La Princesa (1778)
Martínez takes Colnett prisoner in 1789, La Princesa, far right in the picture
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History | |
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Spain | |
Name | La Princesa |
Builder | San Blas Shipyards |
Laid down | 1777 |
Launched | 1778 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Frigate or corvette |
Tons burthen | 189 |
Propulsion | Sails |
Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
Complement | 98 |
Armament | 6 x 4 pounds (1.8 kg) cannons, 4 x 3 pounds (1.4 kg) cannons (1779); 26 cannons (1789) |
La Princesa (also called Princesa, also known as Nuestra Señora del Rosario[1]) was a Spanish frigate or corvette built at the Spanish naval base at San Blas and launched in 1778. She is sometimes called a frigate and sometimes a corvette. At the time a corvette was similar to a frigate in that both were three-masted, ship-rigged warships, but corvettes were slightly smaller and had a single deck instead of two. The exact specifications of La Princesa are not known. La Princesa was designed with storage enough to sail for a year without having to restock. She was built for durability rather than speed. Like La Favorita, a similar corvette stationed at San Blas, La Princesa was heavily used, serving for over three decades, playing an important role in the exploration of the Pacific Northwest as well as the routine work of provisioning the missions of Alta California. During her 1779 voyage the Princesa carried six four-pounder cannons and four three-pounders, and had a crew complement of 98.[2] The Princesa carried 26 cannons in 1789 when Esteban José Martínez took control of Nootka Sound.[3]
1779 voyage to Alaska
In 1779 the Princesa took part in a voyage from San Blas, Mexico, to Alaska. The expedition was under the command of
The expedition's objective was to evaluate the Russian penetration of Alaska, search for a
During the voyage Arteaga and Bodega y Quadra carefully surveyed Bucareli Bay then headed north to Port Etches on Hinchinbrook Island, near the entrance to Prince William Sound. There Arteaga took a party ashore to perform a formal ceremony of possession. This was the northernmost point at which Spain performed such a formal ceremony and became the foundation of Spain's claims of sovereignty north to the latitude of 61° north.[5]
Arteaga and Bodega y Quadra also explored
Wartime activities
While Spain was at war with Britain during the early 1780 the San Blas Naval Base was devoted to the defense of the Philippines. In 1780 Francisco Antonio Mourelle sailed the Princesa to Manila for this purpose. He returned to San Blas in 1781. By the middle 1780s the supply of Alta California was given increased priority. Esteban José Martínez sailed the Princesa to Monterey several times in the early 1780s.[6]
1788 voyage to Alaska
In March, 1788, two ships were sent north from San Blas to further investigate Russian activity.
The two ships left Unalaska on August 18, 1788, and headed south for California and Mexico. Due to increasing conflict between Martínez and Haro contact was broken off within three days and the two ships sailed south separately. Martínez had allowed this but ordered Haro to rejoin him at Monterey, California. During the voyage south, however, Haro, with support from Narváez and the other pilots, declared his ship no longer under Martínez's command. They sailed the San Carlos back to San Blas on their own, arriving on October 22, 1788. Martínez and La Princesa spent a month in Monterey waiting for Haro. He arrived at San Blas in December, where he found himself faced with charges of irresponsible leadership. He soon regained favor and was placed in charge of a new expedition to occupy Nootka Sound before the Russians did.[7]
1789 occupation of Nootka Sound
Martínez was given command of La Princesa with orders to take possession of Nootka Sound. Sailing from San Blas he arrived at Nootka on May 6, 1789. He quickly landed artillery and materials for the construction of Fort San Miguel. About a week later the San Carlos arrived, under Haro.[8] The crews of the two ships were nearly identical to those aboard the previous year. In addition the ships carried 28 soldiers of the Free Company of Volunteers of Catalonia.[6] British ships were already present when Martínez arrived, and more came during the summer. Conflict broke out between Martínez and the British, setting in motion a series of events known as the Nootka Crisis, which nearly led to war between Britain and Spain.
1792 occupation of Neah Bay
In 1792
During the autumn of 1792 a conflict occurred between the
Final voyages to the Pacific Northwest
The Princesa made several further voyages to Nootka Sound between 1792 and 1794, as the formalities of the
See also
References
- ^ Spanish Place Names on the Face of Alaska, ExploreNorth.com
- ISBN 978-0-7748-1367-9.
- ISBN 978-0-87422-155-8. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
- ISBN 1-57061-215-3.
- ^ a b c Spanish exploration of the Northwest Coast of North America Archived 2010-02-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ ISBN 0-87062-265-X.
- OCLC 191062875.
- ISBN 0-87062-203-X.
- ISBN 0-8032-9228-7.