Pedro Fernandes de Queirós

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john sefton
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Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:59 pm

Pedro Fernandes de Queirós

Post by john sefton » Mon Mar 14, 2011 6:09 pm

Pedro Fernandes de Queirós also known as Pedro Fernández de Quirós, (1565–1614) was a Portuguese navigator best known for his involvement with Spanish voyages of discovery in the Pacific Ocean, in particular the 1595-1596 voyage of Alvaro de Mendaña de Neira, and for leading a 1605-1606 expedition which crossed the Pacific in search of Terra Australis.
Quirós was born in Évora, Portugal in 1565. As a young man he entered Spanish service and became an experienced seaman and navigator. In April 1595 he joined Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira on his voyage to colonise the Solomon Islands, serving as pilot. After Mendaña’s death in October 1595 he is credited with taking command and saving the only remaining ship of the expedition, arriving in the Philippines in February 1596.
In 1598 Quirós returned to Spain and petitioned King Philip III to support another voyage into the Pacific. A devout Catholic, Quirós also visited Rome in 1600, where he obtained the support of the Pope, Clement VIII, for further explorations. He greatly impressed the Spanish Ambassador in Rome, the Duke of Sesa, who described him as a “man of good judgement, experienced in his profession, hard working, quiet and disinterested.” While in Rome Quirós also first wrote his Treatise on Navigation as a letter to the king, further reinforcing his reputation as a navigator. In March 1603 Quirós was finally authorized to return to Peru to establish another expedition, with the intention of finding Terra Australis, the mythical "great south land," and claiming it for Spain and the Church. Quirós's party of 160 men on three ships, San Pedro y San Pablo (150 tons), San Pedro (120 tons) and the tender (or launch) Los Tres Reyes left Callao on 21 December 1605.
In January 1606 the expedition discovered Henderson Island and Ducie Island. In May 1606 the expedition reached the islands later called the New Hebrides and now the independent nation of Vanuatu. Quirós landed on a large island which he took to be part of the southern continent, and named it La Austrialia del Espiritu Santo (The Austrian Land of the Holy Spirit), for King Philip III, who was of Austrian descent. The island is still called Espiritu Santo. Here he stated his intention to establish a colony, to be called Nova Jerusalem.
Quirós's religious fervour found expression with the founding of a new Order of Chivalry, the Knights of the Holy Ghost. The Order’s purpose was to protect the new colony. However, within weeks the idea of a colony was abandoned due to the hostility of the Ni-Vanuatu and to disagreements among the crew.
After six weeks Quirós’ ships put to sea to explore the coastline. On the night of June 11, 1606 Quirós in the San Pedro y San Pablo became separated from the other ships in bad weather and was unable (or so he later said) to return to safe anchorage at Espiritu Santo. He then sailed to Acapulco in Mexico, where he arrived in November 1606. In the account of Diego de Prado y Tovar, which is highly critical of Quirós, mutiny and poor leadership is given as the reason for Quirós’ disappearance.
Two weeks later, his second-in-command, Luis Váez de Torres, after searching in vain for Quirós and assuming his ship was wrecked, left Espiritu Santo. Torres successfully reached Manila, the center of the Spanish East Indies in May 1607, charting the southern coastline of New Guinea on the way and in doing so sailing through the strait that now bears his name.
Quirós returned to Madrid in 1607. Regarded as a crank, he spent the next seven years writing numerous accounts of his voyage and begging King Philip III for money for a new voyage. He was finally despatched to Peru with letters of support, but the king had no real intention of funding another expedition. Quirós died on the way, in Panama, in 1614. He had married Dona Ana Chacon of Madrid in 1589, who bore him one son and one daughter.
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Arturo
Posts: 723
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 8:11 pm

Re: Pedro Fernandes de Queirós

Post by Arturo » Sat Mar 29, 2014 9:15 pm

One of three ships of Pedro Fernandes de Queiros was San Pedro y San Pablo (150 tons).

One more “San Pedro y San Pablo” ship stamp.

To see more San Pedro y San Pablo ship stamps ,see topic; San Pedro y San Pablo.

Vanuatu, 1999, S.G.?, Scott; 733.
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Anatol
Posts: 1037
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2009 2:13 pm

Re: Pedro Fernandes de Queirós

Post by Anatol » Thu Apr 09, 2015 8:38 pm

Pedro Fernandes de Quiros.
Norfolk 1994;70c;SG570. French Polynesia 1995;195f;SG731. Micronesia 19…;1c,19c;SG? Pitcairn Islands 1967;1d;SG65. Marshall Islands 1992;32c;SG677. New Hebrides 1956;5c,10c;SG80;81.
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Anatol
Posts: 1037
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2009 2:13 pm

Re: Pedro Fernandes de Queirós

Post by Anatol » Wed Nov 29, 2017 6:47 pm

Portugal 1984;75,0;SG?
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