Pedro de Kiros Portuguese navigator Country: Portugal

Biography of Pedro de Quiros

Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, also known as Pedro de Quiros, was a Portuguese navigator and explorer. He was born in 1565 and died in 1614. Quiros believed in the existence of a massive continent in the southern hemisphere and dedicated his life to finding it.

At the age of 30, Quiros joined an expedition led by Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña. This expedition aimed to explore the South Pacific and search for the fabled Solomon Islands. Quiros served as a captain and senior helmsman in Mendaña's second expedition, which consisted of 378 people and four ships.

During the expedition, the crew encountered numerous challenges and hardships. They came across the island of Magdalena, where a friendly encounter with the local inhabitants turned into a violent clash. The expedition also faced storms, volcanic eruptions, and the loss of one ship. Despite these difficulties, Quiros remained dedicated to his duties and the search for new lands.

In 1598, Quiros returned to Lima, Peru, and immediately approached the vice-king with his idea of a new expedition to the South Sea. However, his plans were dismissed, and he had to fund his journey to Spain on his own. In Spain, Quiros sought support for his belief in the existence of a southern continent. He traveled to Rome to seek the Pope's endorsement and wrote letters to the Spanish king and various high-ranking officials, urging them to support his project.

In 1605, Quiros finally set sail on his own expedition to find the Southern Land of the Holy Spirit. The expedition encountered several islands, including the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu), which Quiros named "Australia del Espiritu Santo." After spending 35 days exploring the islands, the crew suffered from tropical fevers and poisoning. Quiros decided to return to the Spanish colonies, but his second-in-command, Luis de Torres, abandoned him and sailed away with one of the ships.

Quiros returned to Madrid in 1607, penniless and determined to convince the Spanish authorities to support another expedition to the Southern Land. He wrote numerous letters and petitioned various institutions, but his efforts were in vain. The Spanish council believed that further exploration would drain resources and put the empire at risk.

In 1614, Quiros traveled to Panama with a new vice-king in the hopes of gaining support. Unfortunately, he died there, and his dream of discovering the Southern Land remained unfulfilled. Despite never achieving his goal, Quiros's unwavering faith and persistence in the face of adversity left a lasting impact on the history of exploration.