TORRES' DISCOVERIES.
I shall give here Torres' account from that portion of it that has come
to be intimately connected with Australian discovery.
As there was a misunderstanding, to say the least of it, between Queiroz,
the Portuguese, and his lieutenant Torres, the proud Spaniard, the second
in command during the voyage we have just read about, it will be just as
well to hear both sides of the question, and thus be able to form a more
correct opinion of what really happened on the occasion of the last of
Spain's great navigators' memorable voyage towards the Great South Land.
Torres, in a letter to the king of Spain says:
About sixty leagues before reaching Santa Cruz, we found a small island
of 6 leagues, very high, and all around it very good soundings; and other
small islands near it, under shelter of which the ships anchored.*
[* The island mentioned here was TAUMACO, which has been identified as
one of the large islands of the Duff group, not far from Santa Cruz.]
I went with the two boats and fifty men to reconnoitre the people of this
island; and at a distance of a musket shot from the island, we found a
town surrounded with a wall, and only one entrance without a gate.
Being near with the two boats, with an intention of investing them, as
they did not by signs choose peace, at length their chief came into the
water up to his neck, with a staff in his hand, and without fear came
directly to the boats; where he was very well received, and by signs
which we very well understood, he told me that his people were in great
terror of the muskets,* and, therefore, he entreated us not to land, and
said that they would bring water and wood if we gave them vessels. I told
him that it was necessary to remain five days on shore to refresh. Seeing
he could not do more with me he quieted his people, who were very uneasy
and turbulent, and so it happened that no hostility was committed on
either side.
[* Some of them had, no doubt, a lively remembrance of the effect of
Spanish fire arms, having been at Santa Cruz, eleven years before, when
Mendana's fleet anchored in Graciosa Bay.]
We went into the fort very safely; and, having halted, I made them give
up their arms, and made them bring from their houses their effects, which
were not of any value, and go with them to the island to other towns.
They thanked me very much; the chief always continued with me. They then
told me that TAUMACO was the name of their island.
All came to me to make peace, and the chiefs assisted me, making their
people get water and wood, and carry it on board the ship. In this we
spent six days.
The people of this island are of agreeable conversation, understanding us
very well, desirous of learning our language and to teach us theirs.
They are great cruisers; they have much beard; they are great archers and
hurlers of darts; the vessels in which they sail are large, and can go a
great way. They informed us of more than forty islands, great and small,
all peopled, naming them, and telling us they were at war with many of
them. They also gave us intelligence of Santa Cruz Island, and of what
happened when Mendana was there.
The people of this island are of ordinary stature. They have amongst them
people white and red, some in color like those of the Indies, others
woolly-headed, blacks and mulattoes. Slavery is in use amongst them.
Their food is yams, fish, cocoanuts, and they have pigs and fowls. The
name of the chief is Tomai.
QUEIROZ AND TORRES LEAVE TAUMACO FOR THE SOUTH.
We departed from Taumaco with four natives of the place, whom we took, at
which they were not much pleased; and as we here got wood and water,
there was no necessity for us to go to Santa Cruz Island; which is, in
this parallel* sixty leagues further on.
[* It is not exactly in the same parallel.]
So we sailed from hence, steering S.S.E. to 12° 30' S. latitude, where we
found an island like that of Taumaco, and with the same kind of people,
named Tucopia. There is only one small anchoring place; and passing in
the offing, a small canoe with only two men came to me to make peace, and
presented me with some bark of a tree, which appeared like a very fine
handkerchief, four yards long and three palms wide; on this I parted from
them.
From hence we steered south. We had a hard gale of wind from the north,
which obliged us to lie to for two days: at the end of that time it was
thought, as it was winter, that we could not exceed the latitude of 14°
S., in which we were, though my opinion was always directly contrary,
thinking we should search for the islands named by the chiefs of Taumaco.
Wherefore, sailing from this place we steered west, and in one day's sail
we discovered a volcano, very high and large [Star, or Merlav Island],
above three leagues in circuit, full of trees, and of black people with
much beard.
To the westward, and in sight of this volcano, was an island not very
high, and pleasant in appearance. There are few anchoring places, and
those very close to the shore; it was very full of black people.
