The First Discovery of Australia and New Guinea Part 2

Let us now consider some other features of this map. The overlapping of territorial boundaries to which I have alluded, is apparent here in the repet.i.tion of the western coast line of Gilolo.

It will be seen that the Spanish map claims Gilolo and the other Spice Islands, such as Ternate, Tidor, Batchian, etc., since they are set down, in the western half of the world.

This is wrong, for those islands virtually fell within the Portuguese sphere. I have purposely drawn your attention to these deceptions and distortions on this Spanish map because on the first map of Australia, which we shall consider by and by, we shall see that the Portuguese made use of similar methods which they, of course, turned to their own advantage.

For instance, they blocked the sea-way to the south of Java, and, in other ways, restricted the approach to the Spice Islands to channels over which they had control. Observe that the smaller islands of the East Indian Archipelago, from Java to Flores, are not charted, although they were well-known at the time. There must have been a reason for this, for these missing islands are precisely those which we shall find grafted on to the Australian continent (Jave-la-Grande) in the charts that we are coming to.

Observe also that the south coast of Java is not marked. The reason for this is obvious, the south coast was not known. Java, indeed, was believed to be connected with the Great Southern Continent, and was called _Java Major_, to distinguish it from Sumatra, which was named _Java Minor_.

In proof of the Portuguese belief concerning the connection and size of Java, I quote here what Camoens, their immortal poet, says:--

_"Olha a Sunda* tao larger, que huma banda Esconde pare o Sul difficultuoso."

Os Lusiadas._ Java behold, so large that one vast end It, covers towards the South tempestuous.

[* Another name for Java.]

Towards the year 1570, however, practical Portuguese seamen had become aware of a more accurate shape for Java, and Diego do Couto, the Portuguese historian, describes its shape in the following manner:--

"The figure of the island of Java resembles a pig couched on its fore legs, with its snout to the Channel of Balabero,* and its hind legs towards the mouth of the Straits of Sunda, which is much frequented by our s.h.i.+ps. The southern coast, [pig's back] is not frequented by us, and its bays and ports are not known; but the northern coast [pig's stomach]

is much frequented, and has many good ports."

[* Modern Straits of Bali.]

CHAPTER IV.

VILLALOBOS' EXPEDITION AND FURTHER DISCOVERIES IN PAPUA.

After various treaties, signed at Segovia, Seville and Zaragoza, the King of Spain renounced at last, his claim to the Spice Islands, for the sum of 350,000 ducats.

But this agreement did not interfere with other possessions of the Spanish crown, nor did it prevent the Spaniards from making fresh conquests within the limits which had been allotted to them.

Meanwhile the Portuguese were more active in their explorations.

Making the Spice Islands the centre of their enterprise, under the guidance and governors.h.i.+p of Galvano, the "Apostle and historian of the Moluccas," they sent their caravels in every direction, equipping also native junks and proas for purposes of trade and discovery. From j.a.pan in the north, to Timor in the south, and from Java in the west, to the Carolines and Ladrones in the east, they penetrated everywhere.

The Spaniards on their side continued to lay claim to the islands of the archipelago of St. Lazarus, discovered by Magellan, and, after Villalobos expedition, called the Philippine Islands, in honour of Phillip II. of Spain.

These islands, situated outside the Spanish sphere, had fallen under Portuguese sway by treaties with the native kings, and by conquests made after the death of Magellan.

Of these events the Spanish government knew but little, but Magellan's initiatory work and conquests were not to be abandoned, and Don Antonio de Mendoza, the Viceroy of New Spain, was ordered to equip and send out a colonising expedition without delay.

It was entrusted to Ruy Lopez de Villalobos, and set sail from New Spain on the 1st of November, 1542.

The Armada was composed of six s.h.i.+ps and four or five hundred soldiers.

On their way from the west coast of North America to the Philippines, they discovered many islands in the North Pacific Ocean; among others the Hawaiian Group, visited many years after by Cook, and named by him the Sandwich Islands.

In 1543 one of the s.h.i.+ps belonging to the fleet, the _San Juan_, commanded by _Bernardo della Torre_, with _Gaspar Rico_ as first pilot, made an attempt to return to New Spain.

But in their numerous efforts to reach America from the Great Asiatic Archipelagoes, the Spaniards had not yet found out the proper season nor lat.i.tude to sail in, and through their want of knowledge concerning the periodicity of the winds in those regions, they met with many disappointments and mishaps.

In Bernardo della Torres' attempt, many islands were discovered, and, after sailing seven hundred leagues in their estimation, the wind failing, they were compelled to return to the Philippines.

Meanwhile the attempt at colonisation had been a failure and the fleet had sailed away and reached the Moluccas, to which islands della Torre repaired.

In the year 1545 the _San Juan_ was despatched again.

She was now commanded by _Inigo Ortiz de Retez, Gaspar Rico_ being still the pilot. They sailed from Tidor in the Moluccas, in the beginning of the year, and made extensive discoveries on the north coast of _Os Papuas_, or Papua, which discoveries will be seen on the old Spanish chart in the next chapter.

One of the three great Papuan rivers, the river now called the Amberno, was discovered and was named the _S. Augustino_, and formal possession was taken in the name of the King of Spain.

CHAPTER V.

THE FIRST MAP OF NEW GUINEA.

Had the Portuguese and Spanish known the map of New Guinea as we know it nowadays they would, no doubt, have described it as a Guinea fowl, Bird of Paradise or some such creature, as delineated above, in the same way as they described Java and other islands in these seas.*

[* Celebes was likened to a spider, Ceram to a caterpillar, etc., etc.]

The map of Nova Guinea, shows, however, that their ideas were like all original ideas concerning shapes of countries--imperfect.

Nevertheless, some of the princ.i.p.al features of the Portuguese and Spanish discoveries in Papuas and New Guinea, up to the year 1545, are clearly discernible.*

[* The original Portuguese and Spanish doc.u.ments that were used in the compilation of this map have been lost or have not yet come to light. Our copy dates from the year 1600.]

It will be noticed that Gilolo is now placed in its correct position, twenty degrees to the west of where it was placed before in Ribero's map.

It is now in the Portuguese sphere where it should be.

The Portuguese discoveries in New Guinea occupy what might be described as the fowl's head and neck. They come under the name of OS PAPUAS, and the islands where Menezes is said to have sojourned--_hic hibernavit Georg de Menezes_--in the year 1526.

The three nameless large islands, between Os Papuas and Nova Guinea represent, no doubt, the Misory Islands and Jobi of modern charts.

The Aru Islands are also charted, and the Tenimber or Timor Laut group is indicated (although it bears no name) as having been the sojourn of Martin Alfonso de Melo,* a Portuguese navigator, whose name has not been otherwise recorded, as far as I know, in the history of maritime discovery in these parts.

[* _Martin afonso de mela_, on the chart.]

SPANISH SPHERE.

The Spanish portion commemorates the expedition of Inigo Ortiz de Retez with Gaspar Rico, in the _San Juan_, in the year 1545; some of the names being the _Rio de S. Augustino_; the island of Ortiz, _I de Arti_; the port of Gaspar Rico and the _I. S. Juan_, named after their little s.h.i.+p; the cape named _Ancon de la Natividad de Nustra Siniora_, being the term of their voyage which, according to Juan Gaetan, one of Villalobos'

pilots, who wrote a description of it, extended to six or seven degrees of south lat.i.tude, must represent the modern Cape King William, or thereabouts.

CHAPTER VI.