Luís Vaz de Torres
Encyclopedia
Luís Vaz de Torres also Luis Váez de Torres in the Spanish
spelling, (born c. 1565; fl. 1607) was a 16th-17th century maritime explorer
serving the Spanish Crown
, noted for the first recorded navigation of the strait
which separates the continent of Australia
from the island of New Guinea
, and which now bears his name (Torres Strait
).
Since the 19th century, Torres has been presented by Portuguese
and some British
historians as Portuguese, without giving any evidence other than his name; which could just as well be Galician. However, all his writings, which all relate to serving the Spanish Crown
, were in Spanish and no records ever referred to him as Portuguese; the very same records which are clear in noting the remarks made by crew members, during the long voyage, on the Portuguese origins of expedition's commanding officer, de Queirós. Torres is recorded as having been called a "Breton" during the voyage, which points to an origin in the northwest province of Spain, Galicia.
Torres, at some point, entered the naval service of the Spanish Crown and found his way to its South America
n possessions. By late 1605 he first entered the historical record as the nominated commander of the second ship in an expedition to the Pacific
proposed by the Portuguese born navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós
, searching for Terra Australis
.
was a Portuguese born navigator who commanded a party of three Spanish ships, San Pedro y San Pablo (150 tons), San Pedro (120 tons) and the tender (patache) Los Tres Reyes. The three ships left Callao
in Spanish Peru
, on 21 December 1605, with Torres in command of the "San Pedro." In May 1606 they reached the islands which Queirós named La Austrialia (sic) del Espiritu Santo (now Vanuatu
); Austrialia being a compliment to the House of Austria, to which the king of Spain belonged.
After six weeks Queirós’ ships put to sea again to explore the coastline. On the night of 11 June 1606 Queirós in the San Pedro y San Pablo became separated from the other ships in bad weather and was unable (or so he later said) to return to safe anchorage at Espiritu Santo
. He then sailed to Acapulco
in Mexico
, where he arrived in November 1606. In the account by Prado, which is highly critical of Queirós, mutiny and poor leadership are given as the reason for Queirós’ disappearance. Torres remained silent on the subject other than to write his “condition was different to that of Captain Queirós.”
. These contained instructions on what course to follow if the ships became separated and who would be in command in the event of the loss of Queirós. The orders appear to have listed Prado as successor to Queirós, as he was capitan-entretenido (spare captain) on the voyage. However, there is overwhelming evidence Torres remained in command, including Prado’s own account.
. Contrary winds prevented the ships taking the more direct route along the north coast of New Guinea
. Prado’s account notes that they sighted land on 14 July 1606, which was probably the island of Tagula
in the Louisiade Archipelago
, south east of New Guinea
. The voyage continued over the next two months along the southeastern coast, and a number of landfalls were made to replenish the ships’ food and water. The expedition discovered Milne Bay
including Basilaki Island
which they named Tierra de San Buenaventura, taking possession of the land for Spain
in July 1606. This brought the Spanish
in close and sometimes violent contact with local indigenous people. Prado and Torres both record the capture of twenty people, including a pregnant woman who gave birth several weeks later. From these islands, Torres sailed along the southern coast of New Guinea reaching Orangerie Bay, which he named Bahía de San Lorenzo because he landed on 10 August, the feast of Saint Lawrence
or San Lorenzo. The expedition then sailed to the Gulf of Papua
, exploring and charting the coastline. Prado drew a number of sketch charts of anchorages in the Gulf of Papua
, several of which survive.
For many years it was assumed that Torres took a route close to the New Guinea coast to navigate the 150 kilometre strait that now bears his name, but in 1980 the Queensland master mariner Captain Brett Hilder demonstrated that it was much more likely that Torres took a southerly route through the channel now called Endeavour Strait, on 2–3 October 1606. According to Australian writer George Collingridge
, Torres "had discovered Australia without being aware of the fact." From this position, he would certainly have seen Cape York, the northernmost extremity of Australia
. Whether or not he did so, Torres never claimed that he had sighted the southern continent. "Here there are very large islands, and more to the south" he wrote.
