Martín de Aguilar facts for kids

Martín de Aguilar was a Spanish explorer who lived around the year 1603. He is important because his travel notes include some of the first descriptions of the coast of Oregon in the United States.

Aguilar was the captain of a ship called Tres Reyes. He was part of a big journey led by Sebastián Vizcaíno. This journey started from Mexico in 1602. Their main goals were to find good places for ships to dock and to search for a legendary city called Quivira, which was believed to be full of riches.

Journey Along the Coast

As they explored the northern coast of California, a big storm hit. This storm separated Vizcaíno's ship from Aguilar's ship. Vizcaíno might have reached the border between Oregon and California. But Aguilar kept going further north along the coast.

It is believed that Aguilar saw and named a place called Cape Blanco. He might have even sailed as far north as Coos Bay in Oregon.

A Mysterious River

Aguilar wrote in his log that he saw a "rapid and abundant" river. He could not enter this river because the current was too strong. After this, he had to turn back towards Mexico. Many of his crew members were getting sick with scurvy, a serious illness caused by a lack of vitamin C.

No one knows for sure which river Aguilar saw. However, maps from the 1700s often showed a river called "Rio d'Aguilar." After Aguilar's trip, there wasn't much planned exploration of the Northwest Coast for about 150 years. There might have been accidental sightings or shipwrecks during that time, but no official journeys.

Return to Mexico

Sadly, Martín de Aguilar and most of his crew died on their way back to Acapulco, Mexico. Their journey was very difficult and dangerous.