Pedro Fernandes de Queirós (Spanish: Pedro Fernández de Quirós) (1563–1614) was a Portuguese navigator in the service of Spain. He is best known for leading several Spanish voyages of discovery in the Pacific Ocean, in particular the 1595–1596 voyage of Álvaro de Mendaña y Neira, and for the 1605–1606 expedition that crossed the Pacific in search of Terra Australis.
Early life
Queirós (or Quirós as he signed) was born in Évora, Portugal in 1563.[1][2] As the Portuguese and Spanish monarchies had been unified under the king of Spain in 1580 (following the vacancy of the Portuguese throne, which lasted for sixty years, until 1640, when the Portuguese monarchy was restored), Queirós entered Spanish service as a young man and became an experienced seaman and navigator.[1]
In April 1595, he joined Álvaro de Mendaña y Neira on his voyage to colonize the Solomon Islands, serving as chief pilot.[1] After Mendaña's death in October 1595, Queirós is credited with taking command and saving the only remaining ship of the expedition, arriving in the Philippines in February 1596.[1]Isabel Barreto, Mendaña's wife, accompanied the expedition and was accused of causing the crew's low morale by her selfishness and strict discipline.[1]
The search for Terra Australis
Sculpture in Canberra
Queirós spent eighteen months in the Philippines, but returned to Spain in 1598, via Mexico.[1] Upon his return to Spain, he petitioned King Philip III to support another voyage into the Pacific, hoping to find a large southern continent to claim for Spain.[1] A devout Catholic, Queirós also visited Rome in 1600, where he obtained the support of Pope Clement VIII, for further explorations. He greatly impressed the Spanish Ambassador in Rome, the Duke of Sesa, who described him as a “man of good judgement, experienced in his profession, hard working, quiet and disinterested.” [1] While in Rome, Queirós also first wrote his Treatise on Navigation as a letter to the king, further reinforcing his reputation as a navigator, and invented two navigational tools.[1]
Two weeks later, his second-in-command, Luis Váez de Torres, after searching in vain for Queirós and assuming Queirós (or rather the crew of his ship) had decided to go their own way,[9][10][11] left Espiritu Santo. Torres successfully reached Manila, the capital of the Spanish East Indies in May 1607, after charting the southern coastline of New Guinea on the way and in doing so sailing through the strait that now bears his name, between Australia and New Guinea. Torres was unaware of his proximity to Australia's northern coast, just over the horizon from his route.[12]
Later life
Pedro Fernandes de Quirós returned to Madrid in 1607. Regarded as a crank, he spent the next seven years in poverty, writing numerous accounts of his voyage and begging King Philip III for money for a new voyage, sending the king more than 65 letters over a seven-year period.[1][12] He was finally despatched to Peru with letters of support, but the king had no real intention of funding another expedition, as the royal council feared that Spain could not afford new discoveries in the Pacific.[1][12] Quirós died on the way, in Panama, in 1614. He had married Doña Ana Chacón de Miranda of Madrid in 1589; the couple had one son and one daughter.[1] His son Lucas de Quirós, who participated in the 1605 expedition, was knighted an Alférez Real and became a regarded cosmographer in Lima.[13]
Accounts of Queirós's voyage
There are a number of documents describing the Queirós – Torres voyages still in existence. Most significant are
Queirós' many subsequent Memorials to the King Philip III regarding the voyage,[14]
Torres' letter to the King of Spain from 12 July 1607,[15]
Diego de Prado's narrative[16] and 4 charts of New Guinea,[17]
Juan Luis Arias de Loyola's memorial to King Philip IV (written about 1630 and based on discussions between Queirós and Loyola).[18]