Torres followed the coastline of New Guinea, and took possession of the island in the name of the King of Spain on 18 October 1606. On 27 October he reached the western extremity of New Guinea
and then made his way north of Ceram
and Misool
toward the Halmahera Sea
. At the beginning of January 1607 he reached Ternate
, part of the Spice Islands
. He sailed on 1 May for Manila
arriving on 22 May. The expedition proved that New Guinea
was not part of the sought after continent.
in outfitting his voyage back to Spain
, and he was told his ships and men were required locally for the king’s service.
On 1 June 1607, two ships arrived in Manila from South America, one being Queirós former flagship San Pedro y San Pablo, now under another name, but with some of her former crewmen still aboard. Learning that Queirós had survived, Torres immediately wrote a report of his voyage to Queirós. Although that account no longer survives, Queirós himself referred to it in some of his many memorials to the king, agitating for another voyage.
Torres, his crew and his captives disappear entirely from the historical record at this point, and their subsequent fate is unknown. Prado returned to Spain
, possibly taking one of the captive New Guineans with him. Most documents of Torres's discoveries were not published, but on reaching Spain
, filed away in Spanish archives, including Prado’s lengthy account and the accompanying charts.
Some time between 1762 and 1765, written accounts of the 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
.
1617 may be the date of the first English translation of one of Queirós’ memorials, as Terra Australis Incognita, or A New Southerne Discoverie.
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.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
spelling, (born c. 1565; fl. 1607) was a 16th-17th century maritime explorer
Exploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
serving the Spanish Crown
Habsburg Spain
Habsburg Spain refers to the history of Spain over the 16th and 17th centuries , when Spain was ruled by the major branch of the Habsburg dynasty...
, noted for the first recorded navigation of the strait
Strait
A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not...
which separates the continent of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from the island of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, and which now bears his name (Torres Strait
Torres Strait
The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...
).
Origins and early life
Nothing is known of Torres' origins. The year and place of his birth are unknown; assuming him to have been in his late thirties or forties in 1606, a birth year of around 1565 is considered likely.Since the 19th century, Torres has been presented by Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and some British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
historians as Portuguese, without giving any evidence other than his name; which could just as well be Galician. However, all his writings, which all relate to serving the Spanish Crown
Habsburg Spain
Habsburg Spain refers to the history of Spain over the 16th and 17th centuries , when Spain was ruled by the major branch of the Habsburg dynasty...
, were in Spanish and no records ever referred to him as Portuguese; the very same records which are clear in noting the remarks made by crew members, during the long voyage, on the Portuguese origins of expedition's commanding officer, de Queirós. Torres is recorded as having been called a "Breton" during the voyage, which points to an origin in the northwest province of Spain, Galicia.
Torres, at some point, entered the naval service of the Spanish Crown and found his way to its South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n possessions. By late 1605 he first entered the historical record as the nominated commander of the second ship in an expedition to the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
proposed by the Portuguese born navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós
Pedro Fernandes de Queirós
Pedro Fernandes de Queirós , was a Portuguese navigator best known for his involvement with Spanish voyages of discovery in the Pacific Ocean, in particular the 1595-1596 voyage of Alvaro de Mendaña de Neira, and for leading a 1605-1606 expedition which crossed the Pacific in search of Terra...
, searching for Terra Australis
Terra Australis
Terra Australis, Terra Australis Ignota or Terra Australis Incognita was a hypothesized continent appearing on European maps from the 15th to the 18th century...
.
The Queirós voyage
Pedro Fernandes de QueirósPedro Fernandes de Queirós
Pedro Fernandes de Queirós , was a Portuguese navigator best known for his involvement with Spanish voyages of discovery in the Pacific Ocean, in particular the 1595-1596 voyage of Alvaro de Mendaña de Neira, and for leading a 1605-1606 expedition which crossed the Pacific in search of Terra...
was a Portuguese born navigator who commanded a party of three Spanish ships, San Pedro y San Pablo (150 tons), San Pedro (120 tons) and the tender (patache) Los Tres Reyes. The three ships left Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
in Spanish Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, on 21 December 1605, with Torres in command of the "San Pedro." In May 1606 they reached the islands which Queirós named La Austrialia (sic) del Espiritu Santo (now Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
); Austrialia being a compliment to the House of Austria, to which the king of Spain belonged.
