In 1574, he discovered an alternative maritime route from Callao to Valparaíso, much faster than the old route which bordered the coastline. By taking a detour west from the coast, he managed to avoid the northerly Humboldt Current which used to slow down ships sailing south along the coast. In doing so, he discovered the Juan Fernández Islandsarchipelago, located west of present-day Valparaíso in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, on 22 November 1574. He also discovered the Pacific islands of San Félix and San Ambrosio in 1574. The speed with which this discovery allowed him to complete the voyage led to him being brought in front of the Inquisition in Peru, and was the reason he became known as el brujo del Pacífico or "the witch of the Pacific".[2][3]
New Zealandedit
Early historians such as Alexander Dalrymple and James Burney claim that Juan Fernández was the first European to reach New Zealand. In 1575 the governor of Cuyo, Juan Jufré, organized an expedition to Terra Australis under the command of Juan Fernandez. The expedition was authorized by the governor of Chile but not the Viceroy of Peru. As a result, Jufré changed the official itinerary and pretended his expedition would only sail to the islands discovered by Fernández in 1574. In fact, the real destination of the expedition was still Terra Australis. Soon Juan Fernandez set sail from Valparaíso. After heading west for one month along the 40th parallel south, in the spring of 1576 they arrived in an island described as "mountainous, fertile, with strong-flowing rivers, inhabited by white peoples, and with all the fruits necessary to live".[4]
Later, the expedition set sail for Chile and Juan Fernández wished to convey his discovery to government officials. However, Juan Jufré refused. He requested that the discovery be kept a secret as the expedition had not been authorized by the Viceroy of Peru. Later, after Jufré's death in 1578, Fernández finally shared the discovery with the authorities and tried to convince them of the need to return to the islands and establish a colony. The idea was scrapped due to lack of interest. A record exists in the Spanish Admiralty libraries which describes this discovery. It was reviewed in the 19th century by the Chilean bibliographer José Toribio Medina who is one of the main sources for the claim in South American literature. A transcription of the record in question is included in an appendix Medina's book. It is a memorandum from one Dr. Arias to the King of Spain in 1621, which requested funds to convert the natives of the lands of Terra Australis. The document is primarily concerned with theoretical reasons as to why such a continent must exist, and uses the supposed discoveries of Juan Fernández to bolster his theories.[5] Medina's own opinion on the subject is that it is more likely that the islands which Fernández are those of Tahiti:
'nos parece ... se descubrieron algunas islas, entra ellas la Nueva Zelandia, o más probablemente, a nuestra ententer, las islas de Tahiti' ('it appears to us ... he discovered some islands, among others those of New Zealand, or more probably, by our understanding, the islands of Tahiti').
— José Toribio Medina, El piloto Juan Fernández, p. 169
Mainstream historians do not accept these claims. University of Auckland history professor James Belich said that similar claims that the French and Chinese discovered New Zealand prior to Abel Tasman in 1642 have also been put forward. "I think there are a number of theories of this kind and all are highly unlikely.".[6] New Zealand film makerWinston Cowie's books Conquistador Puzzle Trail (2015) and Nueva Zelanda, un puzzle histórico: tras la pista de los conquistadores españoles (2016), published with the support of the Embassy of Spain to New Zealand, propose that the Ruamahnga skull and oral tradition may support the theory, with more evidence required to take it from possibility to probability.[7]
^"Juan Fernández". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
^Herda, Phyllis. "Proof of Spanish discovery?". Te Ara. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
^Brand, Donald D. (1967). The Pacific Basin: A History of its Geographical Explorations. New York: The American Geographical Society. p. 127.
^Esparza, Jose Javier (2008). España Epica. Editorial Altera 2005. ISBN9788496840393.
^José Toribio Medina, El Piloto Juan Fernández, Santiago de Chile, 1918, reprinted by Gabriela Mistral, 1974, pp. 136, 246; Isidoro Vázquez de Acuña, "El general Juan Jufré pionero de la navegación chilena hacia el otro lado de la Cuenca del Pacífico (1575)", Derroteros de la Mar del Sur, año 12, num.12, 2005, at: derroteros.perucultural.org.pe/art12k.htm
^Squires, Nick (21 March 2007). "Portuguese visited New Zealand '250 years before Cook'". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 March 2007.
^Pontevedra, Silvia R. (4 April 2018). "Theory that New Zealand was discovered by Spain gains new traction". EL PAÍS. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
See J. L. Arias, Memoir recommending to the king the conversion of the new discovered islands (in Spanish, 1609; Eng. trans., 1773); Ulloa, Relation del Viaje, bk. ii. ch. iv.; Alexander Dalrymple, An Historical Collection of the several Voyages and Discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean (London, 1769–1771); Freville, Voyages de la Mer du Sud par les Espagnols.
Síntesis sobre algunos navegantes españoles transpacíficos, relacionados con el Reyno de Chile 9 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Liga Maritima de Chile (in Spanish)
Hooken, T. M. (1894). Some Account of the Earliest Literature and Maps relating to New Zealand, Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 27, Article 71, 616–634.
