Old Spanish Coins

Traces of Wrecks in Western Pacific Islands Hundreds of Years Ago

By Mollie Lett

RECENTLY a much worn “piece of eight” (8 reales), bearing the in scription Philippi II (circa 1560). came into my possession, with the royal coat of arms, and “Ispania” still plainly visible. Though it was not found in Papua, there must be many such coins hidden away in odd parts of the territory; relics of the old buccaneering days when Spanish frigates sailed these shores on their voyages of discovery through the Pacific. From Mexico and Peru they came, and through the Magellan Strait, making their way to the Spice Islands and the Philippines.

Indeed, it is only within the last two years that several Spanish coins came to light in both New Guinea and Papua.

Some were discovered on the Morobe gold fields, by a miner; and others on the is land of Misima, among the money pre sented by natives when paying their tax.

The islands of Torres Strait are rich in sunken treasure —coins, goblets ana ancient armoury. Northern Australia has many fascinating theories to account for the mysterious wrecks that lie deeply en crusted with coral along the Great Barrier Reef. It is generally believed that they are the remains of Portuguese and Spanish vessels which came to grief among the reefs and shoals that still make naviga tion difficult.

Forty years ago, the late Frank Jardine, a well-known Northern fisherman, found a small fortune in ancient Spanish gold dollars, beneath an anchor of one of these wrecks; and a pearler about the same time, while exploring Prince George is land, discovered a large cave, hidden by the undergrowth, in which he came across a huge rusted sword of ancient Spanish design, near a skeleton. It was on this is land that a native once offered to sell a golden goblet, which he had found on the beach.

In the sixteenth century, several famous Spaniards landed on the shores of New Guinea. Alvaro de Saavedra, a relation of the great Cortez, disembarked twice on the northern coast, during his attempts

to reach Mexico from the Moluccas in 1528-29; and, finding traces of gold, he bestowed the name of Isla del Oro on the

strange land. He was followed by others, Gryalva, and De Retez, and, later, Louis Vaez de Torres, who in 1606 sailed through the south-eastern archipelago and along the eastern and southern shores, on his way through the Strait, which now bears his name. So taken was he with the beauty of the coastlands that he gave New Guinea the name of the Land of Buenaventura.

“All this land of New Guinea” wrote Torres in his long-forgotten letter to the King of Spain (a copy of which was found in the Archives at Manila after the cap ture of that city by the British, in 1762),

“is peopled with Indians not very white, much painted and naked, except for a cloth made of the bark of trees. They fight with darts, targets and some stone clubs, which are made fine with plumage. Along the coast are many islands and habita tions . . . many parts very large with very large rivers and many plains ... In these parts I took possession for your Majesty ... We went along 300 leagues of the coast and caught in all this land 20 per sons of different nations that with them we might be able to give a better account to Your Majesty. They give much notice of

other people, although as yet they do not make themselves well understood ...”

It seems, after sailing through the is lands which now bear his name, the Louisiades, Torres entered a bay to the east, which he called St. Francis; and, later, on August 10, 1606, he discovered the great bay of San Lorenzo and Port Mon terey (Orangerie Bay) which lay some 60 miles to the west.

“It is very beautiful and pleasant’’ wrote Diego de Praeao, an officer on board, “with a very nne and clear bottom, for there is safe anchorage in all parts of it.

The land to the north consists of well cultivated plains, with abundance of water, and groves of coconut trees ... It is 10 de grees 10 minutes South, and it is the best land and the most fertile that has yet been discovered.”

Torres sailed from Callao, Peru, in De cember, 1605, as Almirante, under the command of Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, whose expedition in search of the great southern continent, Australis Terra, consisted of three vessels—the “Capitana”, the “Almirante”, and “Labia” (a launch), which were manned by 300 sailors and soldiers, and among whom were 6 Friars of St. Francis.

Early in 1606, they discovered the New Hebrides group, which de Quiros under the impression that he had at last found the southern continent, named La Australia del Espiritu Santo; and here he estab lished a settlement so fantastic that from the first it was doomed to failure. Sickness and discontent drove the men to mutiny, and de Quiros was forced to return to Mexico.

Torres, thus abandoned, set his course for the Philippines, and it was while mak ing for Manila that he discovered the Louisiade archipelago and the eastern and southern coast of New Guinea.

“We had at this time nothing but bread and water”* wrote Torres. “It was the height of winter, with sea-wind and ill-will (of his crew) against us. All this did not prevent me from reaching the mentioned latitude ... I could not weather the East point, so I coasted along to the westward on the south side.”

There are legends among the natives of Aroma, on the southern coast —tales told by the old men—of a strange and myster ious craft that put in, in the dim and dis tant past, for foodstuffs and water. It is not improbable that the vessel was the “Almirante”, and that, in purchasing food, the sailors offered coins in exchange; and these, after passing from tribe to tribe, eventually reached the interior; where they were unearthed not long ago.

Torres Strait became known to navi gators on Torres reaching the Philippines.

There are many strange relics along Papua’s southern and western shores that mark their course. In the great Fly River estuary, mysterious and untraceable wreckage still floats ashore in the chan nels that separate the islands from the mainland. There are strong currents that sweep through the Papuan Gulf, and the sea breaks heavily across the 40 mile span, and the passages through the countless sandbanks are difficult to follow. Spanish frigates making for the Spice Islands or Peru, via Torres Strait must have foun dered in the rollers that hurl themselves on the banks that stretch far out to sea.

If only the history of those lost adven turers could be made known; and if only this battered old coin of mine could speak; what tales it could tell of the glory that was Spain! It might even have much to say of New Guinea that would astonish us, for it passed through many hands on its passage through the far-flung posses sions of the monarchy, over 300 years ago.