Year 1843 - 1848 Fort Bulnes

After the French ship "Phaeton" left the bay south of Punta Santa Ana, Captain Williams ordered a clearly visible board to be placed here, with a sign that read: "Republic of Chile. Long live Chile."

The schooner continued its voyage to the eastern mouth of the Strait, exploring the coast in order to study the possibility of establishing a steamship company to tow sailing ships. They were also looking for a site to build a fort. They anchored in the present Punta Arenas Bay, in Pecket Harbour, Gregorio Bay, where Philippi observed that there were pasture lands suitable for cattle raising.

They made contact with the Tehuelche Indians (Aonikenk), with whom they exchanged objects for meat and skins.

The "Ancud" continued its journey, passing the first narrow passage, and near the eastern mouth, they turned back due to bad weather. On the way back, it anchored in Catalina Bay and then at the mouth of the present-day Rio de las Minas, where Bernardo Philippi found coal. Already determined to settle, the sailors returned to Punta Santa Ana, anchoring in San Felipe Bay, in order to found the fort on the promontory.

The works were directed by the Frenchman “Sapewing” whose crew attended the inauguration of the Fort, which was called Bulnes, in honor of the President of the Republic, General Don Manuel Bulnes. On land, 21 cannon shots were fired, which were answered in the same way by the American ship. Captain Williams broke a bottle of wine on a beam, and thus the Fort was baptized. Then, there was a great party until midnight.

Fort Bulnes was completed on November 11, 1843. Supplies and materials were unloaded and Captain Williams handed over command to Lieutenant Manuel González Hidalgo, whom he appointed Governor.

On November 15, the schooner “Ancud” returned to Chiloé to report on the fulfillment of its mission; Chile was already present in the Strait.

The actual settlement of Fuerte Bulnes was built in 1844. Don Pedro Silva was appointed Governor. More settlers arrived, a chaplain, a doctor, sixty men from an artillery company, an interpreter who spoke several languages and then some convicts who had to serve their crimes. The official buildings were improved, a chapel and a hospital were built, and also, on the seashore, thirty small houses with thatched roofs were built, homes of settlers who had gardens and raised birds.

*** INFORMATION: FUERTE BULNES Víctor Hernández, Magellanic researcher, the arrival of the first Chilean Chilotes to the Magallanes region and their difficult settlement in Fuerte Bulnes Link https://youtu.be/rUiKJ4RE_sY

*** INFORMATION: What do you know about Chilean Patagonia? They will tell you Torres del Paine, and if you insist with the question, the Strait of Magellan, and not the city of Punta Arenas. We present to you the Parque del Estrecho, which gives us a new approach to Fuerte Bulnes, where the main thing is to tell the story, nature and fauna that has always been with us, and we have not seen it. - Here Link: https://youtu.be/Yt8QRexevoE

Fort Bulnes was held by several governors until the arrival of Colonel José de los Santos Mardones, a military man and war hero, who warned that the area had no future possibilities. For this reason, he decided to explore in search of more suitable terrain.

Mardones reached the banks of the Carbón River, now the Minas River, which he chose to found a new city.

While the permit for the new foundation was being processed by the government authorities, the settlers suffered the rigors of the cold and the attacks of the rats. But some were already living in the new location.