Harmony Cove () is a cove entered between
Harmony Point and
The Toe on the west side of
Nelson Island, in the
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 1 ...
, Antarctica. It was named by American sealers in about 1820 after the sealing vessel ''Harmony'', under Captain
Thomas Ray, one of several American sealing vessels headquartered at Harmony Cove during the 1820–21 season.
[
The northwest side of the cove is defined by Inca Point, an isolated stack off the point which is said to bear a striking resemblance to the head of an ]Inca
The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...
. The name "Punta Inca" seems first to appear on a 1957 Argentine hydrographic chart. An English form of the name has been approved.[
]
Francisco de Gurruchaga Refuge
Francisco de Gurruchaga Refuge () is an Argentine naval refuge in Antarctica located on Inca Point in Harmony Cove of the Nelson Island in the South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 1 ...
. The refuge was inaugurated on December 15, 1954 and is managed by the Argentine Navy. At first was named Refuge Harmony and used during the Argentine Antarctic campaigns of 1954-1955 and 1957–1958. It was named once as Gurruchaga Base, a temporary Antarctic base in the 1997-1998 campaign, then closed and re-used as a refuge.
His name pays homage to Francisco de Gurruchaga, who created the first Argentine naval squadron, patriot of the May Revolution
The May Revolution ( es, Revolución de Mayo) was a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. This Spanish colony included roughly the terri ...
, member of the Great Board of Buenos Aires and of the Assembly of the Year XIII
The Assembly of Year XIII ( es, Asamblea del Año XIII) was a meeting called by the Second Triumvirate governing the young republic of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (modern-day Argentina, Uruguay, part of Bolivia) on October 181 ...
for Salta Province. During its use as a base a post office was opened using its own stamp.
The first chief of the base was the midshipman Raul Sotelo and the Antarctic Task Force vessels, that participated in the construction of the refuge, were the ARA Chiriguano and the ARA Yámana tugs.
See also
* List of Antarctic field camps
Many Antarctic research stations support satellite field camps which are, in general, seasonal camps. The type of field camp can vary – some are permanent structures used during the annual Antarctic summer, whereas others are little more than te ...
References
Geography of Nelson Island (South Shetland Islands)
Coves of the South Shetland Islands
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