NATURALISTS AND VOYAGERS MENTIONED hi 
Torres, Luis Vaez de, commanded the Almiranta, the second ship 
on Quiros’ expedition. After accompanying Quiros to “ Sagittaria” 
(Otahite), the ships were separated at Terra del Espiritu Santo, and 
Torres, sailing westwards, passed through the straits between Australia 
and New Guinea in 1606. In connection with the fire thrown by 
the natives of this latter country when Banks landed there (see p. 
326), it is interesting to find that Torres records that “among the 
weapons used by them were hollow bamboo sticks, which they filled 
with lime, and by throwing it endeavoured to blind their enemies,” 
also that he “met with Mahometans who had swords and firearms” 
(Burney, History of Discoveries in the South Seas). Cook and Banks 
were unaware of the previous discovery, by Torres, of these straits. 
VALENTIJN, Frangois (1656-1727), Dutch traveller, was for many 
years pastor of the Protestant Church at Amboyna. He was the 
author of “Oudt en Nieuw Oost-Indie” (1724-26), and of various 
theological works, including a Malay version of the Bible. 
Wattis, Captain Samuel (died 1795), was sent out in command of 
the Dolphin on Byron’s return in 1766. In company with the 
Swallow, he left England in August 1766, but was separated from his 
consort in a gale after emerging from the Straits of Magellan. He 
rediscovered Otahite (already seen by Quiros in 1606) in June 1767, 
one year before Bougainville. He named it King George III. Island. 
After a month’s stay he left the island for Batavia, and finally reached 
England in May 1768. Hawkesworth published an account of this 
voyage in 1773. It was Wallis who recommended Otahite as a station 
for observing the transit of Venus in 1769. Wallis retired from active 
service in 1772, and was in 1780 appointed an extra commissioner of 
the navy. (For the first voyage of the Dolphin, see Byron.) 