Here we caught two in some canoes, whom we clothed and gave presents to,
and the next day we put them ashore. In return for this they shot a
flight of arrows at a Spaniard, though in truth it was not in the same
port, but about a musket shot further on. They are, however, a people
that never miss an opportunity of doing mischief.
In sight of this island and around it are many islands, very high and
large, and to the southward one so large* that we stood for it, naming
the island where our man was wounded, _Santa, Maria_.
[* This "one so large." is _Espiritu Santo_; Torres, evidently, did not
share Queiroz's belief, but took it for what it was, an island. See for
corroboration what he says further on, 8 paragraphs below.]
Sailing thence to the southward towards the large island we discovered a
very large bay, well peopled, and very fertile in yams and fruits, pigs
and fowls.
They are all black people and naked. They fought with bows, darts and
clubs. They did not choose to have peace with us, though we frequently
spoke to them and made presents; and they never, with their good will,
let us set foot on shore.
This bay is very refreshing, and in it fall many and large rivers. It is
in 15° 45' S., latitude and in circuit it is twenty-five leagues. We
named it the bay of _San Felipe_ and _Santiago_, and the land _del
Espiritu Santo_.
There we remained fifty days; we took possession in the Name of Your
Majesty.
From within this bay, and from the most sheltered part of it, the
_Capitana_ departed at one hour past midnight, without any notice given
to us, and without making any signal. This happened the 11th of June, and
although the next morning we went out to seek for them, and made all
proper efforts, it was not possible for us to find them, for they did not
sail on the proper course, nor with good intention.
So I was obliged to return to the bay, to see if by chance they had
returned thither. And on the same account we remained in this bay fifteen
days, at the end of which we took Your Majesty's orders,* and held a
consultation with the officers of the _Brigantine_.
[* The orders included instructions to sail as far as the 21st parallel;
also to _rendezvous_ at _Graciosa_ bay, which order Torres appears to
have disobeyed.]
It was determined that we should fulfil them, although contrary to the
inclination of many, I may say of the greater part; but my condition was
different from that of Captain Pedro Fernandez de Queiroz.*
[* Torres insinuates here that Queiroz was overruled by his crew.]
TORRES LEAVES SANTO.
At length we sailed from this bay, in conformity to the order, although
with intention to sail round this island,* but the season and strong
currents would not allow of this, although I ran along a great part of
it. In what I saw there are very large mountains. It has many ports,
though soma of them are small. All of it is well watered with rivers.
[* Again, Torres states that Espiritu Santo is an Island, see 8
paragraphs previous.]
We had at this time nothing but bread and water. It was the depth of
winter, and I had sea, wind, and ill will of my crew against me. All this
did not prevent me from reaching the latitude mentioned (21° S.), which I
passed by one degree, and would have gone further if the weather had
permitted,* for the ship was good. It was proper to act in this manner,
for these are not voyages performed every day, nor could Your Majesty
otherwise be properly informed.
[* When Torres says, he "would have gone further," etc., he evidently
thought he was not far from the Australian Continent; a few days' sail,
three at the most, would have brought him to Cape Capricorne, on the
coast of Queensland, a little to the south of the "Lost Bay" that was
marked on some of the maps of the period.]
Going in the said latitude on a S.W. course, we had no signs of land that
way.
From hence I stood back to the N.W. till 11° 30' S. latitude; there we
fell in with the beginning of New Guinea, the coast of which runs W. by
N. and E. by S.
I could not weather the E. point, so I coasted along to the westward on
the south side.
I may here interrupt Torres' description in order to point out the
various discoveries which he made along the southern shores of New Guinea
during the course of his voyage to Manila in which he passed through the
straits that bear his name.
The recovery of some ancient manuscript charts and other documents throws
considerable light on this perilous and interesting voyage.*
[* The charts in question were pillaged from the Spanish archives during
the wars of Napoleon I., and taken to Paris. There, buried away and
uncatalogued, they were found, some years ago, by a friend of mine, who
caused them to be returned to their original owners and acquainted me
with their existence, thus enabling me to get copies of them which were
first published to the English speaking world in my work on "The
Discovery of Australia," in the year 1894.]
