146 THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



been written by Quiros himself. There is evidence that 

 he was helped in the writing by one who accompanied 

 him on the voyage of 1 606 as " Secretary," Luis de Belmonte 

 Bermudez. Bermudez afterwards became a poet of some 

 fame, and there are passages in the narratives that are 

 evidently written not by the seaman but by the poet. 

 In the narrative of the later voyage we hear, sometimes 

 very distinctly, two voices, that of the leader and that of 

 the intimate friend at once sympathetic and critical. But 

 the substance of the narrative expressed the mind of Quiros 

 himself. And, though he made free use of the literary gift 

 of his young friend, he adopted the whole narrative as 

 his own, and read parts of it to an influential minister 

 of the Spanish Court as his own official report. 



Noble ideals They sailed from Callao on the Qth of April, 1595. 

 sl There were four ships : the Capitana, or Captain's ship, San 



Jeronimo, in which sailed Mendana and Quiros ; the 

 Almirante, or Admiral's ship for Admiral was then the 

 title of the second in command named Santa Isabel, 

 under Admiral Lope de Vega ; a " galeot," and a frigate. 

 In all there sailed three hundred and seventy-eight persons, 

 of whom two hundred and eighty were able to bear arms. 

 As a permanent colony was to be founded, " a good company 

 of married people " were taken ; and, says Quiros, " scarcely 

 a day passes without someone wishing to be married 

 next day. It seemed as if all would run in couples." 

 There were high hopes and good stories, but " none for 

 the good of the natives." For the expedition was ruined 

 ere it started. The ideal was noble, but the instruments 

 were unworthy. Mendana was humane and devout. 

 Quiros was aflame with passionate missionary fervour. 

 But their men were Spaniards of the low type greedy, 

 cruel, brutal. " They behave like Corsairs," said Quiros, 

 before the ship had left Spanish waters. They were 

 sailing to King Solomon's mines, and their only thoughts 

 were of " gold, silver and pearls." Mendana from the 

 first feared desertion. He told Quiros to make charts 

 for the navigation. He was to show the coast of Peru, 

 and six thousand miles to the West of Lima. The Solomons 



