Pedro Fernandes de Quir

Pedro Fernández de Keyros (Spanish: Pedro Fernández de Quirós) (1563–1614) was a Portuguese navigator in the service of Spain, best known for his participation in Spanish discovery trips to the Pacific Ocean, in particular from 1595–1596. Traveling by Alvaro de Mendanya and Neira, and for leading the expedition of 1605-1606, which crossed the Pacific Ocean in search of Terra Australis. Keyros (or Quiros, as he signed) was born in Evora, Portugal, in 1563. Since the Portuguese and Spanish monarchies were united under the king of Spain in 1580 (after the vacant Portuguese throne, which lasted sixty years, until 1640, when the Portuguese monarchy was restored), Keyros entered the Spanish ministry in his youth and became an experienced sailor and navigator. In April 1595, he joined Alvaro de Mendanya y Neira on his journey through the colonization of the Solomon Islands, acting as the main pilot. After the death of Mendanya in October 1595, he is credited with taking command and rescuing the only remaining expedition ship that arrived in the Philippines in February 1596. Isabelle Barreto, the young wife of Mendanya, is often considered the reason for the low morale of the flight and the possible failure of the mission. She lived a luxurious life in a large cabin, while the crew ate a meager rotting diet. The story is told in The Isles of Wisdom, a historical novel by Robert Graves.