Francisco de Eliza facts for kids
Francisco de Eliza y Reventa (born 1759, died 1825) was a Spanish naval officer. He was also a skilled navigator and explorer. He is best known for his important work in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Eliza was in charge of the Spanish outpost at Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island. He also led or sent out many exploration trips in the area, including to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia.
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Early Life of Francisco de Eliza
Francisco de Eliza was born in El Puerto de Santa María, Spain, in 1759. He started his career with the Spanish Navy in 1773. He studied at the Royal College of Midshipmen in Cadiz. In 1775, he was part of a Spanish military trip against Algiers. Later, in 1780, he went to America. He also helped in the siege of Pensacola, Florida, during the American Revolution.
Eliza's Work in the Pacific Northwest
Nootka Sound and the Nuu-chah-nulth People
In 1789, Francisco de Eliza and other officers were chosen to work at San Blas. This was a naval base on the west coast of Mexico, which was then part of New Spain. Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra was the new leader of San Blas. This naval department was in charge of exploring the coast north of Mexico. This included Alta California and the Pacific Northwest up to southern Alaska.
The viceroy of New Spain, Juan Vicente de Güemes, ordered Eliza to take back the Spanish settlement at Nootka Sound. This outpost, called Santa Cruz de Nuca by the Spanish, had been set up by Esteban José Martínez in 1789. But it was left empty later that year after an event called the "Nootka Incident." This event caused a big problem between Spain and Great Britain, known as the Nootka Crisis.
The King of Spain, Carlos IV, wanted the Nootka Sound settlement to be kept "with honor and firmness." But the king and viceroy did not know the outpost had been abandoned until December 1789. So, Eliza's trip was changed from helping Martínez to taking over the site again and building a lasting settlement.
Eliza sailed to Nootka Sound with three ships: Concepción, San Carlos (el Filipino), and Princesa Real. They arrived on April 3, 1790. No other Europeans were there when they got there. For several years, Spain strongly claimed the Pacific Northwest. Nootka Sound, Francisco Eliza, and other Spanish leaders played key roles in this.
Eliza's group included the ship crews and 76 soldiers. These soldiers were from the Free Company of Volunteers of Catalonia, led by Pere d'Alberni. This group built a small fort and other buildings. They also planted a garden and started to plan exploration trips. The outpost was built in a small, safe bay inside Nootka Sound. The English called it Friendly Cove. The Spanish called it Puerto de la Santa Cruz de Nuca. Today, it is Yuquot, British Columbia. Some Spanish maps show it as Cala de Los Amigos, which means "Friends' Cove." The small fort was named San Miguel. It was on a small island at the entrance to the cove.
In May 1790, Eliza sent out two exploration trips. Salvador Fidalgo sailed north to visit Russian outposts in Alaska. Manuel Quimper explored the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Quimper's guide was Gonzalo López de Haro. Some important places found and mapped during Quimper's trip include Neah Bay, Esquimalt Harbour, Admiralty Inlet, Haro Strait, Rosario Strait, and Deception Pass.
The relationship between the Spanish and the Nuu-chah-nulth people was difficult. The year before Eliza arrived, a Nuu-chah-nulth chief named Callicum had been killed by the Spanish. Several unfriendly meetings happened while Eliza's group was building their settlement. Once, five Nuu-chah-nulth people were killed. However, Eliza was able to make the relationship a bit better. Some of the Nuu-chah-nulth became friendlier and helped the Spanish.
The winter of 1790-1791 was hard for the Spanish under Eliza. They did not have enough fresh food, which led to outbreaks of scurvy. During that winter, 9 men died. Another 32 men were too sick to stay and were sent to California to get better.
Exploring the Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca
More exploration trips happened in 1791. During the winter, Spain had suggested to Great Britain that the Strait of Juan de Fuca could be the border between Spanish and British lands. If this was agreed, Spain would have to move its Nootka Sound outpost south of the Strait. Because of this, and the need to better understand the Strait's geography, the viceroy of New Spain ordered another exploration trip. This time, Francisco Eliza himself led it.
