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48-397: Aese Island is located off the east coast of Espiritu Santo Island. The island has an area of 8.1 square kilometres (3.1 square miles), or 1690 acres (684 hectares) spanning 5.9 kilometres (3.7 miles) from the north to the south and 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) from the east to the west. Aese is very flat; the highest point of the island is 38 metres (125 feet) above sea level . The Perimeter of

96-483: A city, Nova Jerusalem, and appointed municipal officers. In early June, with provisions running low, they left the bay to explore the neighbouring coastline. Queirós' lead ship became separated, and, whether through adverse weather or mutiny, was unable to make anchor in the bay. The almirante (second-in-command, and captain of the second ship), Luis Váez de Torres , searched the coast for signs of shipwreck but found none. He remained until late June, then sailed to

144-431: A large part in their lives, regardless of their religion. The chief system continues strongly in most areas. The people of Santo face some health problems, especially malaria and tuberculosis . Although there is a hospital, most local people consult either their own witch doctor or medical clinics set up by western missionaries. Kava is the popular drug of the island, although alcohol is becoming more prevalent. With

192-475: A report of his voyage to Queirós. Although that account no longer survives, Queirós himself referred to it in some of his many memorials to the king, agitating for another voyage. The official account was written by Diego de Prado and signed by Torres and other officials in Manila on 6 June 1608. Torres, his crew and his captives disappear entirely from the historical record at this point, and their subsequent fate

240-709: A sketch map which included the Queirós - Torres voyages to Joseph Banks , who undoubtedly passed this information to James Cook . The original official manuscript account reappeared in the collections of Sir Thomas Phillips during the 19th century. At the sale of some of Phillipps' manuscripts by Sotheby's, London, on 26 June 1919 it was purchased by booksellers Henry Stevens, Son and Stiles who sold it to English collector Sir Leicester Harmsworth . The State Library of New South Wales in Australia acquired it from Harmsworth's collection in 1932. It went on public display for

288-464: A subgroup of the North Vanuatu languages . Espiritu Santo, with many wrecks and reefs to be explored, is a very popular tourist destination for divers. Champagne Beach draws tourists with its white sand and clear waters. The "Western Side" of the island contains many caves which can be explored, and cruise ships often stop in at Luganville . The local people make their living by supporting

336-467: Is about five km east of the center of Luganville . Numerous rivers run to the coastline from the mountains of the island. The Sarakata River is the largest one, and it runs through Luganville . Many people on Espiritu Santo still rely on subsistence farming for their food. The villages on the island are mostly self-sufficient with their own vegetable gardens, chickens, and pigs. Taros and yams are commonly grown in these gardens, and these are mainstays of

384-653: Is home to all of Vanuatu's endemic birds , including the Santo mountain starling , a species restricted entirely to Espiritu Santo. Two protected areas have been established to safeguard the island's biodiversity; the Loru Conservation Area on the east coast and the Vatthe Conservation area near Big Bay in the north. The Loru Rainforest Protected Area is situated in the lowland rainforests of Espiritu Santo. Established in 1993 by Chief Caleb Ser,

432-503: Is the 1,879 metre (6,165 foot) Mount Tabwemasana in west-central Espiritu Santo. A Spanish expedition of three ships, led by Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernandes de Queirós , landed in 1606 at Big Bay on the north side of the island. Queirós named the land La Austrialia [ sic ] del Espíritu Santo in acknowledgment of the Spanish king's descent from the royal House of Austria , and believing he had arrived in

480-601: Is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu , with an area of 3,955.5 km (1,527.2 sq mi) and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census. The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia . It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu. The town of Luganville , on Espiritu Santo's southeast coast, is Vanuatu's second-largest settlement and

528-482: Is unknown. Prado returned to Spain , possibly taking one of the captive New Guineans with him. Most documents of Torres's discoveries were not published, but on reaching Spain , filed away in Spanish archives, including Prado’s lengthy account and the accompanying charts. Between 1762 and 1765, written accounts of the Torres expedition were seen by British Admiralty Hydrographer Alexander Dalrymple . Dalrymple provided

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576-568: The Halmahera Sea . At the beginning of January 1607 he reached Ternate , part of the Spice Islands . He sailed on 1 May for Manila arriving on 22 May. The expedition proved that New Guinea was not part of the sought-after continent. Torres intended to personally present the captives, weapons and a detailed account to the king on his return to Spain. His short written account of the voyage indicates this. However, it appears there

