294 



AUSTRALASIA. 



Medici mentions the existence of a very extensive region stretching east of the 

 Moluccas, and the reference was probably to Papuasia. But most historians 

 attribute its actual discovery, or at least that of some of its contiguous islands, to 

 the Portuguese Jorge de Menezes. The " good haven of Yersiya," where this 

 navigator wintered in 1526-27, was perhaps the present Warsai, near the north- 

 west extremity of the mainland. But, however this be, there can be no doubt as to 

 the direction followed by Menezes's immediate successor, the Spaniard Alvaro de 

 Saavedra. In 1528 this explorer cast anchor near an " island of gold," which seems 

 to be one of those situated in Geelvink Bay, and the following year he coasted a 

 land south of the equator, which extended south-eastwards across several degrees 

 of longitude, and which was certainly the New Guinea seaboard. Sixteen years 

 later Retis gave this region the name it now bears, and took possession of it for 



Fig. 129. — Chief Exploeations ox the Coasts and in the Inteuioe of New Guinea. 



Scale 1 : 24,000,000. 



base oh Gr-eenvMch 



600 Miles. 



the Spanish crown. At that time, however, it was still uncertain Avhether it was 

 an island or a part of the Australasian mainland. Doubtless some charts dating 

 from the sixteenth century already represent Papuasia as an island ; but on others, 

 notably that of Valentijn, prepared in the eighteenth century, it still figures as a 

 part of Australia. 



Yet its insular character had already been practically demonstrated in 1606 b}^ 

 the Spanish pilot, Torres, who had penetrated into the dangerous strait named 

 from him, and who had at the same time surveyed the south coast of New Guinea. 

 But this discovery, carefully concealed as a state secret in the archives of Manilla, 

 had at last been forgotten by the Spaniards themselves. It was again brought to 

 light, however, by Dalrj^mple during the temporary occupation of Manilla by the 

 English in 1762 ; and in 1770, Cook, resuming the itinerary of the Spanish navi- 

 gator, traversed the strait which he supposed he was the first to visit. Henceforth 



