Juan Carrasco (explorer) facts for kids
Juan Carrasco was a Spanish naval officer, explorer, and navigator. He is mostly known for his work in the Pacific Northwest during the late 1700s. He was second-in-command on the 1791 trip with José María Narváez. This trip was the first time Europeans explored the Strait of Georgia.
We don't know many details about Carrasco's life. He studied at the Academy of San Telmo in Spain. This was sometime between 1775 and 1780. He served in the Philippines under Francisco Antonio Mourelle. Then, in 1784, he traveled to the Pacific Northwest.
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Exploring the Pacific Northwest
The 1790 Trip with Manuel Quimper
In 1790, Carrasco worked as a pilot on the ship Princesa Real. The ship was led by Manuel Quimper. Another pilot, Gonzalo López de Haro, was also on board.
They left Nootka Sound on May 31, 1790. Their mission was to explore the Strait of Juan de Fuca. They quickly went past where previous explorers had stopped. They spent several days anchored in Sooke Basin on Vancouver Island.
After Sooke, they sailed east. They passed between Race Rocks and Vancouver Island. They anchored near where Esquimalt is today. Quimper named this area Rada de Eliza.
On July 4, 1790, they left Esquimalt. They crossed to the south side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. They anchored near Dungeness Spit. The Princesa Real stayed anchored. Smaller boats explored the eastern end of the Strait. They found many islands and channels.
They reached the area near Admiralty Inlet, which leads to Puget Sound. They also saw a larger channel going north. This is now called Rosario Strait. They found Deception Pass, naming it Boca de Flon. The team had limited supplies and time. Quimper decided not to enter these channels. Instead, they explored the Dungeness Spit area more.
They found Protection Island. They named it Isla de Carrasco, honoring Juan Carrasco. Today's Port Discovery was also explored. It was named Puerto de Quadra after Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra. He was a Spanish naval commander.
In mid-July, Quimper talked with Carrasco and Haro. They decided to return to Nootka. On the way back, they found another large channel going north. They named it after pilot Haro. It is still called Haro Strait today. This strait marks the international border between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia.
While anchored at Royal Roads, a group went ashore for water. They found Esquimalt Harbour. Quimper named it Cordova. The Princesa Real was the first European ship to enter this harbor. The expedition then sailed west along the coast. They reached Neah Bay by August.
Quimper held several ceremonies. He claimed Spanish ownership of the region. These took place at Sooke, Royal Roads, Dungeness Spit, and Neah Bay.
At Cape Flattery, Quimper sailed the Princesa Real north to Nootka Sound. They arrived by August 10. But strong winds and fog kept them from entering. After trying several times, Quimper, Carrasco, and Haro decided to sail south. They went to Monterey, California. They arrived on September 1, 1790. Another Spanish ship, the San Carlos, arrived soon after. The two ships sailed together to San Blas, Mexico. They arrived on November 13, 1790.
The 1791 Trip with Francisco de Eliza
In 1791, Carrasco joined another exploration trip. It was led by Ship Lieutenant Francisco de Eliza. He was the new commander at Nootka Sound. Two ships were used: the San Carlos (Eliza's ship) and the smaller schooner Santa Saturnina. Carrasco was a pilot on the Santa Saturnina. He was first second-in-command under José María Narváez. Later, he became the schooner's commander. The ships left Nootka Sound on May 4, 1791. The Santa Saturnina was about 11 meters (36 feet) long. It was about 3.6 meters (12 feet) wide. It had a draft of about 1.5 meters (5 feet). It also had eight oars.
After exploring Clayoquot Sound for about two weeks, the San Carlos sailed into the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Esquimalt. The Santa Saturnina spent several weeks exploring Barkley Sound. This sound was named Boca de Carrasco to honor Juan Carrasco. The two ships met again at Esquimalt on June 14, 1791.
Eliza told pilot Juan Pantoja y Arriaga to explore Haro Strait. He used the Santa Saturnina and a longboat. They entered the strait on June 14. They quickly passed between Vancouver Island and San Juan Island. On June 15, they turned northeast. They sailed along Pender Island and Saturna Island. Then they entered the open water of the Strait of Georgia. The Spanish named it Canal de Nuestra Señora del Rosario. They sailed east. Soon they reached the area near Lummi Island. From there, they returned to Esquimalt. They told Eliza about the Strait of Georgia.
Eliza then moved his base to the south side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This was at Puerto de Quadra (Port Discovery). The San Carlos stayed anchored there. The Santa Saturnina, under Narváez, set out to explore Rosario Strait. Carrasco was Narváez's pilot, second in command. They left on July 1, 1791.
They quickly passed through Rosario Strait. They sailed north into the Strait of Georgia. They reached Point Roberts. They thought it was an island and named it Isla de Zepeda. They continued north. They saw Point Grey and Point Atkinson. They sailed a short distance into Burrard Inlet. This is near where Vancouver, British Columbia, is today.
The Santa Saturnina kept going north. They reached Texada Island, Hornby Island, and Denman Island. They also found Nanaimo Harbour. They named it Bocas de Winthuysen. Sailing along Galiano Island and Valdes Island, they noted Porlier Pass. They gave it its current name.
During their exploration of the Strait of Georgia, the crew noticed a lot of fresh water. They correctly guessed that a large river was nearby. This was the Fraser River. But they could not find its exact location. They saw many whales in the Strait. This led Eliza to think there was another connection to the ocean. He was right. Eliza also began to suspect that Nootka Sound was not on the mainland. He thought it was on an island, which was also correct.
The Santa Saturnina returned to Port Discovery in late July. The exact route back is not clear. By this time, many of Eliza's sailors were sick, and Eliza himself was unwell. Further exploration was stopped. The ships soon sailed for Nootka. Eliza moved Narváez to the San Carlos. He gave Juan Carrasco command of the Santa Saturnina.
Sailing west, the ships found Port Angeles on August 2, 1791. They reached Neah Bay on August 7. From there, the San Carlos returned to Nootka Sound. It arrived on November 9. However, Carrasco could not or would not sail against the wind to Nootka. Instead, he sailed the Santa Saturnina south to Monterey, California. He arrived there on September 16, 1791.
Two ships from the expedition of Alessandro Malaspina were in Monterey. They had arrived five days earlier. So Malaspina, an important figure in the Spanish navy, was the first to learn about the discovery of the Strait of Georgia. He quickly understood how important it was to explore further. Europeans still hoped to find a Northwest Passage. The Strait of Georgia, with its many channels, seemed like a good possibility. Malaspina himself had just searched for a Northwest Passage in Alaska without success.
After meeting Carrasco, Malaspina sailed to San Blas and Acapulco. He arranged for two of his own officers, Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdés, to explore the Strait of Georgia fully.
After his meeting with Malaspina in Monterey, Carrasco sailed the Santa Saturnina to San Blas. He continued to serve the Spanish Navy until at least 1803. He was one of the pilots of the San Blas naval department.
Carrasco's Legacy
Protection Island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca was named Isla de Carrasco in 1790. It was later renamed by George Vancouver in 1792. Barkley Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, was named Boca de Carrasco by the Spanish.
See also
In Spanish: Juan Carrasco (explorador) para niños
