1 64 THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



came endless disputes about Longitudes. Everyone cal- 

 culated how far they had sailed, and the calculations 

 were enormously different. Quiros said that the dis- 

 tance to Santa Cruz was seven thousand four hundred 

 miles. The Pilot retorted that they had already sailed 

 eight thousand eight hundred. Disputes grew hot. Quiros 

 was told that there was a plot to stab him and to throw 

 the body overboard. The Pilot shouted to the Captain 

 of the launch that winter was near, and " other things 

 that it is not well for the men to hear." One night the 

 sick Captain heard a great disturbance, and found the 

 Pilot with blood-stained sword in hand. The sword 

 was taken from him ; " but that which the Captain felt 

 he kept to himself, confessing that he was so weak that 

 he was unable to say in a loud voice a third word." It 

 was evident that the Pilot " did not wish that lands should 

 be discovered, nor that anything should be found." He 

 was " designing to go directly to Manila." Quiros could 

 Torres and not deal with the plot. But Torres was a very different 

 ' man, and insisted that land must be found. Finally 

 he induced Quiros to arrest the Pilot, and to send him 

 on board Torres' ship, though that vigorous seaman 

 regrets that he was " not allowed to inflict due punishment." 

 For the moment, however, Quiros had been persuaded 

 that something more severe than Franciscan methods 

 were needed. The Pilot's friends were told to " hold 

 their tongues " ; a block was placed for villains at the 

 yard-arm ; and Quiros regretted that he had not " thought 

 of bringing iron fetters and chains from Lima, intending 

 to oblige by faithful treatment, and to bring out the 

 good." But it was in vain that Don Quixote tried to be 

 sane. The block was never used. Instead of hanging his 

 " villains," he made them " Knights of the Holy Ghost." 

 His friends would bear witness, he afterwards said, that 

 he was " determined never to take life or reputation ; and 

 if he had done so, he would have been discontented and 

 unquiet for all the rest of his life." 



They saw " drifts of wood, and snakes, and many birds, 

 all signs of land on both sides." But they drove straight 