1617 may be the date of the first English translation of one of Queirós’ memorials, as Terra Australis Incognita, or A New Southerne Discoverie.[19] A short account of Queirós’ voyage and discoveries was published in English by Samuel Purchas in 1625 in Haklvytvs posthumus, or, Pvrchas his Pilgrimes, vol. iv, p.1422-1432. This account also appears to be based on a letter by Queirós to the King in 1610, the eighth on the matter.[14]
Some time between 1762 and 1765, written accounts of the Queirós-Torres expedition were seen by British Admiralty Hydrographer Alexander Dalrymple. Dalrymple provided a sketch map which included the Queirós-Torres voyages to Joseph Banks who undoubtedly passed this information to James Cook.[20][21]
Memorials
Queirós sent at least 50,[2] possibly 65,[22] memorials to the King between 1607 and 1614. Although most were written manuscripts, Queirós paid to have fourteen printed and presented to the King.[2] Copies of thirteen of these memorials are known to have survived.[2] Scholars have numbered these memorials in different ways according to the memorials available to them for study, and those publicly known at the time. 1617 may be the date of the first English translation of one of Queirós's memorials, as Terra Australis Incognita, or A New Southerne Discoverie.[23] A short account of Queirós's voyage and discoveries was published in English by Samuel Purchas in 1625 in Haklvytvs posthumus, or, Pvrchas his Pilgrimes, vol. iv, p.1422-1432. This account also appears to be based on a letter by Queirós to the King in 1610, the eighth on the matter.[14]
The table below gives a summary of the memorials, including the classification systems used by four different scholars: Celsus Kelly in 1965,[24] Frances Mary Hellessey Dunn in 1961,[25] Justo Zaragoza in 1876[26] and Phyllis Mander-Jones in 1930.[27]
↑ Estensen, M. (2006) Terra Australis Incognita; The Spanish Quest for the Great South Land , p.111-113. Allen & Unwin, Australia ISBN978-1-74175-054-6
↑ Maude, HE (1959). "中央太平洋におけるスペインの発見:識別に関する研究" . The Journal of the Polynesian Society . 68 (4): 284– 326. 2018-02-10 のオリジナルからアーカイブ済み。2015-03-24 に取得。
↑Sir Clements Markham (ed.), The Voyages of Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, 1595 1606, Hakluyt Society, 1904, Vol.1, pp.251, 478; Brendan Whyte, “Australia or Austrialia? A Correction”, The Globe, no.69, 2011, p.51; Rupert Gerritsen, "A Note on Australia or Austrialia", The Globe, no.72, 2013, pp.23-30; Margaret Cameron-Ash, "Juggling ‘Australia’, ‘Austrialia’ and ‘New Holland’", The Globe, no.73, 2013, pp.29-38.
↑A. Lodewyckx, "The Name of Australia: Its Origins and Early Use", The Victorian Historical Magazine, vol.13, no.3, June 1929, pp.99-115.
12Queirós, Pedro Fernandes de (1609), Señor: el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, con este son ocho los memoriales que a V.M. he presentado en razon de las poblacion q se deue hazer en las tierras que V.M. mandò que descubriesse en la parte Austral incognita, s.n, retrieved 21 August 2013
↑"Prado y Tobar - Relacion sumaria del del descubrimto. que enpeco pero fernandez de quiros...y le acabo El capan don diego de prado...con asistencia del capan luis baes de torres". Library Catalogue. State Library of New South Wales. 1614–1615.Full text available here
↑From Torres' letter to the Spanish king written in Manila in 1607: 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 frigate. 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 Quiros. Quoted in The Discovery of Australia by George Coolingridge
↑From the relation of Don Diego de Prado: at nine we made signal with a torch and they replied, at twelve we repeated it and they did not reply, at one we made it with two torches alight on the topmast and they did not reply [...] Seeing that the capitana (Queirós' ship) did not appear they suspected that it had become a wreck; I told them that they need not search, for the crew had determined to mutiny if they saw an opportunity, the wind had invited them and they had mutinied. [...] seeing then that the capitana did not appear Luis Baes de Torres went in the boat, well equipped, along the coast of the bay to the north and the launch along the other coast, hugging the land because if the vessel had made shipwreck they would find plenty of pieces of planks along the coast, and if they found nothing it would be certain that they had mutinied. They found nothing, and went up to the top of the headlands which were fairly high and saw nothing
