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Show Fates Proved Unkind to Spanish Explorer Capt. Pedro De Qulros long had been Intrigued by tnles of a vast continent con-tinent In the southwest PaclQc ocean and finally coaxed Phillip III. of Spain, to let lilm go In search of It. On July 27, 1G03. ot Callao, Peru, lie Irevr a flourish under Ids signature, commissioning the captains of his two ships, and was rendy to sail on "the discovery of the unknown austral regions re-gions of tills South 6ea by the order of the king." One of the cnptnlns presented himself, him-self, respectfully asking De (Julros to lay down a course for them to follow. ! "Let her go as she Is," returned De Qulros grimly, "God will take us somewhere some-where 1" In the following year they sighted one of the Islands of tho New Hebrides He-brides group and De. Qulros, under the Impression that It was his long 1 sought land, named It La Australia de Esplrltu Snnto. Followed sickness sick-ness nnd discontent, the crew mu- tlnled and forced a return to Mexico. But not before De Qulros had caught 11 glimpse of a long, mysterious const line, that to this day some believe was the Australia of his dreams. An-i An-i other expedition was organized by I him In Spain but on reaching Pana- ma he died of n feer nnd there he I lies, burled In an unknown grave. j Detroit News. |