sed, and would totally have destroyed, had not these
brave islanders, with all their courage, been sensible of their
inferiority. Thus the thunder of European artillery made good the right
of the Spaniards; but force by no means gives a sanction to base
treachery.

THE FLEET LEAVES TAUMACO.

Queiroz quitted this island of Taumaco on the 18th of April, and, _giving
up his project of settlement at Santa Cruz_, sailed towards the south in
search of the land of Mallicolo and other lands indicated by the chiefs
of Taumaco.

On the 21st, in the evening, they discovered land in the S.E. They
manoeuvred cautiously all night. They then sailed along the northern
shores of what proved to be a small island. The captain of the Almiranta,
Luis Vaez de Torres, went in a canoe to examine it.

He could not find an anchorage for the fleet; but he went near enough to
the land to converse with the natives, who offered him a present of nuts,
and a piece of stuff made of palm leaves woven together.

He learned from them that their island was caged TUCOPIA*; and they made
him understand by signs that, if he sailed southwards, he would meet with
extensive countries, where the inhabitants were fairer than those he had
yet seen. As this island afforded no shelter from the wind, they did not
remain there. In coasting along it, they perceived that it produced many
fruit trees, of which they saw several plantations. They say that "It
lies in latitude 12 deg. S."

[* The first island arrived at by the Spaniards bearing a native name
preserved to this day, and that can, therefore, be positively identified,
with reference to this voyage.]

QUEIROZ'S REGION OF ESPIRITU SANTO.

As we are coming now to islands which I have positively identified,* it
will be well to follow the itinerary on the maps given here.

[* See Portuguese, Spanish, and Victorian Geographical Societies'
Journals. 1903-1904.]

The fleet proceeded southwards, with variable winds, till the 25th of
April, when, at day-break, a very high land was seen in the latitude of
141/2 deg. (Bougainville's "Pic de l'Etoile," the "Star Island" or Merlav, of
modern charts.) They named it San Marcos.

From San Marcos they went on a S.W. course, with men at the mast-head;
and at 10 in the forenoon, at a distance of 12 leagues to the S.E., a
land of many mountains and plains was sighted, the end of which could not
be seen throughout the day. Queiroz gave it the name of _Margaritana_. It
i