Year 1557 - JUAN LADRILLEROS
- Pedro Moreno Mella
- Feb 3, 2025
- 3 min read
In 1557 the Governor of Chile, García Hurtado de Mendoza, sent an expedition to the Strait of Magellan, to explore it in all its extent and to draw up maps and sailing directions for future navigators. The command was entrusted to the experienced Spanish sailor Juan de Ladrillero , who left Corral with two ships called "San Luis" and "San Sebastián". The first was piloted by the leader of the expedition and the second by Captain Francisco Cortés.
The "San Sebastián" was dragged by a strong storm to the south of the Gulf of Penas, running aground on the rocks of an island, where it broke into pieces. With the remains of the shipwreck, the crew built a new boat and returned to Corral.
Ladrillero continued his route along the southern channels, making maps, drawing up routes and carrying out studies of the flora, fauna and the aboriginal population of the archipelago. The daring navigator entered through the Fallos Channel, ventured into the Concepción Channel, reached Ancón Sin Salida and entered the Ultima Esperanza Sound. From there he returned to the route, entering the Strait of Magellan, which he sailed to San Gregorio (166 km north of Punta Arenas), in whose bay he took possession in the name of the King of Spain, the Viceroy of Peru and the Governor of Chile.
On his return to the north, he chiseled into a rocky ravine on the Zach Peninsula a phrase for future navigators, recommending that they not enter Ultima Esperanza, so that they would not miss the route through the strait.
*** INFORMATION about the program about Juan Ladrilleros in the following YouTube link
The return to Corral was extremely difficult. The crew was sick, most of them with scurvy, due to the lack of fresh provisions. Hunger and fatigue gradually overcame them, and they slowly died. Juan de Ladrillero ended his journey, accompanied by only one sailor and a black servant, who no longer had the strength to handle the sails.
Spain jealously concealed his discoveries and studies, which only became known three centuries after Ladrillero's death.
CONQUEST OF SOUTHERN CHILE - YEAR 1535
The conquest of Chile began in the South. The first soldier with the right to land, of what later became the Kingdom of Chile, was called Simón de Alcazaba and was in the Strait in 1535 , a year before Diego de Almagro arrived from the north.
Like the first navigators, he was battered by strong storms; he fought against the elements and men, and finally a mutiny put an end to his first attempt at colonization, authorized by the Crown of Spain.
He arrived at the Strait in two ships, with a crew of 250 men. After travelling along its coasts, they returned to a place near the mouth of the Atlantic, where they found remains of the expedition of Fray García Jofré de Loayza.
The first explorations of the terrain indicated that it was not suitable for colonization, at least at that time. Winter was approaching and the first snows were beginning to cover the region.
Alcazaba found a pretext to return to Spain, but first he wanted to explore the Atlantic coast of Patagonia. He stopped his ships in a port and ordered a group of his men to undertake an expedition into the interior in order to assess the value of these lands. As this delayed their stay in the southern regions, discontent began to spread among the crew. While the explorers were away, Captain Juan Arias led a mutiny, in which Simón de Alcazaba lost his life along with his most loyal officers. Upon the return of the explorers, justice was done, but in any case, the first attempt to colonize the southern lands was interrupted.
** INFO: THE CITY OF THE CAESARS fictional history of cities, created by the failed voyages of the Spanish. Here on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwRvpBb0HaA&t=39s&pp=ygUOY2l1ZGFkIG Nlc2FyZXM%3D
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