December 14, 2023
juan, fernández, explorer, other, uses, juan, fernández, disambiguation, juan, fernández, 1536, 1604, spanish, explorer, navigator, pacific, regions, viceroyalty, peru, captaincy, general, chile, west, colonial, south, america, best, known, discovery, fast, ma. For other uses see Juan Fernandez disambiguation Juan Fernandez c 1536 c 1604 was a Spanish explorer and navigator in the Pacific regions of the Viceroyalty of Peru and Captaincy General of Chile west of colonial South America He is best known for the discovery of a fast maritime route from Callao Peru to Valparaiso Chile as well as for the discovery of the Juan Fernandez Islands off the coast of Chile 1 Juan FernandezBornc 1536Cartagena Crown of Castile Diedc 1604Santiago Spanish Empire OccupationExplorer navigator Contents 1 Discoveries and theories 1 1 Juan Fernandez Islands 1 2 New Zealand 2 See also 3 ReferencesDiscoveries and theories editJuan Fernandez Islands edit In 1574 he discovered an alternative maritime route from Callao to Valparaiso much faster than the old route which bordered the coastline By taking a detour west from the coast he managed to avoid the northerly Humboldt Current which used to slow down ships sailing south along the coast In doing so he discovered the Juan Fernandez Islands archipelago located west of present day Valparaiso in the southeastern Pacific Ocean on 22 November 1574 He also discovered the Pacific islands of San Felix and San Ambrosio in 1574 The speed with which this discovery allowed him to complete the voyage led to him being brought in front of the Inquisition in Peru and was the reason he became known as el brujo del Pacifico or the witch of the Pacific 2 3 New Zealand edit Early historians such as Alexander Dalrymple and James Burney claim that Juan Fernandez was the first European to reach New Zealand In 1575 the governor of Cuyo Juan Jufre organized an expedition to Terra Australis under the command of Juan Fernandez The expedition was authorized by the governor of Chile but not the Viceroy of Peru As a result Jufre changed the official itinerary and pretended his expedition would only sail to the islands discovered by Fernandez in 1574 In fact the real destination of the expedition was still Terra Australis Soon Juan Fernandez set sail from Valparaiso After heading west for one month along the 40th parallel south in the spring of 1576 they arrived in an island described as mountainous fertile with strong flowing rivers inhabited by white peoples and with all the fruits necessary to live 4 Later the expedition set sail for Chile and Juan Fernandez wished to convey his discovery to government officials However Juan Jufre refused He requested that the discovery be kept a secret as the expedition had not been authorized by the Viceroy of Peru Later after Jufre s death in 1578 Fernandez finally shared the discovery with the authorities and tried to convince them of the need to return to the islands and establish a colony The idea was scrapped due to lack of interest A record exists in the Spanish Admiralty libraries which describes this discovery It was reviewed in the 19th century by the Chilean bibliographer Jose Toribio Medina who is one of the main sources for the claim in South American literature A transcription of the record in question is included in an appendix Medina s book It is a memorandum from one Dr Arias to the King of Spain in 1621 which requested funds to convert the natives of the lands of Terra Australis The document is primarily concerned with theoretical reasons as to why such a continent must exist and uses the supposed discoveries of Juan Fernandez to bolster his theories 5 Medina s own opinion on the subject is that it is more likely that the islands which Fernandez are those of Tahiti nos parece se descubrieron algunas islas entra ellas la Nueva Zelandia o mas probablemente a nuestra ententer las islas de Tahiti it appears to us he discovered some islands among others those of New Zealand or more probably by our understanding the islands of Tahiti Jose Toribio Medina El piloto Juan Fernandez p 169 Mainstream historians do not accept these claims University of Auckland history professor James Belich said that similar claims that the French and Chinese discovered New Zealand prior to Abel Tasman in 1642 have also been put forward I think there are a number of theories of this kind and all are highly unlikely 6 New Zealand film maker Winston Cowie s books Conquistador Puzzle Trail 2015 and Nueva Zelanda un puzzle historico tras la pista de los conquistadores espanoles 2016 published with the support of the Embassy of Spain to New Zealand propose that the Ruamahnga skull and oral tradition may support the theory with more evidence required to take it from possibility to probability 7 See also editTheory of the Portuguese discovery of Australia Cristovao de Mendonca Explorers of the Pacific Explorers of OceaniaReferences edit Juan Fernandez Encyclopaedia Britannica Retrieved 26 March 2020 Herda Phyllis Proof of Spanish discovery Te Ara Retrieved 26 March 2020 Brand Donald D 1967 The Pacific Basin A History of its Geographical Explorations New York The American Geographical Society p 127 Esparza Jose Javier 2008 Espana Epica Editorial Altera 2005 ISBN 9788496840393 Jose Toribio Medina El Piloto Juan Fernandez Santiago de Chile 1918 reprinted by Gabriela Mistral 1974 pp 136 246 Isidoro Vazquez de Acuna El general Juan Jufre pionero de la navegacion chilena hacia el otro lado de la Cuenca del Pacifico 1575 Derroteros de la Mar del Sur ano 12 num 12 2005 at derroteros perucultural org pe art12k htm Squires Nick 21 March 2007 Portuguese visited New Zealand 250 years before Cook New Zealand Herald Retrieved 22 March 2007 Pontevedra Silvia R 4 April 2018 Theory that New Zealand was discovered by Spain gains new traction EL PAIS Retrieved 13 June 2020 See J L Arias Memoir recommending to the king the conversion of the new discovered islands in Spanish 1609 Eng trans 1773 Ulloa Relation del Viaje bk ii ch iv Alexander Dalrymple An Historical Collection of the several Voyages and Discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean London 1769 1771 Freville Voyages de la Mer du Sud par les Espagnols Sintesis sobre algunos navegantes espanoles transpacificos relacionados con el Reyno de Chile Archived 9 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Liga Maritima de Chile in Spanish Hooken T M 1894 Some Account of the Earliest Literature and Maps relating to New Zealand Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand Volume 27 Article 71 616 634 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Juan Fernandez explorer amp oldid 1186412672, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