624-523: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , the island was used by American naval and air forces as a large military supply and support base, naval harbor, and airfield. Luganville Airfield , also called Bomber Field #3, was a large airfield built by the Seabees of the 40th Naval Construction Battalion in 1943. Also built on the island was Bomber Field No.2 which became Santo-Pekoa International Airport after

672-689: The San Pedrico . In May 1606, they reached a group of islands that would later be known as the New Hebrides and Vanuatu . Queirós named the group La Austrialia del Espiritu Santo : "Austrialia [ sic ] of the Holy Spirit". A morphological derivation of Austria , Queirós's neologism Austrialia was a reference to the Austrian origins of the House of Habsburg – to which

720-480: 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. In reality, the crew mutinied, with the unfavorable wind conditions just giving them an opportunity to do so. The captain on the San Pedro y San Pablo named Don Diego de Prado, aware of the crew's plans, had already transferred to Torres's ship, and so did

768-732: The Seventh-day Adventist Church , and others. However, in many villages, particularly in Big Bay and South Santo, the people are " heathen ", a term that in Vanuatu has no pejorative connotation — it simply denotes someone who has not embraced Christianity. Customary beliefs of a more modern sort are found among followers of the Nagriamel movement based in Fanafo . For almost all of Espiritu Santo's people, custom plays

816-574: The Spanish spelling (born c. 1565; fl. 1607), was a 16th- and 17th-century maritime explorer of a Spanish expedition noted for the first recorded European navigation of the strait that separates the Australian mainland from the island of New Guinea , and which now bears his name ( Torres Strait ). Captain Luis Váez de Torres was recorded as being called a " Breton " by crewmen in reports of

864-409: The Spanish royal family belonged. The largest island in Vanuatu is still known officially by the abbreviated form, Espiritu Santo . Along with the ancient Latin name Terra Australis , Queirós's word Austrialia has often been regarded as one of the bases of the name of Australia . After six weeks, Queirós’ ships put to sea again to explore the coastline. On the night of 11 June 1606 Queirós in

912-447: The 1606 –1608 voyage, which points to an origin in the northwest historical territory of Spain, i. e., Galicia . Most contemporary historians accept this as evidence of his origins. The year and exact place of his birth are unknown; assuming him to have been in his late thirties or forties in 1606, a birth year of around 1565 is considered likely. Torres has been presented by some writers as Portuguese, without any evidence to back up

960-409: The 220 hectares (540 acres) reserve supports a rich variety of Vanuatu's bird, bat, and plant life, as well as a diverse range of marine species in the two-kilometre stretch of fringing reef. The tree Metrosideros tabwemasanaensis is endemic to high mountain forests on Mount Tabwemasana. Luis Vaez de Torres Luís Vaz de Torres ( Galician and Portuguese ), or Luis Váez de Torres in

1008-545: The Americans contributed later to the island's tourism in scuba diving , as the Americans dumped most of their used military and naval equipment, and their refuse, at what is now known as "Million Dollar Point". In highly fictionalized form, this was the locale of James Michener 's Tales of the South Pacific , and of the following Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, South Pacific . Between May and August 1980

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1056-642: The Espiritu Santo was not visited again by Europeans until 160 years later, by Louis de Bougainville in 1768 and James Cook in 1774. During the time of the British–French Condominium , Hog Harbour , on the northeast coast, was the site of the British district administration, while Segond, near Luganville, was the French district administration. During World War II , particularly after

1104-621: The Great Southern Continent, Terra Australis . They entered the bay on the 1st and 2 May: the latter being the day of Saints Philip and James, Queirós named it Bahía de San Felipe y Santiago . The local chief tried to chase the Spanish explorers back to their ships, which led to an exchange of arrows and musket-fire, in which the chief was killed. The ships remained for a month at their anchorage " Puerto de la Vera Cruz ", with armed sailors making incursions inland for provisions. Queirós announced his intention to found

1152-568: The Island is 18km. Highly dense trees cover the island. Beaches are 5 metres wide. Hundreds of coconut trees from bygone days provide the archetypal tropical backdrop. The west side of the island faces into the sheltered waters of the bay and there are hundreds of metres of sandy beaches and shallow coral. The East side of the island has ocean views and a coral reef. Fish are common in the region and there are seasonal rotation of mahi-mahi , yellowfin tuna , dogtooth tuna , wahoo and marlin . In

1200-527: The claim. Galician spelling at the time was indistinguishable from Portuguese. Records never call Torres Portuguese but note remarks made by crew members of the Portuguese origins of Pedro Fernandes de Queirós . Torres entered the navy of the Spanish Crown at some point and found his way to its South American viceroyalties. He first entered the historical record as the nominated commander of

