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Sebastián Vizcaíno

 
Sebastián Vizcaíno

 
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Sebastián Vizcaíno
 
 
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Sebastián Vizcaíno (1548-1624) was a Spanish soldier, entrepreneur, explorer, and diplomat whose varied roles took him to New Spain
New Spain

The Viceroyalty of New Spain , was the political unit of Spain territories in North America and Asia-Pacific. The territory included the present-day Southwestern United States, Central America, the Caribbean, and the Philippines....
, the Philippines
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, the Baja California peninsula
Baja California Peninsula

The Baja California peninsula, in English the Lower California peninsula is a peninsula in western Mexico. It extends some 1250 km from Mexicali, Baja California, in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, in the south, separating the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California ....
, Alta California
Alta California

Alta California was formed in 1804 when the Las Californias, then a part of the Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, was divided in two, along a line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican Order missions in the south....
, and Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
.

Early career
Vizcaíno was born in Extremadura
Extremadura

Extremadura is an autonomous communities in Spain of western Spain whose capital city is M?rida, Spain. It includes the provinces of Spain of C?ceres and Badajoz ....
, Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
. He saw military service in the Spanish invasion of Portugal
Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Located in southwestern Europe, Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east....
 during 1580-1583.






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Vizcaino
Sebastián Vizcaíno (1548-1624) was a Spanish soldier, entrepreneur, explorer, and diplomat whose varied roles took him to New Spain
New Spain

The Viceroyalty of New Spain , was the political unit of Spain territories in North America and Asia-Pacific. The territory included the present-day Southwestern United States, Central America, the Caribbean, and the Philippines....
, the Philippines
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, the Baja California peninsula
Baja California Peninsula

The Baja California peninsula, in English the Lower California peninsula is a peninsula in western Mexico. It extends some 1250 km from Mexicali, Baja California, in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, in the south, separating the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California ....
, Alta California
Alta California

Alta California was formed in 1804 when the Las Californias, then a part of the Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, was divided in two, along a line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican Order missions in the south....
, and Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
.

Early career


Vizcaíno was born in Extremadura
Extremadura

Extremadura is an autonomous communities in Spain of western Spain whose capital city is M?rida, Spain. It includes the provinces of Spain of C?ceres and Badajoz ....
, Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
. He saw military service in the Spanish invasion of Portugal
Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Located in southwestern Europe, Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east....
 during 1580-1583. Coming to New Spain in 1583, he sailed as a merchant on the Manila galleon
Manila Galleon

The Manila galleons or Manila-Acapulco galleons were Spain trading ships that Sailing once or twice per year across the Pacific Ocean between Manila in the Philippines and Acapulco, New Spain....
 to the Philippines in 1586-1589.

The Californias


In 1593 the disputed concession for pearl fishing on the western shores of the Gulf of California
Gulf of California

The Gulf of California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexico mainland. It is bordered by the States of Mexico of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, and Sinaloa....
 was transferred to Vizcaíno. He succeeded in sailing with three ships to La Paz, Baja California Sur
La Paz, Baja California Sur

La Paz is the capital city of the Mexico States of Mexico of Baja California Sur and an important regional commercial center. The city had a 2005 census population of 189,176 persons, but it can be considered that it roughly reaches 200,000 persons because of its surrounding towns like "el Centenario", "el Zacatal" and "San Pedro"....
 in 1596. He gave this site (known to Hernándo Cortés as Santa Cruz) its modern name and attempted to establish a settlement. However, problems of resupply, declining morale, and a fire soon forced its abandonment.

In 1601 the Spanish Viceroy
Viceroy

A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king....
 in Mexico City
Mexico City

Mexico City is the capital city of Mexico. It is the most important economic, industrial, and cultural center in the country; the most populous city with over 8,836,045 inhabitants in 2008....
, the Conde de Monterrey
Gaspar de Zúñiga y Acevedo, Count of Monterrey

Gaspar de Z??iga Acevedo y Fonseca, 5th Count of Monterrey , Spanish nobleman, the ninth viceroy of New Spain. He governed from November 5, 1595 to October 26, 1603....
, appointed Vizcaíno general in charge of an expedition to locate safe harbours in Alta California
Alta California

Alta California was formed in 1804 when the Las Californias, then a part of the Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, was divided in two, along a line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican Order missions in the south....
 for Spanish Galleon
Galleon

A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by the nations of Europe from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with demi-culverin....
s to use on their return voyage to Acapulco
Acapulco

Acapulco is a city and major port in the Political divisions of Mexico of Guerrero on the Pacific Ocean coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City....
 from Manila
Manila

The 'City of Manila' , or simply 'Manila', is the Capital of the Philippines and one of the 17 cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila....
. He was also given the mandate to map in detail the California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
 coastline that Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo

Juan Rodr?guez Cabrillo was a Portugal explorer, known as Jo?o Rodrigues Cabrilho in Portuguese, noted for his exploration of the west coast of North America while sailing for Spain....
 had first reconnoitered 60 years earlier. He departed Acapulco with three ships on May 5 1602. His flagship was the San Diego and the other two ships were the San Tomas and the Tres Reyes. On November 10 1602, he entered and named San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay

