Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira

Lore & Background

Mendaña was born in Congosto, in El Bierzo Region (León), and was the nephew of Lope García de Castro, viceroy of Peru. In 1567, command of an expedition to find land in the Pacific was given to him over the more experienced Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, causing deep divisions. Mendaña's priority was conversion of 'the heathen' to Christianity, while Sarmiento sought riches. The two ships sailed from Callao on 20 November 1567, sighting Santa Isabel Island on 7 February 1568, discovering the Solomon Islands. The Spanish encountered cannibalism among the islanders, and after building a small brigantine, explored Malaita, Guadalcanal, Makira, and Choiseul. A council decided to return to Peru on 7 August 1568, and the ships reached the Mexican coast in late January 1569 after a difficult voyage with scurvy deaths.

Reader's Guide

Mendaña's first expedition resulted in the European discovery of the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu, and provided valuable sailing experience for Spain in crossing the South Pacific. These discoveries inspired successive searches for Terra Australis, both by Mendaña himself and by Pedro Fernandes de Queirós. However, the islands revealed few indications of gold, no spices, and the people were not converted to Christianity, though one abducted family became devout Christians in Peru. His second voyage in 1595, with four ships and 378 people, aimed to establish a colony in the Solomons. It reached the Marquesas Islands on 21 July, where conflict led to an estimated 200 Marquesans killed. The expedition settled on Nendo (Santa Cruz), but internal divisions, sickness, and violence led to Mendaña's death on 18 October 1595. The colony was abandoned, and only about 100 of the original 378 survived. Mendaña's legacy is tied to early Pacific exploration and the search for a great southern continent.

Did You Know?

• Mendaña's first expedition discovered the Solomon Islands, which were named Islas Salomon on the return.
• During the first voyage, islanders offered Mendaña 'a quarter of a boy with the arm and hand' to eat.
• Mendaña died on 18 October 1595 on Santa Cruz, leaving his wife Isabel Barreto as heir and governor.
• The Island of St Francis seen on the return voyage was probably Wake Island.