1248-521: The expedition's surgeon. Queirós' ship, with Queirós being held in his cabin, then sailed to Acapulco in Mexico , where she arrived in November 1606. In the account by Prado, which is highly critical of Queirós, mutiny and poor leadership are given as the reason for Queirós’ disappearance. Torres, in his account, says that whoever was in charge of San Pedro y San Pablo departed intentionally, saying "it

1296-677: The feast of Saint Lawrence or San Lorenzo. The expedition then sailed to the Gulf of Papua , exploring and charting the coastline. Prado drew a number of sketch charts of anchorages in the Gulf of Papua , several of which survive. Torres then took a route close to the New Guinea coast to navigate the 150-kilometre (93 mi) strait that now bears his name . In 1980 the Queensland master mariner Captain Brett Hilder proposed that it

1344-679: The first time in August 1997. There are a number of surviving documents that describe the Queirós – Torres voyages. Most significant are: 1617 may be the date of the first English translation of one of Queirós’ memorials, as Terra Australis Incognita , or A New Southerne Discoverie . A short account of Queirós’ voyage and discoveries was published in English by Samuel Purchas in 1625 in Haklvytvs posthumus , or, Pvrchas his Pilgrimes , vol. iv, p. 1422-1432. This account also appears to be based on

1392-510: The island was the site of a rebellion during the transfer of power over the colonial New Hebrides from the condominium to the independent Vanuatu. Jimmy Stevens ' Nagriamel movement, in alliance with private French interests and backed by the Phoenix Foundation and American libertarians hoping to establish a tax-free haven, declared the island of Espiritu Santo to be independent of the new government. The " Republic of Vemerana "

1440-463: The land for Spain in July 1606. This brought the Spanish in close and sometimes violent contact with local indigenous people. Prado and Torres both record the capture of twenty people, including a woman who gave birth several weeks later. From these islands, Torres sailed along the southern coast of New Guinea reaching Orangerie Bay, which he named Bahía de San Lorenzo because he landed on 10 August,

1488-535: The local diet. Espiritu Santo is home to a number of cattle farms (including the famous Belmol Cattle Project, originally established by French settlers), and the island exports much of its beef to Japan, Australia, and other Pacific countries. Besides beef, tinned fish, and rice bought in town, Espiritu Santo has many foods that locals take for granted, and that tourists enjoy as delicacies. Among these are sweet pineapples, mangoes, island cabbage, flying foxes, and coconut crab , as well as local nuts such as natapoa and

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1536-403: The past, the island was densely populated, and about 700 people lived there in 1906. This Vanuatu location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Espiritu Santo Espiritu Santo ( UK : / ɛ ˌ s p ɪ r ɪ t uː ˈ s æ n t oʊ / , US : /- ˈ s ɑː n t uː , - ˈ s ɑː n t oʊ / ; French: [ɛspiʁity sɑ̃to] )

1584-413: The provincial capital. Roads run north and west from Luganville, but most of the island is far from the limited road network. Around Espiritu Santo lie a number of small islands and islets; among them are: Dany Island , Araki , Elephant Island , Sakao , Lataroa , Lataro , Thion , Malohu, Malwepe , Malvapevu , Malparavu , Maltinerava , Oyster Island, Tangoa , and Bokissa . Vanuatu's highest peak

1632-517: The rising number of adults using alcohol, there is a rising crime rate, especially involving violence toward women, and tribal warfare. In September 1998, Espiritu Santo hosted the Melanesia Cup soccer tournament. Luganville is the only true town on the island; the rest of the island is dotted with small villages. From Luganville , three "main roads" emerge. Main Street leaves the town to

1680-634: The second ship in an expedition to the Pacific proposed by the Portuguese born navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, searching for Terra Australis . There is no known contemporary depiction of his face or person. Pedro Fernandes de Queirós was a Portuguese-born navigator who commanded a party of three Spanish ships, San Pedro y San Pablo (60 tons), San Pedrico (40 tons) and the tender Los Tres Reyes Magos . The three ships left Callao in Spanish Peru , on 21 December 1605, with Torres in command of

1728-456: The ships became separated and who would be in command in the event of the loss of Queirós. The orders appear to have listed Prado as successor to Queirós, as he was capitán-entretenido (spare captain) on the voyage. However, there is overwhelming evidence Torres remained in command, including Prado’s own account. On 26 June 1606 the San Pedrico and Los Tres Reyes Magos under Torres’ command set sail for Manila . Contrary winds prevented

