Francisco de Hoces facts for kids

Francisco de Hoces was a brave Spanish sailor and explorer. He is famous for possibly being the first European to see the open ocean south of South America. This happened during a big journey in 1525.

Hoces was part of the Loaísa Expedition. This was a Spanish trip to the Spice Islands. He was the captain of a ship called the San Lesmes.

In January 1526, a strong storm hit the San Lesmes. The storm pushed the ship far south from the Strait of Magellan. They reached a latitude of 56 degrees South. Here, the crew believed they saw the end of the land. This means they likely saw open water connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This was south of Tierra del Fuego or Isla de los Estados.

If they did see this open water, it means they found a passage before Francis Drake. Drake is usually given credit for finding the passage that now bears his name. Because of this, some historians in Spain, Argentina, and Chile believe the Drake Passage should be called Mar de Hoces, which means "Sea of Hoces".

The Mystery of the San Lesmes

After the Loaísa Expedition sailed into the Pacific Ocean, another big storm hit the fleet. All the ships were scattered. The San Lesmes was last seen in May 1526. After that, it disappeared.

What happened to the San Lesmes is a big mystery. Many people have wondered about its final fate. Some clues from the 1500s were found in different parts of the South Pacific. These clues suggest the ship might have reached far-off places. It could have landed on Easter Island, other islands in Polynesia, or even New Zealand.

If the San Lesmes did reach any of these places, it would be a huge discovery. It would mean Europeans landed in the Polynesian Triangle many decades earlier than officially recorded. An Australian writer named Robert Adrian Langdon strongly supported these ideas. He wrote books like The Lost Caravel and The Lost Caravel Re-explored.

After Robert Langdon passed away, his theories inspired a book by Greg Scowen. It's a thriller called The Spanish Helmet. In this story, Francisco de Hoces is one of the main characters.

See also

• List of Antarctic expeditions
• List of people who disappeared mysteriously at sea