1 78 THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



and feathers and sashes, so many crosses and so much 

 gold, and so many colours and silken dresses, that many 

 eyes could not contain what sprang from the heart, and 

 they shed tears of joy." The poet-secretary, Bermudez, 

 whose pen certainly wrote this vivid description, exults 

 in the good fortune which has allowed him to see " the 

 first festival celebrated in honour of the most high Lord 

 in these strange and unknown lands." " As our force 

 was small," he writes, " and the natives numerous, it was 

 considered by some to be an act of great audacity. I say 

 it was a great hit, and that it was done in full faith." 

 There came into his mind a verse written by a Spanish 

 poet : 



" Behold where hidden are the lands, 



Scarce discerned by mortal ken, 



Those are regions still unknown, 



Never pressed by Christian men. 



This will ever be their fate, 



Want of knowledge keeps them there. 



Wrapt within a fleecy cloud, 



Until God shall lay them bare." 



He quotes the lines, and triumphantly " by slight 

 alterations" adapts them to the present occasion: 



" Behold how we have found these lands, 

 Now clearly seen by mortal ken, 

 Those are regions now made known, 

 Pressed by feet of Christian men. 

 Unknown no longer is their fate, 

 Now full knowledge points them there, 

 No longer hid in fleecy clouds 

 God his secrets now lays bare." l 



Such was the vision which Quiros saw that day of the 

 Festival of Corpus Christi. And then, thus his narrative 

 continues, " he marched inland to the sound of drums. 

 He saw what he had sown already sprouting, the farms, 

 houses, fruit orchards ; and, having walked a league, 

 he returned as it was getting late. When he came on 

 board he said that, as these natives were at war with us, 



1 Markham's translation, in Hakluyt Society's edition of Quiros, 

 vol. i. p. 262. 



