Terra Australis Incognita; Or, A New Southern Discovery, containing A Fifth Part of the World

by Pedro Fernandes de Queirós

The Haven, called The true Cross, is of that spacious Capacity, that it is able to contain a Thousand Ships. The Bottom, as I have said, is without Mud, and hath a blackish colour'd Sand wherewithal it is covered. There are no Gulfs or deep Pits, but an assured and easie Anchorage in what part soever you will, from forty to half a Fathom; and it is between the Mouths of two Rivers, the one whereof is as great as that of Quadalguiver, and hath Mud of a Fathom deep, over which our Shalops and Boats did pass.

For the other River, when our Skiffs went to water there, they found the Entrance safe and easie. And a Man may from the very Mouth of the River take in as much fresh Water as he will. The place where Ships may be unloaded hath three Leagues of Gravel, mingled with little Flints, blackish and very heavy, which will serve for Balast for Ships. The Bank is straight and united, on which much green Grass doth grow and prosper, and that makes me to conceive that the Sea doth not beat or rage thereupon: I observe that the Trees are strait, and the Branches not dismembred, which is a Token that there are no Tempests there. Touching the Port, besides the Commodities which I have already discoursed of, there is one of marvellous Pleasure and Contentation. And that is, at the Dawning of the Day you shall hear from a Wood, which is near at hand, a sweet and various Harmony of a thousand Birds of all sorts, amongst which we could distinguish the Nightingales, Black-birds, Quails, Goldfinches, Swallows almost without Number, Parrochito's, and one Parrot we marked there, and Creatures of sundry other kinds, even down to Grass-hoppers and Field-Crickets.

Every Morning and Evening we received a most odoriferous sweet Smell, sent unto our Nostrils from the infinite Diversity of Flowers and Herbs which grow there, amongst which we observed the Blossoms of Oranges and Basil. All which (with a Number of other Varieties) doth make us think that the Air is clear and healthy, and that the Nature of the place is of a good Temperature, The Haven and Bay are therefore of the greater Estimation, because they have the Neighbourhood of so many goodly Islands that are there, and especially of those Seven which are said to have 200 Leagues of Extent: And surely one of them (which is some twelve Leagues distant from the Haven) is fifty Leagues in Circuit. In brief, Sir, I do affirm unto your Majesty, that you may give Command to have a goodly and great City built in this Port and Bay, which are in fifteen Degrees and forty Minutes of the Southern Elevation, and those that shall inhabit there shall have plenty of Riches, and all other Conveniences which they can desire. Time will shew and discover all these Commodities, and in this place there may be made the Discharge and Unloading of all the Wares and Merchandizes of the Countries of Chilly, Peru, Panania, Macaraqua, Guttimala, New-Spain, Terre-natte, and the Philippines, all which Countries are under the Command of your Majesty. And if you shall acquire unto your self the Dominion of these Seigniories which I do now present, I do make so great an Esteem of them, that besides their being the Key of all the rest, they will (in my Opinion) prove another China or Japan, and equalize the other rich Islands which are on this side of Asia in Traffick of curious and precious Merchandizes, to speak nothing of the Augmentation and Extent of your Power, and the Establishment which you may make unto your self of your Dominions by the Accession of so great a Country. That which I have given unto your View in my Discourse is of much Slenderness, in regard of that which I do probably conceive of this Land, the which I am ready to make appear in the Presence of Mathematicians. Neither will I vex this Paper to demonstrate unto you, that these Countries will be able at the first Aboord to nourish 20000 Spaniards. In Sum this is, Sir, the World whereof Spain is the Center, and that which I have related, is the Nail by which you may judge of the whole Body, which I pray you to take into your Observation.

You may judge by that which I have already represented, what the Goodness and Temperature of the Air is; whereunto this may be added for a further Testimony, that although all our Company were Strangers, yet never a one of them was sick, albeit they were in continual Travel and Labour, and did sometimes sweat, and sometimes take Wet. They drank Water fasting, and fed many times on that which the Earth did there bring forth. Neither had they any regard to keep themselves from the Serenes, nor from the Moon or Sun, which indeed in those Parts is not over-vehement. Only about Mid-night, they covered themselves with Wool, and did lie and repose themselves thereupon. And for the Inhabitants, they are commonly healthy, and many of them very aged, although they have nothing but the bare Earth for their Pallet, which is an Argument of the Wholesomeness and Pureness of the Soil. For if it were a wet and weeping Ground, or had any Viciousness in the Mould, they would raise their Lodgings higher from the Earth, as they do that live in the Philippines, and other Countries which I have viewed. And this is further confirmed by their Flesh and Fish, which although it be unsalted, yet will it keep sweet, and without Corruption two Days. And the Fruits which are brought from thence are exceeding good, as we had Proof by two that I took care to bring along with me, altho' they had not their full Maturity and Growth when I gathered them from the Tree. We have not seen any barren and sandy Ground, nor any Thistles, or Trees that are thorny, of whose Roots do shew themselves, no Marshes or Fenns, no Snow upon the Mountains, no Snakes or Serpents, no Crocodiles in the Rivers, no Worms that use with us to hurt and consume our Grain, and to work us so much Displeasure in our Houses, no Fleas, Catterpillers, or Gnats. This is a Prerogative that hath the Advantage of all the Privileges that Nature hath bestowed on other Places, and is worthy to be compared, or rather preferred before any Delicacy of the Countries of India, some of which are abandoned and uninhabited, meerly by reason of these Incommodities, and of sundry others that are distastful unto the Inhabitants, as my self have oftentimes been Witness.