After six weeks Queirós’ ships put to sea again to explore the coastline. On the night of 11 June 1606 Queirós in the San Pedro y San Pablo became separated from the other ships in bad weather and was unable (or so he later said) to return to safe anchorage at Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
. He then sailed to Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, where he arrived in November 1606. In the account by Prado, which is highly critical of Queirós, mutiny and poor leadership are given as the reason for Queirós’ disappearance. Torres remained silent on the subject other than to write his “condition was different to that of Captain Queirós.”
Torres assumes command
Torres remained at Espritu Santo for 15 days before opening sealed orders he had been given by the Viceroy of PeruPeru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. These contained instructions on what course to follow if the ships became separated and who would be in command in the event of the loss of Queirós. The orders appear to have listed Prado as successor to Queirós, as he was capitan-entretenido (spare captain) on the voyage. However, there is overwhelming evidence Torres remained in command, including Prado’s own account.
The south coast of New Guinea and Torres Strait
In 26 June 1606 the San Pedro and Los Tres Reyes under Torres command set sail for ManilaManila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. Contrary winds prevented the ships taking the more direct route along the north coast of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. Prado’s account notes that they sighted land on 14 July 1606, which was probably the island of Tagula
Vanatinai
Vanatinai or Tagula is a volcanic island in the south-east of the Louisiade Archipelago within Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. The reef fringed island is approximately south-east of New Guinea. With an area of , it is the largest island of the archipelago. Vanatinai town, the main...
in the Louisiade Archipelago
Louisiade Archipelago
The Louisiade Archipelago is a string of ten larger volcanic islands frequently fringed by coral reefs, and 90 smaller coral islands located 200 km southeast of New Guinea, stretching over more than and spread over an ocean area of between the Solomon Sea to the north and the Coral Sea to...
, south east of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. The voyage continued over the next two months along the southeastern coast, and a number of landfalls were made to replenish the ships’ food and water. The expedition discovered Milne Bay
Milne Bay
Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, southeastern Papua New Guinea. The bay is named after Sir Alexander Milne.The area was a site of the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942....
including Basilaki Island
Basilaki Island
Basilaki Island is an island in the Louisiade Archipelago in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. It is located at the eastern end of the New Guinea mainland. Its area is 100 km2.- References :http://islands.unep.ch/...
which they named Tierra de San Buenaventura, taking possession of the land for Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in July 1606. This brought the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in close and sometimes violent contact with local indigenous people. Prado and Torres both record the capture of twenty people, including a pregnant woman who gave birth several weeks later. From these islands, Torres sailed along the southern coast of New Guinea reaching Orangerie Bay, which he named Bahía de San Lorenzo because he landed on 10 August, the feast of Saint Lawrence
Saint Lawrence
Lawrence of Rome was one of the seven deacons of ancient Rome who were martyred during the persecution of Valerian in 258.- Holy Chalice :...
or San Lorenzo. The expedition then sailed to the Gulf of Papua
Gulf of Papua
The Gulf of Papua is a 400 kilometer wide region on the south shore of New Guinea. Some of New Guinea's largest rivers, such as the Fly River, Turama River, Kikori River and Purari River, flow into the gulf, making it a large delta. While the western coast is characterized by swampy tidal...
, exploring and charting the coastline. Prado drew a number of sketch charts of anchorages in the Gulf of Papua
Gulf of Papua
The Gulf of Papua is a 400 kilometer wide region on the south shore of New Guinea. Some of New Guinea's largest rivers, such as the Fly River, Turama River, Kikori River and Purari River, flow into the gulf, making it a large delta. While the western coast is characterized by swampy tidal...
, several of which survive.
For many years it was assumed that Torres took a route close to the New Guinea coast to navigate the 150 kilometre strait that now bears his name, but in 1980 the Queensland master mariner Captain Brett Hilder demonstrated that it was much more likely that Torres took a southerly route through the channel now called Endeavour Strait, on 2–3 October 1606. According to Australian writer George Collingridge
George Collingridge
George Collingridge was an Australian writer and illustrator best known today for his early assertions of Portuguese discovery of Australia in the 16th century....
