MENDANA AND SARMIENTO DISCOVER THE SOLOMONS.
With the hope of making fresh discoveries and in pursuance of their
object to establish a trade between the Spice Islands and their newly
acquired colonies on the western shores of America, the Spaniards
continued to send out expeditions whenever an opportunity offered.
Ever widening their sphere of action, they now looked forward to the
southern regions of the Pacific Ocean as the land of promise, the _El
Dorado_ of their dreams; Saavedra's _Isla de Oro_ and Retez's and Gaspar
Rico's discoveries were not to be forgotten either.
It is in those regions that the legends and traditions of the times
placed the islands from which King Solomon derived the gold and other
treasures that served for the decoration of the temple of Jerusalem.
These legends, founded partly on historical events, and partly coupled
with traditions handed down in the Royal Incarial families of Peru, seem
to have given a powerful stimulus to Spanish enterprise in the South
Pacific Ocean.
The hopes they gave rise to were, in addition, strengthened by the desire
to discover the Great Southern Continent in a more effectual way than had
hitherto been done: these prospects originated all the expeditions which,
leaving the shores of South America, followed one after another in the
same wake.
The Spaniards were now firmly established in Peru and it came to pass
that a certain Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, a Spanish officer of unusual
erudition in maritime and other matters, having collected and translated
many historical documents, or _guipus_,* relating to the Incas, became
aware that one of them, their wisest and greatest monarch, named Tupac
Yupanqui, had made an extensive voyage by sea towards the setting sun,
which lasted over twelve months, bringing back much treasure from the
countries he had visited. During the course of this voyage Tupac had
discovered two large islands, named _Nina-Chumpi_ and _Hahua-Chumpi_, or
_Fire-Island_ and _Outer-Island_.
* The ancient Peruvians had a curious method of keeping tally of events.
They had no alphabet, and instead of writing they made use of strings of
various make, colour, and length, and, with the addition of knots, more
or less complicated, were able to place on record any important event.
Sarmiento believed that he had obtained valuable information from the
Incas and their _guipus_ relative to these islands, which were also
believed to be the outposts of a southern continent, and he thought that
he could fix their position approximately.
In consequence, in the year 1567, he made a proposal for the re-discovery
by the Spaniards of these distant lands. In one of his memorials to
Philip II, he represented that he knew of many islands in the South Sea
which were undiscovered by Europeans until his time, offering to
undertake an expedition for their re-discovery with the approval of the
Governor of Peru, who was then Lope Garcia de Castro.
Garcia de Castro willingly accepted Sarmiento's offer, and not only
helped him in every way that lay in his power, but also offered him the
sole command of the fleet. But, Sarmiento insisted that it should be
entrusted to Alvaro de Mendana, a young nephew of Garcia de Castro.
This was probably a mistake on the part of Sarmiento, and was, no doubt,
the cause of the failure of the expedition, and we may also attribute to
his refusal of the sole command, the fact that his name has hitherto
remained ignored not only in connection with this initiatory voyage, but
also in connection with the further voyages of Mendana, Queiroz and
Torres.
Sarmiento, however, stipulated that he should have the conduct of the
discovery and navigation, and that no course should be altered without
his consent.
The two ships of the expedition sailed from Callao, the port of Lima, in
Peru, on the day of the feast of Santa Ysabel, the 19th of November,
1567, and Santa Ysabel became the patroness saint of the expedition.
Sarmiento intended to steer W.S.W. until he reached the tropic of
Capricorn,* and this direction was kept until the 28th of November.
[* Sarmiento, and after him Torres, both endeavoured to keep in the
latitude of the tropic of Capricorn. In the charts of the period a port
or bay was marked on the coast of Java-Major in that latitude. See "Baye
Perdue," in the Lusitano-Spanish charts.]
On that day the chief pilot, Hernando Gallego, altered the course without
Sarmiento's permission, and in defiance of the instructions, being
supported by Mendana in so doing.
So it happened that, notwithstanding Sarmiento's protests and constant
remonstrances, Gallego and Mendana, persisted in this more northerly
course for forty days, evidently with the intention of making for the
better known seas that surround the Caroline and Philippine Islands.
Sarmiento constantly urged that the islands and continent that he was in
search of were more to the south.
However, no land being sighted after many days, Mendana became alarmed
and requested Sarmiento to resume charge of the navigation.
He did so, and ordered the course to be shaped W.S.W., announcing at the
same time that land would be sighted on the next day, and this proved
correct.
An island was discovered which received the name of _Nombre-de-Jesus_. It
has been identified with Nukufetau, in the Ellice group.
They had been sixty-two days at sea and were sadly in want of a change of
diet. Seventeen days later, they sighted the small islands and rocks
which they called _Baixos de la Candelaria_, Candlemas Reefs; these have
been identified with Lord Howe Islands, lately ceded to England by
Germany.
On the 7th of February, they reached at last a large island called Atoglu
by the natives. The Spaniards gave to it the name of the patroness saint
of the voyage, Santa Ysabel.
Natives came off in crescent-shaped canoes to meet them.
They found a bay on the northern coast, and having noticed the planet
Venus at 10 o'clock in the morning, they called this bay the _Baya de la
Estrella_, the Bay of the Star, a name which has been restored to it in
recent years.
They began at once to build a brigantine which had been taken out in
pieces; in fifty-four days it was put together with the help of fresh
timber obtained on the island.
Sarmiento then conducted a reconnoitering expedition inland, but met with
hostility from the natives.
In the meanwhile, Gallego and Ortega, the camp-master, examined the coast
on board the brigantine and discovered several other islands.*
[* Very little gold, if any, was found in the Solomon group.]
An expedition in search of the Great Southern Continent, or _Java Maior_,
was also projected with the brigantine, but soon abandoned, as they found
the little ship unsuitable for open sea work.
All the islands discovered were supposed to belong to the outlying
islands situated to the east of New Guinea, and the inference, as we
know, was not, far from the truth; it led, however, to a curious mistake,
which I shall explain when describing the earliest map of the Solomon
Islands, towards the end of next chapter.
In May, the expedition left _Santa Ysabel_, and after sighting many more
islands of the group, they cast anchor off the coast of a large island
which Gallego named _Guadalcanal_, after his own native place near
Seville.
On the 19th and 22nd, Sarmiento and Mendana, accompanied by Ortega, made
excursions into the interior, ascending a high mountain and enjoying a
magnificent panorama. Afterwards a boat's crew was massacred by the
natives, and Sarmiento was obliged to make severe reprisals.
In August, the expedition removed to another island which was named _San
Christobal_, where they remained for forty days, refitting and taking in
supplies, and here the brigantine, which had done such good service in
exploring the shallow coasts, was abandoned.
Sarmiento now desired to return by way of the islands discovered by the
Inca Tupac Yupanqui, and submitted a report to that effect on September
the 4th, 1568.
But Mendana insisted upon steering east, and notwithstanding the
remonstrances of many, he shaped a course for New Spain.
On the 23rd of January, 1569, they reached the port of Santiago de
Colima, refitted at Realejo, and returned to Callao on September 2, after
an absence of 19 months.
During the voyage there had been many disagreements, and Mendana intended
to bring charges against Sarmiento when he arrived at Lima.
As little justice could be expected from the uncle in adjudicating on his
nephew's conduct, Sarmiento considered it to be the wisest course to
leave the ship at Realejo, and wait at Guatemala until Lope Garcia de
Castro should be relieved of his command.