Home > Luis Váez de Torres

Nothing is known of Torres's early life, but at some point he entered Spanish service and went to South America. In 1605 he sailed from Callao in Spanish Peru as second-in-command to Pedro Fernández de Quirós on their voyage of discovery to the south-west Pacific, with Torres in command of the "San Pedro." In May 1606 they reached the islands which Quirós named Austrialia de Espiritu Santo (now Vanuatu).

While sailing around the islands Quirós's ship was swept out to sea, eventually returning to Mexico. After unsuccessfully searching for Quirós, and assuming him lost at sea, Torres resumed the intended voyage to Manila via the Moluccas.

In June 1607 Torres set sail. Contrary winds prevented him taking the more direct route along the north coast of New Guinea, so he went via the south coast instead, through the 150km strait which now bears his name. For many years it was assumed that Torres took a route along the New Guinea coast, but in 1980 the Queensland historian and seaman Brett Hilder demonstrated that it was much more likely that Torres took a southerly route, from which he would certainly have seen Cape York, the northernmost extremity of Australia.

Torres apparently spent the rest of his life in Manila. He left a written account of his journey which the Scottish geographer Alexander Dalrymple saw in 1769, and it was he who named the strait after Torres. James CookJames Cook ( October 27, 1728 February 14, 1779) was a British explorer and navigator. He made three voyages to the Pacific Ocean, in which its main shorelines were discovered. Cook was also a map maker. Introduction Cook was born in Marton in Cleveland, knew of the strait and sailed through it after his discovery of the east coast of Australia in 1770Events March 5 Boston Massacre: 5 Americans killed by British troops in an event that would help start the American Revolutionary War 5 years later. May 14 Marie Antoinette arrives to French Court. May 16 14-year old Marie Antoinette marries 15-year old L.

Some of this information comes from the Discoverers Web website.