↑Translation of Torres’ report to the king in Collingridge, G. (1895) The Discovery of Australia p.229-237. Golden Press Edition 1983, Gradesville, NSW. ISBN0-85558-956-6. Full text available online: The Discovery of Australia, chapter 39: Relation of Luis Vaez de Torres
1234"Maritime Exploration of Australia: Pedro Fernandez De Quiros". www.australiaforeveryone.com.au. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
↑Zaragoza, Justo (1882). "Vol. III, App. II, "Apuntes Biográficos"". Historia del descubrimiento de las regiones AUSTRIALES (in Spanish). Madrid: Imprenta de Manuel G. Hernández. p.139. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021. expedicionario á la Tierra del Espíritu Santo, donde, al crearse los cargos de mar y guerra en 13 de Mayo de 1606, fué nombrado alférez real y siguió luego á su padre hasta el continente y acaso á España [...] adquirió Lucas en Lima cierta reputación de cosmógrafo
123A copy at the Library of Congress can be read online
↑Relation of Luis Vaez de Torres - full text available online From chapter 39 of Collingridge, G.(1895) The Discovery of Australia, Golden Press reprint, 1983. ISBN0-85558-956-6 Full text is here and a shorter fragment is here
↑"Prado y Tobar - Relacion sumaria del del descubrimto. que enpeco pero fernandez de quiros...y le acabo El capan don diego de prado...con asistencia del capan luis baes de torres". Library Catalogue. State Library of New South Wales. 1614–1615.Full text in English
↑For colour photos of the charts, see Hilder, B. (1980). Also see Collingridge’s The First Discovery of Australia, 1895, which includes Collingridge’s own copies of three of the charts The charts are the coloured maps 5,6 and 9.(Map 9 is incorrectly titled "Moresby's Map of the Islands at the South-east end of New Guinea" . It is in fact based on Prado’s Mappa III - showing Orangerie Bay, New Guinea.),
↑The La Trobe Library of Victoria lists a copy of this as one of its rare books "The La Trobe Rare Book Collection - No 47 & 48 1991 - La Trobe Journal". Archived from the original on 3 September 2007. Retrieved 9 December 2007.
↑"Pedro Fernandez De Quiros". History of Australia Online. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
↑The La Trobe Library of Victoria lists a copy of this as one of its rare books "The La Trobe Rare Book Collection - No 47 & 48 1991 - La Trobe Journal". Archived from the original on 2007-09-03. Retrieved 2007-12-09.
12Kelly, Celsus (1965), Calendar of documents: Spanish voyages in the South Pacific from Alvaro de Mendana to Alejandro Malaspina, 1567-1794, and the Franciscan missionary plans for the peoples of the Austral lands, 1617-1634: compiled from manuscripts and other documents in the archives and libraries of Spain, America, Rome, Paris, London, Sydney, etc, Franciscan Historical Studies (Australia) in association with Archivo Ibero-Americano (Madrid), retrieved 12 August 2013
12Dunn, Frances Mary Hellessey; Dunn, F. M; Public Library of New South Wales. Trustees (1961), Quiros memorials: a catalogue of memorials by Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, 1607-1615 in the Dixson and Mitchell Libraries, Sydney, Trustees of the Public Library of New South Wales, retrieved 12 August 2013
12Queirós, Pedro Fernandes de; Zaragoza, Justo (1876), Historia del descubrimiento de las regiones Austriales, Manuel G. Hernandez, retrieved 12 August 2013
12Mander-Jones, Phyllis (1932), Papers relating to Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, 1932-1951: Memorials in the Mitchell Library and other places relevant, State Library of New South Wales, retrieved 12 August 2013
↑The Queirós memorials did not have titles. The titles given in the table are those used to describe the memorials for cataloguing and use the first line/phrase of the memorial.
