A Biographical Note on Isidro de Atondo y Antillon, Admiral of the Californias
1969; University of California Press; Volume: 48; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/25154366
ISSN2327-1485
Autores Tópico(s)Archaeology and Natural History
ResumoThe establishment of a permanent settlement in the Californias presented one of the most difficult obstacles to the advancement of the frontier of New Spain. In 1535, Fernando Cortes failed to maintain a colony at Santa Cruz (La Paz) and was forced to withdraw, as was Sebastian Vizcaino six decades later in 1596. For a time, interest was shifted to the Pacific Coast subsequent to Vizcaino's exploration of the area in 1602-1603 and his discovery of Monterey Bay; however, by 1606 plans for the settlement of Monterey were also eliminated, and the peninsula of Baja California, more readily supplied from the mainland, again became the focal point for colo nization plans.1 The inhospitable climate and geography of the peninsula remained as a deterrent to settlement; and in the early seventeenth century, it was hoped that the potential wealth to be gained from pearl fishing in the Gulf of California would not only attract colonists, but also offset the high costs of such enterprises. Thus, licenses granting a monopoly upon the exploitation of pearls in the gulf, in exchange for payment of the quinto2 and the establishment of a permanent settlement on the peninsula at their own expense, were granted to various individuals and partnerships during the first three quarters of the seventeenth century. Under the terms of these licenses, voyages to the Gulf of California were made by Nicolas de
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