JOURNAL OF GALLEGO. 235 



which M. M. Buache and Fleurieu arrived at such correct inferences, 

 based as they were on such scanty premises. One or two mistakes 

 have arisen in the nomenclature of the present chart, which are due 

 to misconceptions in the English translations of the account given 

 by Figueroa, to wit, I may cite the instance of the Isle of Ramos. . . 

 .... The additional names which the Journal of Gallego enables 

 us to identify with existing islands are, in truth, to be found in the 

 general description of the Salomon Islands, which Herrera incor- 

 porated in his " Descripcion de les Indias Occidentales," which was 

 published about 1601. But this description was, as just remarked, 

 of a general character, and beyond confirming the suspicion that 

 there were other accounts of Mendana's discoveries besides the rela- 

 tion of Figueroa, it was but of little service to the nautical geo- 

 grapher. 



I come now to a less pleasant task, that of reviewing the char- 

 acter of the intei'course that prevailed between the Spaniards and 

 the natives. It has been remarked by Commander Markham in his 

 spirited sketch of the discoveries of Mendana, that the conduct of 

 the Spaniards, in their intercourse with the islanders, was not other- 

 wise than humane ;^ but I feel assured that a different opinion 

 would have been expressed, if the writer had extended his inquiries 

 further into the narrative of Gallego. During their six months' 

 sojourn in this group, the loss of the Spaniards was but trifling in 

 comparison with the losses they inflicted on the natives. In these 

 numerous conflicts the natives must have lost not less than a hun- 

 dred killed, whilst the Spaniards lost ten of their number ; but a 

 large proportion of these unfortunate islanders fell victims to the 

 lamentable succession of reprisals for the massacre of the watering- 

 party at the Puerto de la Cruz, an act of retribution which the 

 Spaniards had entirely brought upon themselves. In the great 

 majority of instances the natives assumed the aggressive, but not in 

 all ; and although the Spaniards were often justifiably compelled to 

 employ force in obtaining provisions, yet there was often nothing to 

 excuse them in seizing the canoes, in cajoling natives alongside in 

 order to capture them, or in carrying off with them from the group 

 an unfortunate native with his wife and child. The natives kept 

 on board the ships escaped on account of ill-treatment ; and, as 

 Gallego also writes, all the islands were aroused to such a degree by 

 the visit of the Spaniards, that they concealed their provisions, and 



1 " The Cruise of the ' Eosario,' " 2nd edit., 1873 (p. &). 