These (Sir) are the Vertues and Excellences of the Countries which I have discovered, of which I have already taken the Possession in the Name of your Majesty and under your Royal Banner, as appeareth by the Acts which I keep safely in my Power, whereunto I proceeded after this ensuing manner.

First (Sir) we erected a Cross, and built a Church in Honour of our Lady of Loretto. Then we caused Twenty Masses to be celebrated there, and our Troops made haste thither to gain some Indulgences. We also made a solemn Procession, and observed the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, the which was carry'd in Procession, your Banner being ever displayed, and marching before it thro' a great Circuit of Countries, which were honour'd with the Presence of the same.

In three several Places we set up your Titles, in every one of which we prepared and erected two Columns, with the Arms of your Majesty tricked and garnished thereupon: so that I may with good Right affirm, that since this will challenge to be one of the Parts of the World, the Impress of Plus ultra is accomplished, and because it stretcheth unto the Continent, whether it be forward or behind it skills not, the Bounds of your Dominions are with much Spaciousness enlarged. Now all this which I have performed receiveth its Root from this the faithful Zeal which I bear unto your Majesty, that to all the Titles which you already do possess, you may adjoin this which I represent, and that the Name of Terra Australis Incognita may be blazoned and spread over the Face of the whole World to the Glory of God, who hath revealed this Country, and hath given me the Grace to guide my Course thither, and to return to the Presence of your Majesty, before whom I do present and prostrate my self with the same Affection and Zeal unto this Work which I had before, and which hath grown up with me as it were from my Cradle, and for the Nobleness and Worth thereof, I do still tender and cherish the same with the greatest Love that can be.

I do confidently believe, that your Majesty doth use so much Prudence in your Councils, and are so magnanimous and full of Christian Piety, that you will (with your best Care) embrace all the Conducements which may further the Habitation of these new discovered Countries. And the principal Reason to put a Tye and Obligation upon us not to leave them abandoned, is, in regard that this is the sole ordinary way to establish the Knowledge of God, and Faith among them, and to bring to pass that his Name may be adored and called upon, where the Devil usurpeth so much Reverence and Invocation. And this ought to be embraced with the more Readiness, because it is the Channel to convey and disperse all abundance of Commodities amongst your Subjects. And hereby you shall be eased of many Disturbances and Vexations, which will assuredly be put upon you, in case the Hereticks should enter and nestle there, and should vent their erroneous Doctrines amongst them, whereby they would convert all the Blessings which I have hitherto recounted unto you, into assured Incommodities and Mischiefs, and would arrogate unto themselves the Name of the Lords of the Indies, to the utter Ruin and Desolation of those Countries. I make no question but your Majesty well weigheth of what Importance this Danger of which I speak may prove, and what evil Consequence some other Hazards may carry with them, which are either at this time imminent, or may succeed hereafter. And if this should happen, it would cost you innumerable Thousands of Gold and Men, before you shall be able to give a Remedy unto the same. Acquire therefore, Sir, while that Occasion is offered you (that one Day you may purchase Heaven unto yourself:) Acquire (I say) with a little Money, which you misplace upon Peru, a never-dying Reputation, and this New World with all the Benefits which it reacheth out unto you. And since there is none that craveth a Reward for these good Tidings that is brought you concerning so great and singular a Blessing, which God hath been pleased to lock up until your happy time, I am he, Sir, that do demand it, and my humble Request unto you is only this, That you would be of that Graciousness unto me, as to dispatch and give me mine Answer; for the Galleons are ready to hoise Sail, and I have much way to go, and many things must be fitted and disposed for the Voyage. There is no Hour passes, which carrieth not with it an assured Loss both in regard of spiritual and temporal Blessings, the Damage whereof can never be made up or repaired.

If upon a bare Suspicion Christophorus Columbus did pursue his Design with so much Obstinacy, you are not to account it strange in me if the Things which I have beheld with mine Eyes, and touch'd with mine Hands, do put some kind of Constraint upon me to be importunate.

Let it therefore please your Majesty, amongst so many Expedients which you have at hand, to lever and put apart some one for the Accomplishment of this Work, that after all these Languishments, I may at length meet with the Success of my Desires. I do assure you that you will find my Propositions most just, and that I shall be of Sufficiency to give you Satisfaction in all things. This, Sir, is a great Work, against which the Devil doth bandy himself with all the Puissance he may; and it is not consonant to Reason, to abandon these Countries to his Tyranny and Power, which do know your Majesty for their Patron and Defender.