Luís Vaz de Torres Facts for Kids

Luís Vaz de Torres was a brave explorer and sea captain from the 16th and 17th centuries. He was born around 1565. Torres is famous for being the first European to sail through the narrow sea passage that separates Australia from the island of New Guinea. This important waterway is now called the Torres Strait, named after him! He was a key part of a Spanish expedition that made many discoveries.

Who Was Luis Vaz de Torres?
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Who Was Luis Vaz de Torres?

Luís Vaz de Torres was a skilled sea captain. People on his voyages often called him a "Breton." This suggests he came from Galicia, a region in northwest Spain. Historians believe he was born around 1565, though the exact date and place are unknown.

Some people have suggested Torres was Portuguese, but there isn't strong evidence for this. At the time, the way people wrote in Galician and Portuguese was very similar. Records always refer to Torres as Spanish, not Portuguese.

Early Life and Spanish Navy Adventures

Torres joined the Spanish Navy and traveled to Spanish lands in South America. His name first appeared in history when he was chosen to command the second ship in a big expedition. This journey was planned by another navigator, Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, who was looking for a huge southern continent called Terra Australis. We don't have any pictures of what Torres looked like.

The Big Voyage with Pedro Fernandes de Queirós

In 1605, Torres joined a large Spanish expedition led by Pedro Fernandes de Queirós. Queirós was a navigator from Portugal. They set sail from Callao, Peru, on December 21, 1605, with three ships. Torres was in charge of one of them, the San Pedrico.

Discovering New Lands: Vanuatu and "Austrialia"

By May 1606, the expedition reached a group of islands. These islands are now known as Vanuatu. Queirós named them La Austrialia del Espiritu Santo, meaning "Austrialia of the Holy Spirit." He used the name "Austrialia" to honor the Austrian royal family that ruled Spain. The largest island in Vanuatu is still called Espiritu Santo. This name, along with the old Latin name Terra Australis, helped inspire the name of Australia.

A Sudden Separation: Queirós's Ship Departs

After exploring for six weeks, the ships went back to sea. On June 11, 1606, Queirós's ship, the San Pedro y San Pablo, got separated from the others during bad weather. Queirós later said he couldn't return to the safe harbor. However, other reports suggest there were serious problems with the crew and leadership on his ship. The captain, Don Diego de Prado, and the surgeon had already moved to Torres's ship. Queirós's ship then sailed all the way to Acapulco, Mexico. Torres believed Queirós's ship left on purpose.

Torres Takes the Lead: A New Course

After Queirós's ship left, Torres stayed at Espiritu Santo for 15 days. He then opened secret orders from the Viceroy of Peru. These orders explained what to do if the ships got separated and who would take command if Queirós was no longer leading. Even though the orders might have named someone else, Torres clearly remained in charge of the remaining ships.

Exploring New Guinea and the Famous Strait

Torres’ expedition

On June 26, 1606, Torres and his two ships, the San Pedrico and Los Tres Reyes Magos, sailed towards Manila. Strong winds pushed them away from the usual route along the north coast of New Guinea. On July 14, 1606, they saw land, likely Tagula Island.

Sailing Along New Guinea's Coast

For the next two months, the expedition explored the southeastern coast of New Guinea. They stopped often to get fresh food and water. They discovered Milne Bay and Basilaki Island, which they named Tierra de San Buenaventura. In July 1606, they claimed this land for Spain. They met local people, sometimes with challenges. Torres sailed along the southern coast of New Guinea, reaching Orangerie Bay. He named it Bahía de San Lorenzo because they landed there on August 10, the feast day of Saint Lawrence. The expedition then explored the Gulf of Papua, drawing maps of the coastline.

The Torres Strait: A Major Discovery

Torres then navigated a narrow passage of water, about 150 kilometers wide, close to the New Guinea coast. This strait now proudly carries his name: the Torres Strait. Some historians believe he might have sailed through a slightly different channel, the Endeavour Strait, in October 1606. From there, he would have seen Cape York, the northern tip of Australia.

Torres route near Australia

It's interesting to note that another explorer, Willem Janszoon, had already seen parts of the west coast of the Cape York Peninsula several months earlier. Torres himself never claimed to have seen the southern continent. He simply wrote, "Here there are very large islands, and more to the south."

Torres continued along the New Guinea coastline and claimed the island for the King of Spain on October 18, 1606. He reached the western end of New Guinea on October 27. Then he sailed north past Ceram and Misool towards the Halmahera Sea. By January 1607, he arrived at Ternate, one of the famous Spice Islands. He finally reached Manila on May 22, 1607. His journey proved that New Guinea was not part of the huge southern continent explorers were looking for.

What Happened After the Voyage?

Torres wanted to personally tell the King of Spain all about his discoveries when he returned. He wrote a short report about his voyage. However, it seems there wasn't much interest in Manila to help him sail back to Spain. He was told his ships and crew were needed there for the King's service.

Reports and Records of the Journey

On June 1, 1607, two ships arrived in Manila from South America. One of them was Queirós's old flagship, the San Pedro y San Pablo, though it had a new name. Some of its original crew were still aboard. When Torres learned that Queirós was alive, he immediately wrote a report of his journey to Queirós. This report is now lost, but Queirós mentioned it in his many letters to the king, asking for another voyage.

The official story of the expedition was written by Diego de Prado and signed by Torres and other officials in Manila on June 6, 1608. After this, Torres and his crew disappear from historical records. We don't know what happened to them next. Prado eventually returned to Spain.

Rediscovering Torres's Amazing Journey

Many of Torres's important documents were not published right away. They were stored in Spanish archives. Years later, between 1762 and 1765, a British mapmaker named Alexander Dalrymple found these accounts. Dalrymple shared a map of the Queirós-Torres voyages with Joseph Banks, who likely passed this information to Captain James Cook.

The original official manuscript of the voyage was found again in the 1800s. In 1932, the State Library of New South Wales in Australia bought it. It was first shown to the public in August 1997, allowing everyone to learn about Torres's incredible journey.

Accounts of the Voyage

Several documents help us understand the voyages of Queirós and Torres:

Queirós wrote many letters to King Philip III of Spain about the voyage.
Torres wrote a short report to the king in July 1607.
Prado wrote a detailed story called Relacion Sumaria in 1608, which included four maps of New Guinea.
Juan Luis Arias de Loyola wrote a report to King Philip IV of Spain around 1630, based on talks with Queirós.

One of Queirós's reports was translated into English in 1617 as Terra Australis Incognita, or A New Southerne Discoverie. A shorter account of Queirós's journey was published in English by Samuel Purchas in 1625.