↑Quiros, Pedro Fernandez (1607). "Señor: PEDRO Fernandez Quiros digo: Que gouernãdo el Peru el Marques de Cañete el año de 1595 ..."State Library of NSW catalogue. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
12Queirós, Pedro Fernandes de (1608), Señor: el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, digo: que para descubrir la parte incognita del Sur, s.n, retrieved 21 August 2013
↑"NSW State Library secures 'holy grail' of Australiana for $1 million". Mirage News. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
↑"Señor: el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, digo: que para descubrir la parte incognita del Sur ..."Catalogue. State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
↑"Señor: el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiròs: despues q puse en pratica el descubrimiento de las tierras incognitas del Sur ..."Catalogue. State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
↑Queirós, Pedro Fernandes de (1608), Señor:: el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiròs: despues q́́ puse en pratica el descubrimiento de las tierras incognitas del Sur, s. n, retrieved 21 August 2013English translation
↑"Senor: el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, que por mãdado de V. M. ..."Catalogue. State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
↑ Queirós、Pedro Fernandez de (1608)、Senor : el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros、que por mãdado de V.M、sn 、 2013 年8 月 21 日取得
↑ "Señor : el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, con este Son ocho los Memoriales que a VM he presentado en razon de las poblacion q se deue hazer en las tierras que VM mandò que descubriesse en la parte Austral incognita ..."カタログ。ニューサウスウェールズ州立図書館。2013 年8 月 20 日に取得。
↑ 「Señor : ya he dicho a V. Magestad que de la parte del Sur, esta oculta la quarta parte del globo ...」カタログ。ニューサウスウェールズ州立図書館。2013 年8 月 20 日に取得。
↑ Queirós、Pedro Fernandes de (1609)、Señor : ya he dicho a V. Magestad que de la parte del Sur、esta oculta la quarta parte del globo、sn 、2013 年8 月 21 日取得
↑ 「Señor : el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros : suplico a VM sea seruido ...」カタログ。ニューサウスウェールズ州立図書館。2013 年8 月 20 日に取得。
↑ Queirós、Pedro Fernandes de (1609)、Señor : el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros : suplico a VM sea seruido、sn 、 2013 年8 月 21 日取得
↑ Queirós, Pedro Fernandes de (1610), Señor : el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros : de mostrar VM al mundo, quanto dessea, y procura la mas honra y gloria de Dios nuestro señor, en la poblacion que VM mãda q yo vaya a hazer, en las tierras q DE LA PartE Austral por orden de VM descubri ... [ショート バージョン]、SN 、 2013 年8 月 21 日取得Relatio Memorialis、sive libelli fupplicis Majefti Sua oblate per Capitaneum Petrum Ferdinandez de Quir、Super Detectione quartæ Orbis Terrarum parte、cui nomen Australis Incognita、eiusque immensis opibus & fertilate、アムステロダミ: Ex officina Hesselij Gerardi、1612 年。; German edn 1611; French edition Mercure François, Vol. V, 1620, pp.120-132. 1615 English translation Terra Australis incognita; or, A new southerne discoverie
↑"Señor: el capitan Pedro Fernádez de Quiros: de mostrar V.M. al mundo, quanto dessea, y procura la mas honra y gloria de Dios nuestro señor, en la poblacion que V.M. mãda q yo vaya a hazer, en las tierras q de la parte Austral por orden de V.M. descubri ..."Catalogue. State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
↑Queirós, Pedro Fernandes de (1610), Señor: el capitan Pedro Fernádez de Quiros: de mostrar V.M. al mundo, quanto dessea, y procura la mas honra y gloria de Dios nuestro señor, en la poblacion que V.M. mãda q yo vaya a hazer, en las tierras q de la parte Austral por orden de V.M. descubri ... [long version], s.n, retrieved 21 August 2013
↑"Señor: el Capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros: V.M. ordena y manda a su Consejo de Indias que me despachos a mi satisfacion para que el Virrey del Piru me de lo que fuere menester a la poblacion de las tierras Australes adonde V.M. se sirue mandarme ir". Catalogue. State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
