Puerto del Hambre facts for kids
Ciudad del Rey Don Felipe, also known as Puerto del Hambre (which means Port Famine), is a very old settlement site. It is located at Buena Bay (also called Mansa Bay) on the north side of the Strait of Magellan. This spot is about 58 km (36 mi) south of Punta Arenas in the Magallanes Region of Patagonia, Chile.
Puerto Hambre is special because it's halfway between the South Pole and Chile's northern border with Peru. Because Chile claims land all the way to the South Pole, this spot is sometimes seen as the middle of Chile. There is a monument nearby that marks this important midpoint.
Contents
History of Port Famine
Why Spain Built a Settlement
After Francis Drake successfully sailed through the Strait of Magellan to reach the Pacific Ocean, Spain decided to protect the strait. They wanted to stop other ships from using it for piracy. At first, they planned to build two forts.
A large Spanish fleet of 23 ships and nearly 3,000 people left Spain in September 1581. But bad storms destroyed two ships, forcing them to return. Two months later, the leader, Pedro Sarmiento, tried again with 16 ships and 2,200 men. More storms separated some ships, and they went back to Spain.
Life and Challenges for Settlers
In March 1584, Sarmiento started the Spanish settlement called Rey Don Felipe. About 300 settlers arrived. However, life was extremely difficult. The weather was harsh, and there wasn't much food or plants growing nearby. Many settlers sadly died from hunger or cold.
When the next English sailor, Thomas Cavendish, arrived in 1587, he found the settlement in ruins. Only a few people were still alive, but he did not help them. He took six cannons from the site. Cavendish then renamed the place "Port Famine" because of the terrible conditions he saw.
Port Famine in Later Years
Later, the name "Port Famine" was translated into Spanish as Puerto Hambre or Puerto del Hambre. These names are still used today. In the 1800s, the British Royal Navy used the area as a naval base.
Archaeologists found in the 1970s that a base set up by Cavendish was in a different bay nearby.
The ship HMS Beagle was exploring Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Its captain, Pringle Stokes, became very sad and died. He was buried in the English cemetery there. His grave is still shown on sea maps.
Robert FitzRoy became the new captain of the HMS Beagle. He took a young scientist named Charles Darwin with him on the ship's second trip. They visited Port Famine several times between 1832 and 1834 during their journey.
Chile's Claim to the Strait
In the 1840s, Chile decided to settle the area again. On May 2, 1843, the first 20 new settlers arrived at Puerto del Hambre. In the same year, Commander John Williams Wilson of the Chilean Navy built Fuerte Bulnes. This fort was about 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Puerto Hambre.
Fuerte Bulnes helped Chile show its strong claim to the Strait of Magellan and the lands of Patagonia.
National Monuments Today
In February 1968, the ruins of Puerto del Hambre were made a National Monument. This means they are protected as an important historical site. Fuerte Bulnes, which had been left empty, was rebuilt between 1941 and 1943. It also became a National Monument in 1968.
Images for kids
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Monument at the site of Puerto Hambre.
See also
In Spanish: Puerto del Hambre para niños
- Allen Francis Gardiner
Sources
- Francisco Solano Asta-Buruaga y Cienfuegos, Diccionario geográfico de la República de Chile, Nueva York: D. Appleton y Compania,, 1899, pg. 582 Puerto del Hambre