1776-599: The ships taking the more direct route along the north coast of New Guinea . Prado’s account notes that they sighted land on 14 July 1606, which was probably the island of Tagula in the Louisiade Archipelago , south east of New Guinea . The voyage continued over the next two months along the southeastern coast, and a number of landfalls were made to replenish the ships’ food and water. The expedition discovered Milne Bay including Basilaki Island which they named Tierra de San Buenaventura , taking possession of

1824-467: The soon-to-be government had hoped. The troops were recalled shortly before independence. Following independence on 31 July 1980, Vanuatu, now governed by the Vanuaku Party with Father Walter Lini as Prime Minister, requested assistance from Papua New Guinea , whose army suppressed the rebellion, keeping Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu. Over 30 different local languages are spoken on Espiritu Santo ,

1872-559: The sweet fleshy-fruit called naos in Bislama, or great hog plum in English (a type of Spondias dulcis ). There is a market in Luganville where local food such as yams, sweet potatoes, manioc, taro, cabbage, and other freshly grown island staples are sold. Some local handicrafts are also sold there. Several small supermarkets such as LCM, Unity Shell, and Au bon Marche sell groceries and many packaged goods. The island of Espiritu Santo

1920-675: The tourist trade, by cash-crop farming, mostly copra , but also some cocoa beans and kava , as well as peanuts , or by subsistence farming and fishing. Most of the people are Christians. The largest church groups on the island are the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu , the Roman Catholic Church , and the Church of Melanesia ( Anglican ). Also active are the Apostolic Church , the Church of Christ ,

1968-436: The war. Palikulo Bay Airfield , also called Bomber Field #1, became part of the main road after the war. Luganville Seaplane Base served the seaplane and Turtle Bay Airfield also called Fighter Field #1 served the fighter planes. The SS President Coolidge was a converted luxury liner that hit a sea mine during the war and was sunk. The shipwreck off Espiritu Santo later became a popular diving spot. The presence of

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2016-447: The west and winds along the south coast of the island for about 40 km ending at the village of Tasiriki on the southwest coast. Canal Road runs along the southern and eastern coasts of the island, north through Hog Harbor and Golden Beach, ending at Port Olry . Big Bay Highway splits off from Canal Road near Turtle Bay on the east coast, runs generally west to the mountains, and then it leads north to Big Bay. The international airport

2064-585: The west coast of the Cape York Peninsula 7 to 8 months prior, while Torres never claimed that he had sighted the southern continent. "Here there are very large islands, and more to the south" he wrote. Torres followed the coastline of New Guinea, and claimed possession of the island in the name of the King of Spain on 18 October 1606. On 27 October he reached the western extremity of New Guinea and then made his way north of Ceram and Misool toward

2112-423: The west coast with the intention of circumnavigating what he considered to be an island, not a continent. The wind and current were against this aim, so he left the island sailing west, eventually encountering the previously unexplored southern coast of New Guinea . Torres then discovered the strait that bears his name between northern Australia and southern New Guinea. After the departure of Queirós and Torres,

2160-427: Was more likely that Torres took a southerly route through the nearby channel now called Endeavour Strait , on 2–3 October 1606. From this position, he would certainly have seen Cape York , the northernmost extremity of Australia . According to 19th-century Australian writer George Collingridge , Torres "had discovered Australia without being aware of the fact". However, Willem Janszoon had made several landfalls on

2208-511: Was no interest in Manila in outfitting his voyage back to Spain , and he was told his ships and men were required locally for the King’s service. On 1 June 1607, two ships arrived in Manila from South America, one being Queirós former flagship San Pedro y San Pablo , now under another name, but with some of her former crewmen still aboard. Learning that Queirós had survived, Torres immediately wrote

2256-520: Was not possible for us to find them, for they did not sail on the proper course, nor with good intention". Later, although Torres's crew was displeased with Torres's decisions, a full-scale mutiny did not happen; Torres says his "condition was different to that of Captain Queirós." Torres remained at Espiritu Santo for 15 days before opening sealed orders he had been given by the Viceroy of Peru . These contained instructions on what course to follow if

2304-717: Was proclaimed on May 28. France recognized the independence on June 3. On June 5, the tribal chiefs of Santo named the French Ambassador Philippe Allonneau the "King of Vemerana", and Jimmy Stevens became the Prime Minister. Luganville was renamed Allonneaupolis. Next, negotiations with Port-Vila failed, and from July 27 to August 18, British Royal Marines and a unit of the French Garde Mobile were deployed to Vanuatu's capital island, but they did not enter Espiritu Santo as

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