↑Queirós, Pedro Fernandes de (1610), Señor: el Capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros: V.M. ordena y manda a su Consejo de Indias que me despachos a mi satisfacion para que el Virrey del Piru me de lo que fuere menester a la poblacion de las tierras Australes adonde V.M. se sirue mandarme ir, s.n, retrieved 21 August 2013
↑"Señor: el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros: cincuenta meses ha que estoy en esta Corte, suplicande a V.M. se sirua mandar me vaya a poblar las tierras que V.M. me mandò descubrir". Catalogue. State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
↑Queirós, Pedro Fernandes de (1611), Señor: el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros: cincuenta meses ha que estoy en esta Corte, suplicande a V.M. se sirua mandar me vaya a poblar las tierras que V.M. me mandò descubrir, s.n, retrieved 21 August 2013
↑"Señor: el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros: la parte incognita Austral es justamente quarta del Globo, sin saberse si es tierra, o si es agua, o que partes tiene de las dos ..."Catalogue. State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
↑Queirós, Pedro Fernandes de (1612), Señor: el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros: la parte incognita Austral es justamente quarta del Globo, sin saberse si es tierra, o si es agua, o que partes tiene de las dos, s.n, retrieved 21 August 2013
↑"Señor: capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros: V. Wagestad me mandò despachar dos vezes, la sequnda a mi satisfacion, juntamente esperar un año y son passados casi dos ..."Catalogue. State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
↑Queirós, Pedro Fernandes de (1613), Señor: capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros: V. Wagestad me mandò despachar dos vezes, la sequnda a mi satisfacion, juntamente esperar un año y son passados casi dos, s.n, retrieved 21 August 2013
↑"Señor: el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, a V.M. pido licencia para quexarme ..."Catalogue. State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
↑Queirós, Pedro Fernandes de (1614), Señor: el capitan Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, a V.M. pido licencia para quexarme, s.n, retrieved 21 August 2013
↑"Queiros Memorials". Acquisitions blog. State Library of New South Wales. Archived from the original on 21 June 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
↑Richardson, W. A. R. (2008). Was Australia charted before 1606? the Jave la Grande inscriptions. Canberra: National Library of Australia. p.20. ISBN978-0-642-27642-1.
↑Wilde, William Henry; Hooton, Joy Wendy; Andrews, Barry (2000). The Oxford companion to Australian literature (2ed.). Melbourne: Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN978-0-19-553381-1.
↑Quiros, Toohey, J. (2002) Duffy & Snellgrove; Potts Point, N.S.W, ISBN1-876631-24-4
↑Mitiucko, Nick, "Spanish 1st Class Gunboats (The CORTEZ Class & The QUIROS Class)", spanamwar.com, Retrieved 11 March 2019
↑Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Quiros I Retrieved 11 March 2019
Bibliography
Beaglehole, J. C. (1966). The Exploration of the Pacific (3rded.). Stanford University Press. pp.58–107.
Howgego, Raymond John, ed. (2003). "Quiros, Pedro Fernandes de". Encyclopedia of Exploration to 1800. Hordern House. ISBN1875567364.
Kelly, Celsus (1966), La Austrialia del Espíritu Santo: the journal of Fray Martin de Munilla, O.F.M., and other documents relating to the voyage of Pedro Fernández de Quirós to the South Sea (1605-1606) and the Franciscan Missionary Plan (1617-1627), Cambridge, published by the Hakluyt Society at Cambridge University Press, (Works issued by the Hakluyt Society, 2nd ser., no. 126–127).
Spate, O. H. K. (1979). The Spanish Lake. Canberra: Australian National University Press. ISBN0-7081-0727-3.