Francisco de Cortés Hojea facts for kids
Francisco Cortés Ojea (also spelled Hojea or Ojeda) was a Spanish sailor and explorer in the 1500s. He was part of the first trips sent from Chile to explore the Strait of Magellan. We don't know exactly when or where he was born or died.
He was a mapmaker on an expedition led by Francisco de Ulloa in 1553. This trip was sent by the governor of Chile to map the southern coast and the Strait of Magellan. Later, in 1557, Cortés Ojea commanded a ship called the San Sebastián. He was under the orders of Captain Juan Ladrillero on another important expedition.
Why Explore the Strait?
On May 29, 1555, the princess-regent of Spain, Joanna of Castile, gave a special royal order. She told the governor of Chile to explore the lands beyond the Strait of Magellan. Spain hoped to find a region rich in valuable spices and resources there. They wanted to find treasures similar to what the Portuguese were getting from the East Indies.
Ulloa's Expedition
In 1552, Pedro de Valdivia, who was the governor of Chile, decided to send an exploration trip. He chose Francisco de Ulloa to lead two ships, each about 50 tons. Their goal was to explore Chile's southern coast, including the Strait of Magellan.
The ships got their supplies in the port of Valdivia in late October 1553. They sailed south along the west coast of Chiloé Island and the Chonos Archipelago. They continued west of the Patagonia channels. On January 5, 1554, they reached a bay. From there, they went further south, entering the Strait of Magellan and traveling about 90 miles into it.
However, it was getting late in the season, and they were running out of supplies. So, Ulloa decided to turn back north. A strong wind from the south helped them. They anchored back in Valdivia in mid-February. On this important trip, Cortés Ojea was the mapmaker for the small fleet.
Ladrillero's Expedition
In 1557, the new governor of Chile, Don García Hurtado de Mendoza, ordered another expedition. This one was led by Juan Ladrillero. It had two ships, each about 450 tons, and a crew of sixty men. Ladrillero commanded the San Luis. Cortés Ojea was in charge of the other ship, the San Sebastián.
They prepared their ships in Valdivia on November 17, 1557. After sailing for eight days, they arrived at a bay they named Nuestra Señora del Valle. This was likely near the entrance of the Fallos Channel. Here, they met the local people, the Kawésqar, for the first time. Ladrillero brought one of them aboard to act as an interpreter for the rest of the journey. They set sail again on December 6. On December 9, a strong storm hit, separating the two ships.
Cortés Ojea, on the San Sebastián, explored the channels and islands. These are now known as Madre de Dios Island, Mornington Island, and Queen Adelaide Archipelago. He was low on supplies because most of the food was on Ladrillero's ship. He reached the mouth of the Strait but didn't recognize it. On January 23, 1558, he and his crew decided to head back north. They had reached a latitude of 52.5° south, very close to the Strait's entrance, but didn't find it. On January 27, they turned north, sailing up the Pacific coast. They faced many dangers due to bad weather.
The San Sebastián was in very bad shape. Water was leaking everywhere, and its sails were useless. Finally, on February 15, a storm blew them into a safe bay. This was probably on an island west of Wellington Island.
Cortés Ojea's crew started building a smaller boat called a brigantine. They needed it to sail again. Some crew members took apart the San Sebastián to use its wood planks and nails. Others cut down trees to make new masts and replace damaged planks. Some fished to feed the crew. During their forced stay, the Spanish explorers were attacked by the Kawésqar. They had to use musket fire to defend themselves. After two months of hard work, the new boat was ready. But the weather wasn't right for sailing the open sea. They had to wait until July 25, 1558, to launch it.
They used both sails and oars to travel, stopping at night to rest. By the end of September, they had reached the north of the Chiloé archipelago. They were running low on food again. However, they met local people who were less warlike than those they had met further south. These people gave them food, which helped them reach Valdivia on October 1, 1558.
Cortés Ojea's return worried the Spanish leaders. They had no news of Juan Ladrillero. Cortés Ojea had reached the latitude where the western entrance of the Strait was supposed to be. He thought that some big event, like an earthquake, must have blocked its entrance with an island. For a while, this idea spread among people. The poet Alonso de Ercilla even wrote about this idea in his famous poem, La Araucana. (Ercilla had left for Peru before Ladrillero returned to tell his own story of exploring the Strait).
See also
In Spanish: Francisco Cortés Ojea para niños