, Torres "had discovered Australia without being aware of the fact." From this position, he would certainly have seen Cape York, the northernmost extremity of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Whether or not he did so, Torres never claimed that he had sighted the southern continent. "Here there are very large islands, and more to the south" he wrote.
Torres followed the coastline of New Guinea, and took possession of the island in the name of the King of Spain on 18 October 1606. On 27 October he reached the western extremity of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and then made his way north of Ceram
CERAM
CERAM is a materials science and testing organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent specialising in the field of ceramics. The CERAM Group owns testing facilities around the world.-History:The British Refractories Research Association was formed in 1920...
and Misool
Misool
Misool is one of the four major islands in the Raja Ampat Islands in West Papua , Indonesia. Its area is 2034 km². The highest point is 535 m and the main town is Waigama, on the island's northern coast, and Lilinta....
toward the Halmahera Sea
Halmahera Sea
Halmahera Sea is a regional sea located in the central eastern part of the Australasian Mediterranean Sea. It is centered at about 1°S and 129°E and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the north, Halmahera to the west, Waigeo and Irian Jaya to the east, and the Seram Sea to the south...
. At the beginning of January 1607 he reached Ternate
Ternate
Ternate is an island in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. It is located off the west coast of the larger island of Halmahera, the center of the powerful former Sultanate of Ternate....
, part of the Spice Islands
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
. He sailed on 1 May for Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
arriving on 22 May. The expedition proved that New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
was not part of the sought after continent.
Results of the voyage
Torres intended to personally present the captives, weapons and a detailed account to the king on his return to Spain. His short written account of the voyage indicates this. However, it appears there was no interest in ManilaManila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
in outfitting his voyage back to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and he was told his ships and men were required locally for the king’s service.
On 1 June 1607, two ships arrived in Manila from South America, one being Queirós former flagship San Pedro y San Pablo, now under another name, but with some of her former crewmen still aboard. Learning that Queirós had survived, Torres immediately wrote a report of his voyage to Queirós. Although that account no longer survives, Queirós himself referred to it in some of his many memorials to the king, agitating for another voyage.
Torres, his crew and his captives disappear entirely from the historical record at this point, and their subsequent fate is unknown. Prado returned to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, possibly taking one of the captive New Guineans with him. Most documents of Torres's discoveries were not published, but on reaching Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, filed away in Spanish archives, including Prado’s lengthy account and the accompanying charts.
Some time between 1762 and 1765, written accounts of the Torres expedition were seen by British Admiralty Hydrographer Alexander Dalrymple
Alexander Dalrymple
Alexander Dalrymple was a Scottish geographer and the first Hydrographer of the British Admiralty. He was the main proponent of the theory that there existed a vast undiscovered continent in the South Pacific, Terra Australis Incognita...
. Dalrymple provided a sketch map which included the Queirós - Torres voyages to Joseph Banks
Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, GCB, PRS was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of the natural sciences. He took part in Captain James Cook's first great voyage . Banks is credited with the introduction to the Western world of eucalyptus, acacia, mimosa and the genus named after him,...
, who undoubtedly passed this information to James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
.
Accounts of the 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 IIIPhilip III of SpainPhilip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
regarding the voyage and further exploration, - Torres brief account to the king (written July 1607),
- Prado’s narrative Relacion Sumaria (first written in 1608) and 4 charts of New Guinea
- Juan Luis Arias de Loyola’s memorial to King Philip IVPhilip IV of SpainPhilip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
(written about 1630 and based on discussions between Queirós and Loyola)
1617 may be the date of the first English translation of one of Queirós’ memorials, as Terra Australis Incognita, or A New Southerne Discoverie.
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.
External links
- Prado’s account of the Queirós and Torres voyage, with English translation, at the State Library of New South Wales
- Discovery of Australia by de Queirós in the Year 1606 by Patrick F. Cardinal Moran, Archbishop of Sydney
- Discoverer’s Website project
- Hakluytus Posthumus - Purchas his Pilgrimes Vol 4 by Samuel Purchas, Page 1432
- The First Discovery of Australia and New Guinea by George Collingridge, Chapter XI
- "New Light on the Discovery of Australia" edited by H Stevens, at Project Gutenberg Australia