Gabriel de Castilla
Encyclopedia
Gabriel de Castilla was a Spanish
explorer and navigator. A native of Palencia
, he was an early explorer of Antarctica. His contribution to knowledge of the Antarctic continent was ignored in his lifetime and long afterwards. It was only at the end of the 18th century that his contributions were recognized.
. Under his control were three ships: the galleon Jesús María, of 600 tons and 30 cannons, Our Lady of the Visitación (which had belonged to Richard Hawkins
) and Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes. The expedition was entrusted by the Viceroy of Peru, Luis de Velasco, marqués de Salinas
, to suppress the incursions of Dutch
privateers in the seas to the south of Chile
.
Historians conjecture that they penetrated to a latitude of (64° S) in the Southern Ocean, south of Drake Passage
. If correct, this would be the farthest south that anyone had travelled, at that time. Subsequently, several merchant vessels reported being blown south of 60° S [66.67g S] rounding Cabo de Hornos in severe weather.
.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
explorer and navigator. A native of Palencia
Palencia
Palencia is a city south of Tierra de Campos, in north-northwest Spain, the capital of the province of Palencia in the autonomous community of Castile-Leon...
, he was an early explorer of Antarctica. His contribution to knowledge of the Antarctic continent was ignored in his lifetime and long afterwards. It was only at the end of the 18th century that his contributions were recognized.
Antarctica
In March 1603, Castilla was at the head of an expedition that weighed anchor from ValparaisoValparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
. Under his control were three ships: the galleon Jesús María, of 600 tons and 30 cannons, Our Lady of the Visitación (which had belonged to Richard Hawkins
Richard Hawkins
thumb|250px|right|Sir Richard HawkinsAdmiral Sir Richard Hawkins was a 17th century English seaman, explorer and Elizabethan "Sea Dog", and was the son of Admiral Sir John Hawkins....
) and Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes. The expedition was entrusted by the Viceroy of Peru, Luis de Velasco, marqués de Salinas
Luis de Velasco, marqués de Salinas
Luis de Velasco, marqués de Salinas , Spanish nobleman, son of the second viceroy of New Spain, and himself the eighth viceroy. He governed from January 27, 1590 to November 4, 1595, and again from July 2, 1607 to June 10, 1611...
, to suppress the incursions of Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
privateers in the seas to the south of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.
Historians conjecture that they penetrated to a latitude of (64° S) in the Southern Ocean, south of Drake Passage
Drake Passage
The Drake Passage or Mar de Hoces—Sea of Hoces—is the body of water between the southern tip of South America at Cape Horn, Chile and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica...
. If correct, this would be the farthest south that anyone had travelled, at that time. Subsequently, several merchant vessels reported being blown south of 60° S [66.67g S] rounding Cabo de Hornos in severe weather.
Base
The Spanish Antarctica base named "Gabriel de Castilla" is on the island Deception Island (South Shetland Islands)Deception Island (South Shetland Islands)
Deception Island is an island in South Shetland off the Antarctic Peninsula, which has one of the safest harbours in Antarctica. The island is the caldera of an active volcano, which caused serious damage to the local scientific stations in 1967 and 1969...
.
External links
- The Spanish Antarctic station Gabriel de Castilla Don Gabriel de Castilla, primer avistador de la Antártica, by Chilean historian Isidoro Vázquez de Acuña (Spanish language) http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=cCF3YTfndhQC&pg=PA355#v=onepage&q&f=false This links to another, incomplete but substantial, version of the above.