Torres, Luis Vaez de (1605-1607)

Also known as
Torres, Luis Vaez De (-1607)
Field of activity
explorer; navigator; Navigator
NLA Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1466748

Biographies

TORRES, LUIS VAEZ DE (fl.1605-1607), navigator, was a Spanish subject, but nothing is known of his birth or early life. He must have been an experienced navigator when in 1605 he was given command of the San Pedrico, 40 tons, the second in size of three vessels with which Pedro Fernandez de Quiros set out from Callao, Peru, on 21 December in search of the supposed southern continent. Quiros placed great reliance on Torres, and when they reached an island usually sent him ashore in command of the landing party. Torres protested when, in mid-Pacific, Quiros altered course from WSW., which might have taken them to south-eastern Australia, to WNW., which did take them to Espiritu Santo (New Hebrides) on 1 May 1606. Torres took a party ashore, but by his 'indiscreet presumption', got involved in a fracas in which several natives were killed. Appointed camp master he had a stockade built, but before the end of the month Quiros decided to abandon Espiritu Santo and sail onward. In bad weather Quiros was driven out of the bay, and when Torres failed to find him, he opened his sealed orders, which ordained that Quiros's second-in-command, Don Diego de Prado, was to take command, and that he was to search for land as far as 20°S. but, if none was found, to sail to Manila. Prado seems to have allowed Torres to exert actual command, and Torres wrote that he was determined to carry out the viceroy's orders 'although contrary to the inclinations of many, I may say of the greatest part, but my temper was different from that of Captain Ferdinand de Quiros'. In company with the small Los Tres Reyes Margos, the third vessel, he went south to 21°, found no land (he was then west of New Caledonia and about 300 miles (493 km) from the coast of Australia) and, failing to reach the east coast of New Guinea, coasted closely along its south side, and sailed through Torres Strait, thus discovering that New Guinea was not the northern peninsula of a southern continent. For more than two months the Spaniards sailed along the coast of New Guinea which they claimed for Philip III, fought with the natives, and captured some. On 22 May 1607 Torres reached Manila, where he disappears from history. The report of his voyage seems to have been filed and forgotten, and knowledge of it was not recovered until the British occupied Manila in 1762.

View the full record at Australian Dictionary of Biography

Luis Vaez De Torres sailed through Torres Strait along the coast of New Guinea ca 1607, then sailed on the Manila, where he arrived on 22 May 1607. The report of his voyage seems to have been filed and overlooked until the British occupied Manila in 1762.

Nothing known of his birth, early life, or death. Commanded the San Pedrico 1605-07 which left Callao, Peru, on 21 December in search of the supposed southern continent. Effectively assumed command when the ship carrying the leader of the expedition was lost in a storm. Sailed through Torres Strait, thus discovering that New Guinea was not the northern peninsula of a southern continent.

View the full record at Encyclopedia of Australian Science

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  1. [Biographical cuttings on Luis Vaez de Torres, Spanish navigator, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals]
    [ Published : 1900-1990 ]
    At National Library
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  2. Memoriale presentato alla Maesta del Cattholico Re Don Filippo dal Capitan Pietro Fernandez de Chiroa sopra la populatione di nuovo scoperta nella quarta australe del mondo
    Queirós, Pedro Fernandes de, d. 1615
    [ Unpublished : 1611 ]
    Languages: Italian
    At National Library
    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0.011)

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  1. Tierra Australia del Espiritu Santo, discovered by De Queiros & Torres, 1st of May 1606 / drawn by George Collingridge, Aug. 1902
    Collingridge, George, 1847-1931
    [ Map : 1902 ]
    Possibly online
    At State Library of NSW
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.154)

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  2. Ile Marina ou Marena: Tierra Australia del Espiritu Santo, découverte par Queiroz & Torres, 1er May 1606 : Espiritu Santo
    Collingridge, George, 1847-1931
    [ Map : 1890-1899 ]
    Languages: French
    Possibly online
    At State Library of NSW
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.147)

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  3. Triton Bay Dutch New Guinea, discovered by Torres and named by him the Bay of St Peter & Arlanza, also Torres' island [a map by D. de Prado y Tovar] ; facsimile Geo. Collingridge
    Prado y Tovar, Diego de, 17th cent
    [ Map : 1904 ]
    Possibly online
    At State Library of NSW
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.137)

