Terra Australis Incognita

In October 1606, the great Spanish navigator Luis Vaes de Torres took two vessels through the waters that divide the land masses of New Guinea and Australia. In a journey of great adventure, courage and hardship, he was the first European to sail through today's Torres Strait and very possibly the first European to sight the east coast of Australia. Terra Australis Incognita focuses new light on the Spanish voyages of discovery that sailed from South America into the unknown south western Pacific in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Crossing the planet's largest ocean in small wooden ships with rudimentary navigation, these Spanish conquistadors were in search of the legendary Great South Land first imagined by the ancient Greeks. This is a story of passionate beliefs, of high hopes and catastrophic failures, of attempted colonies that ended in death and disaster, of violent confrontations and tentative friendship with indigenous people, of a fierce clash of cultures, and relentless ambition in search of the gold of King Solomon's Ophir. It is also the story of the visionary adventurer Quiros who planned a New Jerusalem in today's Vanuatu, the ruthless woman governor Dona Isabel, the Solomon Islander chief Bilebanarra who was a friend of the Spaniards and, of course, the great leader of men Luis Vaes de Torres. Terra Australis Incognita is a thoroughly researched, lucidly written and unique narrative on the little known history of the great Spanish explorations of the Pacific Ocean.

Terra Australis - the southern land - was one of the most widespread concepts in European geography from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, although the notion of a land mass in the southern seas had been prevalent since classical antiquity. Despite this fact, there has been relatively little sustained scholarly work on European concepts of Terra Australis or the intellectual background to European voyages of discovery and exploration to Australia in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Through interdisciplinary scholarly contributions, ranging across history, the visual arts, literature and popular culture, this volume considers the continuities and discontinuities between the imagined space of Terra Australis and its subsequent manifestation. It will shed new light on familiar texts, people and events - such as the Dutch and French explorations of Australia, the Batavia shipwreck and the Baudin expedition - by setting them in unexpected contexts and alongside unfamiliar texts and people. The book will be of interest to, among others, intellectual and cultural historians, literary scholars, historians of cartography, the visual arts, women's and post-colonial studies.

The cover image, World Map by Fra Mauro c. 1450, is one of the most important and famous maps of all time. This monumental map of the world was created by the monk Fra Mauro in his monastery on the island of San Michele in the Venetian lagoon. Now the centrepiece of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana in St Marc’s Square in Venice, the map in its nearly 600-year history has never left Venice – until now. Renowned for its sheer size - over 2.3 metres square - and stunning colours, the map was made at a time of transition between the medieval world view and new knowledge uncovered by the great voyages of discovery. Brilliantly painted and illuminated on sheets of oxhide, the sphere of the Earth is surrounded by the sphere of the Ocean in the ancient way. Yet Fra Mauro included the latest information on exploration by Portuguese and Arab navigators. Commissioned by King Afonso V of Portugal, it is the last of the great medieval world maps to inspire navigators in the Age of Discovery to explore beyond the Indian Ocean.

"Terra Australis Incognita" by Pedro Fernandes de Queirós takes readers on an extraordinary journey into the mysterious Southern Hemisphere during the Age of Exploration. Inspired by the spirit of discovery, Queirós embarks on a quest to find the elusive southern continent, believed to be a land of immense riches and wonders. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of the 16th century, weaving together elements of historical exploration, maritime adventure, and the relentless pursuit of the unknown. Queirós, a Portuguese navigator, captures the imagination with vivid descriptions of uncharted territories, encounters with indigenous peoples, and the challenges faced by his expedition. The narrative explores not only the physical landscapes but also the depths of human curiosity and the insatiable desire to unveil the secrets of the world. As readers traverse unexplored seas and navigate through the uncertainties of discovery, they are immersed in a tale that resonates with the daring spirit of exploration and the quest for Terra Australis Incognita, the mythical southern land. This captivating book invites readers to join Queirós on his seafaring odyssey, filled with intrigue, ambition, and the allure of the unknown. "Terra Australis Incognita" is a compelling blend of historical chronicle and maritime adventure, offering a glimpse into the age when the boundaries of the known world were pushed to reveal new realms of possibility. Embark on a literary voyage that transcends time and borders, exploring the uncharted territories of history and the human spirit.