Mendana’s Voyages in the
p. 73 · Read in the full issue
Spanish Search For
San Cris Toval
Mendana’s Voyages in the Solomon Islands
Letter to the Editor WITH reference to the article in April number, “Adventurous Scotsman’s death —How San Cristoval, 5.1., was named,” San Cristoval or Makira is one of the large islands in the Solomon Group and in 1898 far from being uninhabited, probably contained 10,000 natives who would have welcomed shipwrecked mar iners!
The island was discovered by Mendana in 1566. Readers of Gallego’s Journal will remember that the Spanish ships an chored in Estrella (Star) Bay on Ysabel.
A launch or brigantine was built, and this small vessel visited Ngela and Guadal canal. The ships were then brought to Point Cruz on Guadalcanal and after wards coasted along the Islands of Mal aita and San Cristoval. A council was held on board the Admiral’s ship off San Cristoval, and the expedition made its way back from that point to California.
On Mendana’s second expedition in quest of the Solomons, the natives of Santa Cruz told him of a large mass of land called Pauro to the north-westward.
This was the native name Bauro for San Cristoval. The Spaniards had hard luck in failing, by so little, in their search.
This made a very great difference to the settlement of Australia —if they had known that Pauro and San Cristoval were one, the P.I.M. might to-day be printed in sonorous Spanish.
I am, etc..
J. M. Clift.
Toowoomba.
Queensland, May 8, 1936.