San Diego Bay is a natural harbor adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km?3 mi/4.8 km wide. The bay is bordered by the cities of San Diego, National City, California, Chula Vista, California, Imperial Beach, California and Coronado, California....
. Sailing up the coast, Vizcaino named most of the prominent features such as Carmel Valley
Carmel Valley

The Carmel Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area in Monterey County, California, California, east of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. The AVA is home to a number of winery and vineyards, as well as the town of Carmel Valley Village, California....
, Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay

Monterey Bay is a Headlands and bays of the Pacific Ocean, south of San Francisco between the cities of Santa Cruz, California and Monterey, California....
, Sierra Point, Coyote Point
Coyote Point Park

Coyote Point Park is located in San Mateo County, California. Coyote Point Park is 600 acres in area, located on land at the edge of San Francisco Bay, south of San Francisco International Airport,on the border of Burlingame, California and San Mateo, California....
 (thus obliterating some of the names given these same features by Cabrillo in 1542).

The commander of the Tres Reyes, Martin d'Aguilar
Martin d'Aguilar

Martin d'Aguilar was a Spain Exploration whose log contains one of the first written descriptions of the Oregon Coast of the U.S. state of Oregon....
, became separated from Vizcaíno and continued up the coast to present-day Oregon
Oregon

Oregon is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers....
.

One result of Vizcaíno's voyage was a flurry of enthusiasm for establishing a Spanish settlement at Monterey
Monterey, California

The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific Ocean coast in Central California. As of 2005, the city population was 30,641....
, but this was ultimately deferred for another 167 years.

Japan


Vizcaíno travelled from New Spain to Japan in 1611 as an ambassador
Ambassador

An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents their country. They are usually accredited to a Sovereignty or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of their country....
, ostensibly to thank the Japanese government for its kind treatment to Rodrigo Vivero y Velasco, former governor of the Spanish Philippines
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
 who had been shipwrecked in Japan in 1609. He also returned Japanese men who had come to New Spain earlier with the embassy of Luis Sotelo
Luis Sotelo

Luis Sotelo , was a Franciscan friar who died as a martyr in Japan, in 1624, and was beatification by Pope Pius IX in 1867.Sotelo was born in Sevilla, Spain, and studied at the University of Salamanca before entering the convent of "Calvario de los Hermanos Menores"....
. During his stay in Japan, Vizcaíno met with retired Shogun
Shogun

is a military rank and historical title for Hereditary Commanders in Chief of the Armed Forces of Japan. The Japanese word for "general", it is made up of two kanji characters: sho, meaning "commander", "general", or "admiral", and gun meaning military troops or warriors....
 Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu

Japanese name|Tokugawa}} was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara  in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868....
 in Sumpu
Shizuoka, Shizuoka

is the capital cities of Japan of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is a city designated by government ordinance ....
 and acting Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada
Tokugawa Hidetada

was the second shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa bakufu....
 in Edo
Edo

, literally: Headlands and bays-door, "estuary", ), also Romanization of Japanese as Yedo or Yeddo, is the Geographical renaming of the Capital of Japan Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868....
, as well as the powerful daimyo
Daimyo

The were powerful territorial lords who ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. The term derives from a shortening of the title , which literally means "great named land" and originally simply referred to the owner of a large estate....
 of Sendai
Sendai, Miyagi

is the capital cities of Japan of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and the largest city in the Tohoku Region region. The city has a population of one million and is one of Japan's seventeen City designated by government ordinance....
, Date Masamune
Date Masamune

was a Japanese samurai of the Azuchi-Momoyama period through early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful daimyo in the Tohoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai....
.

Vizcaíno then left the country to accomplish a mission to discover the fabled "Islands of gold and silver" (Rica de Oro and Rica de Plata) supposed to be in the sea East of Japan. His ship, the San Francisco, was crippled in bad weather, and he was forced to return to Uraga
Uraga

Uraga is a town and a harbour at the entrance of Tokyo Bay, located on the eastern side of the Miura Peninsula, at the northern end of the Uraga Channel....
, his original point of departure. The following year, he left for New Spain on a boat the Tokugawa Bakufu had built for him, but he once again met with bad weather, and had to come back to Uraga.

Because of these two failures, it was decided that Date Masamune, would build a stronger ship for Vizcaíno in 1613. This ship became the San Juan Bautista
Japanese warship San Juan Bautista

San Juan Bautista was one of Japan's first Japanese-built Western-style sail warships. She crossed the Pacific in 1614. She was of the Spanish galleon type, known in Japan as Nanban trade ....
, a 500-ton galleon
Galleon

A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by the nations of Europe from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with demi-culverin....
 which was used on the same occasion to dispatch a Japanese embassy to New Spain and then Europe, led by Hasekura Tsunenaga
Hasekura Tsunenaga

Hasekura Rokuemon Tsunenaga was a Japanese people samurai and retainer of Date Masamune, the daimyo of Sendai.In the years 1613 through 1620, Hasekura headed a diplomatic mission to the Holy See in Rome, traveling through New Spain and visiting various ports-of-call in Europe....
. It is said Sebastián Vizcaíno contributed his knowledge of ship technology and navigation skills to the building of the ship and the success of its mission.

Sebastián Vizcaíno wrote a report entitled "Account of the Search for the Gold and Silver Islands" in which he related his adventures in Japan.