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  1. The voyage of Torres : the discovery of the southern coastline of New Guinea and Torres Strait by Captain Luis Váez de Torres in 1606 / Brett Hilder
    Hilder, Brett, 1911-1981
    [ Book : 1980 ]
    At 63 libraries
    The voyage of Torres : the discovery of the southern coastline of New Guinea and Torres Strait by Captain Luis Váez de Torres in 1606 / Brett Hilder
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  2. Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas / by Antonio de Morga ; translated and edited by J.S. Cummins
    Morga, Antonio de, 1559-1636
    [ Book : 1868-1990 ]
    Languages: Spanish, English
    Read online at Open Library/Internet Archive
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    At 28 libraries
    Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas / by Antonio de Morga ; translated and edited by J.S. Cummins
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  3. Quiros, Torres, Hartog, Tasman and Dampier / Johanna Rohan
    Rohan, Johanna
    [ Book : 2011 ]
    At 51 libraries
    Quiros, Torres, Hartog, Tasman and Dampier / Johanna Rohan
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  4. EL viaje de Torres de Veracruz a Manila : descubrimiento de la costa meridional de Nueva Guinea y del estrecho de Torres / Brett Hilder. Documentos de la época de la travesía / edición de Francisco Utray
    Hilder, Brett, 1911-1981
    [ Book : 1990 ]
    Languages: Spanish, English
    At 13 libraries
    EL viaje de Torres de Veracruz a Manila : descubrimiento de la costa meridional de Nueva Guinea y del estrecho de Torres / Brett Hilder.  Documentos de la época de la travesía / edición de Francisco Utray
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  1. Website: Bright sparcs
    www.eoas.info
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  2. Website: Naming Australia Incorporated
    www.namingaustralia.org.au
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    View 15 matching archived pages
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  3. Website: Link : Link list on Australian network policy and communications
    mailman.anu.edu.au
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  1. CHAPTER III. RELATION OF LUIS VAEZ DE TORRES, CONCERNING THE DISCOVERIES OF QUIROS, AS HIS ALMIRANTE, DATED MANILA, JULY 12TH, 1607.
    Illustrated Sydney News (NSW : 1853 - 1872) Saturday 21 November 1891 p 10 Article Illustrated
    ... CHAPTER III. i RELATION OF LUIS VAEZ DE TORRES, CONCERNING CERNING THE DISCOVERIES OF QUIROS, AS ... Juan de Merlo, of the order of San Francisco, one of the three : religious who were on board with me, ... launch, under the command of Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, and I for his almir- i ante ; and without ... 2129 words
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.248)

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  2. EARLY AUSTRALIAN DISCOVERY. DUTCH AND ENGLISH PERIOD—FROM THE ARRIVAL OF HOOTMANN TO THE ARRIVAL OF LIEUTENANT J, COOK—1595 TO 1770. A PERIOD OF 175 YEARS. PART IV. CHAPTER I. REL...
    Illustrated Sydney News (NSW : 1853 - 1872) Saturday 5 December 1891 p 14 Article Illustrated
    ... LUIS VAEZ DE TORRES BY GEOEGE COLLINGRIDGE, 1607.' hence we steered south. We had a hard gale of ... ' Luis VAEZ DE TOBRES. « Done at Manila, July 12th, 1607.' This expedition of De Quiros and Torres ... which the expedition had been . instructed to proceed. In Dr. Juan Luis Arias' memorial, Torres is ... 2817 words
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  3. EARLY AUSTRALIAN DISCOVERY. DUTCH AND ENGLISH PERIOD—FROM THE ARRIVAL OF HOOTMANN TO THE ARRIVAL OF LIEUTENANT J. COOK—1595 TO 1770. A PERIOD OF 175 YEARS. PART IV. CHAPTER I. REL...
    Illustrated Sydney News (NSW : 1853 - 1872) Saturday 5 December 1891 p 14 Article Illustrated
    ... LUIS VAEZ DE TORRES ? (Continued). BY C.M.N.G.S. hence we steered south. We had a hard gale of wind ... God preserve prosperous, for sovereign of tho world, Your Majesty's servant, 4 Luis VAEZ DB TORRES. 4 ... Juan Luis Arias' memorial, Torres is said to have reached what is amusingly termed the * high ... 2814 words
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  1. The Philippine islands, Moluccas, Siam, Cambodia, Japan, and China, at the close of the sixteenth century. By Antonio de Morga. Translated from the Spanish, with notes and a preface, and a letter from Luis Vaez de Torres, describing his voyage throug...
    Morga, Antonio de, 1559-1636.; Torres, Luis Vaez de, fl. 1606.; Stanley, Henry Edward John Stanley, Baron, 1827-1903.
    [ Article : 1868 ]
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  2. Torres Strait Islands
    Eussen, Dick
    This Australia
    [ Article : 1984-1985 ]
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  3. Southern discoveries. -Insight into one of the first European expeditions into Australian waters, almost 400 years ago-
    Hirst, Warwick
    Bulletin (Sydney)
    [ Map, Article : 1996 ]
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.058)

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  4. Exploring a hazardous passage
    Hilder, Brett
    Australian Natural History
    [ Article : 1978 ]
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