Domingo de Bonechea
Domingo Bernardo
Domingo de Bonechea Andonaegui did not pass through naval college or formal navigational studies. He served in the Spanish navy as a pilot from 1732 to 1740, when he became
In 1754 he was promoted to lieutenant of a ship of the line. His first command seems to have been the
In 1766 he became a frigate captain and from 1767 commanded the frigate Santa Maria Magdalena, afterwards renamed Aguila. Together with the Lievre, he took supplies to the Falkland Islands and reached the port of Concepcion (Chile) on 14 April 1768. From there he continued on to Callao (Peru) and seems to have remained in the region for several years.
Domingo de Bonechea's exploratory voyages were commissioned by the Viceroy of
Early life and family
His father, Juan Bauptista de Bonechea Aramburu (1685–1770), son of Geronimo Boneachea and Mariana Aramburu, commanded the fishing vessel Terranova off
First voyage (1772–1773)
On September 26, 1772, de Bonechea went on an exploratory expedition to Tahiti. He sailed with Tomás Gayangos as his lieutenant on the Aguila, Santa Maria Magdalena, from Callao harbour, Peru, and reached Tahiti on 7 Nov. He anchored in Vaiuru's Bay, which de Bonechea christened "Puerto Santa Maria Magdalena". De Bonechea forbade himself and his crew any sexual relations with local women, which surprised the Tahitians greatly. He left Tahiti on December 20 and reached Valparaíso on February 21, 1773.[1]
Georg Forster, who accompanied Cook on his Second Voyage, refers to him as "Domingo Buenechea".
Second Voyage (1774–1775)
The aim of this expedition was the annexation of Tahiti to the Spanish crown, with the approval and encouragement of King Carlos III, and to convert its inhabitants. Two ships, the Aguila and the Jupiter left Callao on September 20, 1774. Bonechea and Tu decided a place within 150 yards of the Vaitepiha River, in Vaitepiha Bay, was the best place for a mission. This area is now known as Tautira Bay, but referred to by the Spanish as 'La Santissima Cruz de Ohatutira'.[1]: 247–249, 319–324, 335
However, de Bonechea died on 26 January 1775, in Tahiti, and buried near the Holy Cross marking Spain's dominion over the island, near the mission house. The mission was abandoned on 12 November, however.[1]: 354–355, 383, 422
The cross, with the inscription Christus Vincit Carolus III imperat 1774, was taken down by the British in 1777.[1]: 422
His grave was rediscovered in the 20th century in the village of Tautira.
See also
- Buenechea Regarding his family name.
- Tahanea & Tatakoto, two atolls visited by Domingo de Bonechea before any other recorded European mariner.
References
- ^ ISBN 9780520261143.
- "The 18th Century Sailors", Tahiti Guide.
- Amaru, G. "Tahití hubiera podido ser española", Vivat Academia, No. 1 (Dec. 2005-Jan. 2006).
- Colaboradores de Wikipedia. "Expediciones españolas a Tahití", Wikipedia, La enciclopedia libre.
- Ortiz Sotelo, Jorge. "Expediciones peruanas a Tahití, siglo XVIII." Derroteros de la Mar del Sur, No. 13 (2005), 95-103.
- Riullop, Vicenç. La isla anacreóntica: Las referencias clásicas de los navegantes de la Ilustración. 2004.