There lies at the eastern extremity of New Guinea a group of beautiful
islands supposed to have been first sighted in the year 1873 by the
leader of an English expedition, bent on discovery. Captain John Moresby,
of H.M.S. _Basilisk_, the leader in question, in the account of his
discoveries in New Guinea, published in 1876, says:
"I trust that the work done by H.M.S. _Basilisk_, in waters hitherto
untracted, on shores hitherto untrodden, and among races hitherto unknown
by Europeans will be held to call for some account."
Now, by comparing the Spanish map given here, with Moresby's it will be
seen how Moresby's work, on this point of the coast, had been forestalled
by Torres.
The features and place-names in the Spanish chart will reveal some of the
most important of Torres' discoveries at the south-east end of New
Guinea, where the Spanish navigator made his first stay in order to
refresh the crews of the _Almiranta_ and _Brigantine_.
From a description on this chart we learn that during five days and
nights the Spaniards stood in sight of those tantalizing verdant shores,
unable to effect a landing, threading their way through perilous reefs
and over dangerous shoals.
Then, at last, they rounded, no doubt, the cape which Torres called _Cabo
de tres hermanas_, or Cape of the Three Sisters, passed the next point
marked (A) on the map, near the east point of the compass, and came to
anchor in a little bay which was called _Puerto de San Francisco_.
It is situated near the south-east entrance to Rocky Pass, between
Basilisk and Hayter Islands, and formed, in all probability, during their
sojourn in these parts, the centre of their various excursions to the
islands and bays around.
Its name, San Francisco, gives us the date of Torres' landing (14th of
July, 1606), for it was customary in those days to name discoveries after
the saints of the calendar; but the feast of St. Bonaventure occurs also
on July the 14th, so that name was likewise made use of, and given to the
whole territory discovered.
Contrary to Torres', Moresby's approach, in the year 1873, was from the
N.E. where the mainland of New Guinea was supposed to extend beyond
Hayter, Basilisk and Moresby's Islands.
The English captain had already cut off Moresby's Island, left his good
ship _Basilisk_ at anchor in the strait thus discovered (Fortescue
Strait), and--the numerous reefs rendering navigation impossible for his
ship--taken to his boats, the galley and cutter.
Moresby and party then rounded the northern shores of what they thought
might prove to be the "beginning of New Guinea," when, suddenly, a bay
seemed to open towards the south.
Moresby entered it, and, by the merest chance, hit upon the identical
narrow passage which Torres, 267 years previously, had discovered from
the south side and named _Boca de la Batalla_, Mouth of the Battle;
having, no doubt, had an encounter there with the natives.
Moresby called that mouth Rocky Pass, and grew enthusiastic at the
discovery, and at having "separated another island from New Guinea."
He was anxious to find if Rocky Pass would afford a passage for his ship,
and spent the remainder of the day in examining it; but a rocky ledge,
which ran across, barred it to the ship, and made it dangerous even for
boats at the strength of the tide.
Moresby's experiences help to show the difficulties that the Spaniards
had to deal with, and also that Torres must have been compelled to leave
his two ships at anchor somewhere to the south of the _Baya de San
Milian_; San Francisco Bay, for instance; and use the only rowing boat he
had for his excursions.
In this he explored the bay formed by the horse-shoe-shape of Basilisk
Island, named it the _Baya de San Milian_ (modern Jenkins Bay), and
penetrated to the largest bay to be found among all the islands he had
discovered in this region--that is Milne Bay. He says: "We went a long
way out from _Cabo Fresco_ [modern Challis Head of Moresby's chart],
which is as far as we could go towards the east in a boat."
Other nautical remarks which I translate from the old Spanish text of the
chart are: "Towards the E. [N.E.] we did not see the end of the land, but
we could judge from the various small islands that the channels were
wide; towards the west there are no channels, only land and continuous
lofty ridges, '_Tierra alta y cerrada_' (evidently the Mount Owen Stanly
ranges in the distance). We steered in that direction, but had to give up
further progress after a while owing to the inadequacy of our boat."
These and other notes on the Spanish chart correspond exactly with what
Moresby says of Milne Bay; and the dimensions given to that bay by de
Prado, the cartographer of the expedition (40 leagues in circumference),
may be considered as a fairly correct estimate.
