and inspiration of his life To that end ha toiled constantly, navigated oceans, faced mutiny, petitioned monarch*, and finally gave up his life. He is somewhat forgotten by us, hut his memory is freshened by the recent news that some autograph documents of liis 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 now national library at Canberra. Do Quiros was a Portuguese pilot who sailed from Peru with Admiral do Torres in December, .1005, westward to discover new lands for the King of Spain. They discovered in iho next year the island of the New Hebrides, now known as Espirilu Santo, but which De Quiros called La Australia del Espiritu Santo, thinking he had at last touched the southern country ot His dreams. As is well known, mutiny broke out ou his ship, and the rehelJions crew compelled him to turn about and make for Mexico; so back ho 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 r.ighted 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. Tim recently-discovered document will probably be connected in someway with these many attempts to obtain support for his venture. iSomc 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’s second expedition to explore mid colonise Australia. They show the earnestness of his purpose, the couri age and perseverance with which he sought to gain rhe 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 lie is sent quickly, lie pleads, other nations will forestall, and he reinforces Ins arguments with appeals to the King's vanity; “I snj’ that God lias 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 Spam became the richest of tho nations of the world. So in the second of the memorials he writes; “God is giving yon all tho unknown southern lands, where already other lands have been sighted, far mors extensive than those possessed by tho Christian, Turkish, and Moorish Kings and Princes of Africa and ho ends by begging the King not to let tins cause destroy him, for it is tho motive of his being. A third item from tho saleroom wa t: an MS. report on the newly-discovemi land of Captain Quiros, tho New Hebrides islands are probably meant. “It seems that God ” (the document eondudes) “in His own providential manner has seen lit to reserve the discover 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 *ll honour and glory to God; and to His Majesty, that which has been proposed.” By which wo understand the worldly riches those new lands would provide for his most Christian Majesty. 'This document was probably a piece of propaganda written by Dc Quires to influence tho Court, favourably towards tho 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. Ho died of fever at Panama on his way ouV and no one knows whore 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 mnny-qiiartcred Spanish standard be now Hying above another Buenos Aires; or would New Spam have gone the way of the neighbouring Philippines ?