Jacinto Caamaño Moraleja,
OC (September 8, 1759 – November 29, 1829) was a Spanish explorer who was the leader of the last great
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
exploration of
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
(then
Russian America
Russian(s) may refer to:
*Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*A citizen of Russia
*Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages
*''The Russians'', a b ...
) and the
British Columbia Coast
The British Columbia Coast, popularly referred to as the BC Coast or simply the Coast, is a geographic region of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia. As the entire western continental coastline of Canada ...
.
Explorations
A few years later he formed part of a politico-commercial expedition to
Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
to establish business relations with
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, and
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
. After a quick trip to
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
in 1787, he was chosen by
Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra
Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra (22 May 1743 – 26 March 1794) was a Hispano-Peruvian naval officer operating in the Americas. Assigned to the Pacific coast Spanish Naval Department base at San Blas, in Viceroyalty of New Spain (present ...
to go to
the Pacific Coast of
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
and the naval base of
San Blas, the headquarters for the exploration of the
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...
. He was a Frigate Lieutenant (Teniente de Fragata) at the time. Alongside went his brother-in-law,
Francisco de Eliza, who would distinguish himself as Governor of
Fort San Miguel
Fort San Miguel was a Spanish fortification at Yuquot (formerly Friendly Cove) on Nootka Island, just west of north-central Vancouver Island. It protected the Spanish settlement, called Santa Cruz de Nuca, the first colony in British Columbia ...
on
Vancouver Island's Nootka Sound
Nootka Sound () is a sound of the Pacific Ocean on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Pacific Northwest, historically known as King George's Sound. It separates Vancouver Island and Nootka Island, part of the Canadian province of ...
. On their ship to Mexico was the recently named Viceroy of
New Spain
New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...
, Don
Juan Vicente de Güemes Padilla Horcasitas y Aguayo, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo.
On February 3, 1790, Caamaño took part on an expedition to the Pacific Northwest. He was commanding the ''
Nuestra Señora del Rosario'' (also known as the ''
La Princesa''), a 189-ton frigate built in San Blas for the exploration of the North. He did not go beyond Nootka on this voyage, but on his next one, in 1792, came as far as
Bucareli Bay commanding the frigate ''
Aránzazu
Arantzazu (Spanish language, Spanish ''Aránzazu'') is a town and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the province of Bizkaia, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, northern Spain.
To ...
'', a
corvette
A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...
built at
Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. By this time he had been promoted to Ship Lieutenant (Teniente de Navío). This expedition did a thorough study of the coast from Bucareli to Nootka, marking the map of Alaska and
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
with many names which are there today.
Sailing from Nootka on June 13, 1792, Caamaño explored Bucareli Bay, off
Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, and anchored in
Dixon Entrance on July 20. Then he explored southward, passing through Principe Channel, Nepean Sound, Whale Sound, near the
Estevan Group archipelago, then into
Caamaño Sound
Caamaño Sound () is a sound on the coast of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It extends east from Hecate Strait. Princess Royal Island, Rennison Island, and Aristazabal Island lie to the south of the sound. Several islands lie to the n ...
and south through Laredo Channel, between
Aristazabal Island and
Princess Royal Island, returning to Nootka on September 7, 1792. He named
Principe Channel, Laredo Channel,
Campania Island,
Campania Sound,
Aristazabal Island,
Gil Island and
Gravina Island after
Federico Gravina).
George Vancouver
Captain (Royal Navy), Captain George Vancouver (; 22 June 1757 – 10 May 1798) was a Royal Navy officer and explorer best known for leading the Vancouver Expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern West Coast of the Uni ...
adopted these names for his chart.
Later career and family
Having successfully completed his trip to Alaska, Caamaño was sent, after a brief stay in
San Blas, across the Pacific Ocean to the Philippines. From 1794 to 1807 he served at various posts between Mexico and Peru, having married on one of those trips the Ecuadorian, Francisca de Arteta Santistevan, who gave him eight children. In 1820 he was still living in
Guayaquil
Guayaquil (), officially Santiago de Guayaquil, is the largest city in Ecuador and also the nation's economic capital and main port. The city is the capital (political), capital of Guayas Province and the seat of Guayaquil Canton. The city is ...
, the birthplace of his youngest daughter, but nothing is known of the date and place of his death. Some of his descendants, the Caamaño family, have been historically prominent in Ecuador, most notably his grandson,
José Plácido Caamaño, who became president of the Republic. Also noted is his great-grandson,
Jacinto Jijón y Caamaño, a noted aristocrat, historian and politician; as well as another great-grandson, the poet
Ernesto Noboa y Caamaño, among others.
Legacy
Camano Island, an island in
Puget Sound
Puget Sound ( ; ) is a complex estuary, estuarine system of interconnected Marine habitat, marine waterways and basins located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As a part of the Salish Sea, the sound ...
, was named to honor Jacinto Caamaño, as was
Caamaño Sound
Caamaño Sound () is a sound on the coast of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It extends east from Hecate Strait. Princess Royal Island, Rennison Island, and Aristazabal Island lie to the south of the sound. Several islands lie to the n ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, on the northern limit of which there is also
Jacinto Island. Other Spanish names in the immediate vicinity of Caamaño Sound are
Campania Sound,
Estevan Point (named by
Juan José Pérez Hernández) and
Aristazabal Island. Also named for him are
Caamaño Passage
Caamaño Passage () is a strait on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located between Dundas and Zayas Islands on the west side of Chatham Sound near Prince Rupert.
It was named after Jacinto Caamaño, commander of the Spanish explor ...
northwest of
Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, (17 December 1619 ( O.S.) 7 December 1619 (N.S.)– 29 November 1682 (O.S.) December 1682 (N.S) was an English-German army officer, admiral, scientist, and colonial governor. He first rose to ...
(between
Dundas and
Zayas Islands) and Caamano Point on the southern tip of the Cleveland Peninsula (west of
Revillagigedo Island in
Southeast Alaska
Southeast Alaska, often abbreviated to southeast or southeastern, and sometimes called the Alaska(n) panhandle, is the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska, bordered to the east and north by the northern half of the Canadian provi ...
).
See also
*
List of historical ships in British Columbia
References
*Wagner, Henry R., ''"The Journal of Jacinto Caamaño"'' in the ''British Columbia Historical Quarterly''. 2(3), 189-222 & 2(4), 265-300.
*Wagner, Henry R., ''Northwest Coast'', pp. 233–235.
*Hayes, Derek, ''Historical Atlas of the Pacific Northwest'', p. 76.
*Howgego, Raymond, ''Encyclopedia of Exploration'' I, C1, p. 167.
*Kathleen E Dalzell, ''The Queen Charlotte Islands Vol. 2: Of Places and Names (Queen Charlotte Islands)''
Notes
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caamano, Jacinto
1759 births
1820s deaths
People from Madrid
Spanish explorers of North America
Explorers of British Columbia
Spanish history in the Pacific Northwest
18th-century Spanish explorers
19th-century Spanish people
Explorers of Alaska