Talk:Juan Fernández (explorer)

Some clarifications
This article states "It was reviewed in the 19th century by the Chilean biographer José Toribio Medina who is one of the main sources for the claim in South American literature". It should be made clear that Medina did not necessarily believe the claim that Juan Fernández discovered New Zealand. This is what he said (El piloto Juan Fernándezp. 169): 'nos parece ... se descubrieron algunas islas, entra ellas la Nueva Zelandia, o más probablemente, a nuestra ententer, las islas de Tahiti' ('it appears to us ... he discovered some islands, among others those of New Zealand, or more probably, by our understanding, the islands of Tahiti'). The real reason for the claim is that Medina's book included as appendices hitherto unpublished Spanish archives which made the claim, and which the proponents of the claim use as sources.

Further, the primary Spanish document (transcribed by Medina) which makes the claim is a memorandum from a Dr. Arias to the King of Spain in 1621 requesting funds to convert the natives of the lands of Terra Australis; most of this document is taken up with the theoretical reasons why such a continent must exist (quoting the Bible to establish the necessity for a centre of gravity), and very little on the supposed discoveries of Juan Fernández which he considered verified his theories. MisterCDE (talk) 02:21, 21 September 2018 (UTC)

I worked that info in. Endlesspumpkin (talk) 13:08, 27 May 2021 (UTC)