Bartolomé Diez Gallardo y Andrade (''c.'' 1640 – 1699 in Concepción) was a

criollo Criollo or criolla (Spanish for creole) may refer to: People * Criollo people, a social class in the Spanish colonial system. Animals * Criollo duck, a species of duck native to Central and South America. * Criollo cattle, a group of cattle bre ...

soldier from Chiloé. He is known for leading a 1674–1675 expedition to the fjords and channels of Patagonia, participating in the following year in the

Antonio de Vea expedition The Antonio de Vea expedition of 1675–1676 was a Spanish naval expedition to the fjords and channels of Patagonia aimed to find whether rival colonial powers—specifically, the English—were active in the region. While this was not the first ...

to the same area and for serving as Governor of Chiloé from 1686 to 1688.

Biography

Bartolomé Gallardo was one of various sons of Francisco Gallardo and Bartolina Andrade y Oyarzún, both of whom belonged to the upper echelons of Chiloé's colonial society. From young age he pursued a military career and by 1674 he had reached the rank of

sergeant major Sergeant major is a senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned Military rank, rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's ...

. Gallardo's 1674–1675 expedition was ordered by the Viceroy of Peru Baltasar de la Cueva.Gallardo 1886, p. 525 The expedition passed by the archipelagoes of

Guaitecas Guaitecas is Chilean commune located in Guaitecas Archipelago which are part of Aysén Province and Region. The administrative centre is Melinka, the only port and town in the wider Chonos Archipelago. Demographics According to the 2002 census o ...

, Chonos, it entered

San Rafael Lake San Rafael Lake is an arc-shaped coastal lake located in the Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Region of Chile, within the national park that bears its name. To the north the lagoon is connected to the Moraleda Channel, to the south l ...

and crossed the isthmus of Ofqui. It reached as far as the Gulf of Penas (47° S). Indigenous Chono Cristóbal Talcapillán served as guide.Gallardo 1886, p. 533 Lacking a studies in cartography and being prone to believe whatever indigenous informants told him his contributions to the geography of Patagonia are in hindsight considered of poor quality. In the 1675–1676 expedition led by Antonio de Vea he was accompanied by Talcapillán and the

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

Antonio de Amparán. In January 1676 de Vea found out that Cristóbal Talcapillán had fabricated his stories about the presence of Englishmen in the west coast of Patagonia.de Vea 1886, p. 578 Defending himself Talcapillán accused Bartolomé Gallardo and his father to coerce him into lying. Talcapillán was eventually convicted to lifetime penal labour and two hundred lashes for giving a false alarm.Barros Arana 1884, p. 120 Gallardo spent his lasts years in Concepción, and he died in the same city in late 1699.Gallardo 1886, p. 526

References

;Bibliography * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gallardo, Bartolome 1699 deaths Chilean explorers People from Chiloé Province Royal governors of Chiloé Explorers of Chile 17th-century explorers Spanish explorers of South America Spanish explorers of the Pacific History of Aysén Region Year of birth uncertain