In early May, Eliza set out in command of the San Carlos. Juan Pantoja and José Antonio Verdía were his main guides. The San Carlos was joined by a small schooner, the Santa Saturnina. This ship was nicknamed La Orcasitas and was led by José María Narváez, with Juan Carrasco as a guide.
Narváez explored the inner waters of Clayoquot Sound and Barkley Sound. Meanwhile, Eliza explored the outer edge of Clayoquot Sound. There, he met and became friends with Wickaninnish, chief of the Tla-o-qui-aht people. Narváez and Eliza entered the Strait of Juan de Fuca separately. They met again at Esquimalt (which the Spanish called "Cordova") on June 11, 1791.
Eliza's guides then took the Santa Saturnina and a longboat. They spent ten days exploring Haro Strait. They found that it opened into a wide body of water to the north. This was the Strait of Georgia, which Europeans had not known about before. Eliza stayed at Esquimalt during this time. After the guides returned to Eliza and told him what they found, a longer exploration trip was planned. Narváez led this trip in the Santa Saturnina. Eliza thought about taking the San Carlos along. But his guides convinced him that the larger ship would find the narrow channels too dangerous. Also, Eliza became sick.
The whole group moved their base from Esquimalt to Port Discovery (which the Spanish called "Puerto de Quadra"). Then, on July 1, 1791, Narváez, with Carrasco, sailed north. They went through Rosario Strait, past Bellingham Bay, and into the Strait of Georgia.
For three weeks, they followed the Strait northward. They reached as far as Texada Island, which they named "Isla de Texada." They noticed several inlets. The presence of whales made Eliza think, correctly, that there was another way to the open ocean. The idea of a Northwest Passage to the Atlantic Ocean was very unlikely by this time. However, the inlets of the Strait of Georgia brought back this hope. This led to the 1792 trip of Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdes.
A rough map of the Strait of Georgia was made from the Santa Saturnina trip. It showed a very large opening to the east. Eliza's report said that if a Northwest Passage existed, it must be beyond this opening. The Spanish named the inlet "Canal Floridablanca." Exploring it became a top priority for the trip of Galiano and Valdes. It turned out to be the mouth of the Fraser River. The Santa Saturnina had been too far from shore to see the low-lying land.
At the start of Narváez's trip, the Santa Saturnina passed Admiralty Inlet. This is the entrance to Puget Sound, which the Spanish called "Ensenada de Caamaño." Narváez saw that it was a large channel going south. He planned to explore it after returning from the north. But the Strait of Georgia was larger than expected. Narváez also ran out of food because the Santa Saturnina was very small. Narváez had to return directly to Port Discovery. Eliza was then eager to return to Nootka Sound and send a report about the Strait of Georgia. So, the Spanish missed the chance to explore Puget Sound before the British. The British explored it a year later under George Vancouver.
While sailing back to Nootka Sound, Eliza's group entered the deep harbor of today's Port Angeles. They named it "Puerto de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles." Eliza, with Narváez in the San Carlos, returned to Nootka Sound in August 1791. The Santa Saturnina, under Carrasco during the return to Nootka, could not sail against the wind to Nootka. Instead, it sailed to Monterey, California.
Over time, Eliza has received most of the credit for the discoveries and names given during the 1791 trip. But he did not do any exploring himself. Most of the credit should go to his guides: Narváez, Carrasco, Pantoja, and Verdía.
The winter of 1791-1792 was easier than the one before. Food shipments from Mexico and help from the Nuu-chah-nulth people helped Eliza's small outpost survive.
On July 24, 1792, Francisco de Eliza left Nootka Sound for Mexico. He had finished his job of setting up the Spanish outpost there again. Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra took over as the leader at Nootka Sound.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1793, Eliza led a trip that explored the coast of California. From 1795 to 1801, he was the commander of the naval base at San Blas. In 1803, he was moved to Cádiz, Spain.
Eliza continued to serve in the Spanish navy. When Spain was taken over by Napoleon from 1808 to 1814, Eliza held several important political jobs in Cádiz.
Legacy
Eliza Island was named in his honor.
See also
In Spanish: Francisco de Eliza para niños