On the 18th of July, Torres and his party having concluded their running
survey of Basilisk Island, landed and took possession in the name of the
king of Spain, naming as I have said, the whole territory the TIERRA DE
SAN BUENAVENTURA.
A careful examination which I have made of a much distorted copy of a
general map of New Guinea, made by Torres' cartographer, shows that
Torres' _Tierra de san Buenaventura_ (Basilisk Island), is one of several
islands off the south-eastern extremity of New Guinea; and, by coupling
this fact with what Torres says of his inability to navigate the bay
(Milne Bay), and proceed east of Cabo Fresco (Challis Head), although he
noticed wide channels in that direction, we may infer that the reefs and
coral patches (not contrary winds as generally believed) compelled him to
seek the southwest passage to Manila.*
[* Torres evidently did not discover the passage, discovered by Moresby
and named by him China Strait, otherwise he might have been able to take
the northern course.]
This becomes still more evident when we consider that Moresby also was
unable to take his ship through to the northern shores.
From these regions Torres sailed to Orangerie Bay of modern charts, which
he discovered on the 10th of August, 1606, and named in consequence, THE
GREAT BAY OF ST. LAWRENCE.*
[* On the same day, one hundred years before, the Portuguese had
discovered Madagascar, which they called the Island of St. Lawrence.]
Here, another lengthy stay was made and an extensive survey, comprising
the laying out of a township, as may be seen by the accompanying map.
Then the little squadron went right up into the Gulf of Papua and down
again as far as 11° S. latitude.
Not, therefore, through Torres Strait, so called, did Torres pass, but
through Endeavour Strait, which has been named after Captain Cook's ship,
the _Endeavour_.
Sailing along the shores of the islands to the north of Australia,
between Cape York and Prince of Wales Island, Torres regained the coast
of New Guinea and put in at the bay of St. Peter of Arlanza (modern
Triton Bay), in order to refresh his crews.
There he took possession on the 18th of October, 1606, and, after a
lengthy sojourn, sailed away to the Philippine Islands.
He had discovered Australia without being aware of the fact, and had
completed the Spanish circumnavigation of New Guinea.
* * * * *
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF IMPORTANT EVENTS.
1492. Discovery of America, by C. Columbus. Marco Polo's. "Java-Major"
appears on Martin Behaim's globe.
1497. Cape of Good Hope rounded by the Portuguese.
1502. Second Portuguese fleet sails for India.
1503. Third Portuguese fleet sails for India.
1504. Three Great Portuguese fleets dispatched to. India.
1511. The Spice Islands discovered by the Portuguese.
1519-22. Magellan's Expedition Round the World, sent out, from Spain.
Sebastian del Cano, in the Victoria, puts in at Timor.
1525. Garcia Jofre de Loaysa, with Sabastian del Cano, sets sail for the
Spice Islands, via the Straits of Magellan.
1527. Fernand Cortez sends his kinsman, Saavedra, in search of Loaysa's
expedition.
1529. Saavedra discovers the Northern Shores of New Guinea.
1530-36. Copies of early Portuguese charts of Australia made in France.
1536. Remnant of Saavedra's Expedition reaches Lisbon.
Grijalva's Expedition sent out by F. Cortez, to the Spice Islands.
1539. A few survivors of Grijalva's Expedition reach the Spice Islands.
1542. Ruy Lopes de Villalobos sets sail for the Philippines.
1545. Ortiz de Retez and Gaspar Rico make discoveries on Northern Shores
of New Guinea.
1567. Samiento and Mendana sail from Peru in search of Western Islands,
and Continental Land; they discover the Solomon Islands.
1569. Sarmiento and Mendana return to America.
1595. Mendana and Pedro Fernandez de Queiroz set sail from Peru in search
of the Solomon Islands; they fail in their attempt, and reach the
island of Santa Cruz, to the West of the Solomons, where they
attempt a settlement.
1596. The remnant of Mendana's expedition reach New Spain.
1605-6. De Queiroz sets sail from Peru, with the object of renewing the
attempt at settlement in the island of Santa Cruz, and from
thence to search for the Great Australian Continent. He fails to
reach Santa Cruz, and puts in at the New Hebrides.
1606. Torres sails towards Australia from the New Hebrides,
passes through the straits that bear his name, and discovers
Australia, without, apparently, being aware of the fact.
THE END