SEA GATE OF THE “SPANISH LAKE”: THE FIRST EXPEDITION OF DE GAMBOA TO THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN

Abstract

The article analyzes the preparation and the course of the First expedition to the Strait of Magellan by Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, one of the most prominent Spanish navigators, scientists and humanists of the 16th century. The interest of the Spanish discoverers in the Strait arouse immediately after Magellan's circumnavigation, but for more than half a century this area remained a frontier zone of Spanish possessions in the south of the American continent. The Drake's raid revived Spanish projects to explore and colonize the Strait. From a remote, undeveloped frontier area, the Strait turned into one of the main sea gates to the “Spanish Lake”, as the Spaniards themselves called the Pacific Ocean. The idea to prepare an expedition belonged to the Viceroy of Peru, Don Francisco de Toledo. He prepared the instructions and chose de Gamboa from among his subordinates as the general of the expedition. All the instructions of the expedition demonstrate the precise elaboration of all the details of the military and scientific research work necessary for the future colonization of the region. Despite the difficulties of the journey, the first expedition to the Strait can be considered de Gamboa's most successful venture. Following the main orders of the instructions, de Gamboa was able to complete the main tasks of the expedition. The paths to the strait were mapped, its Pacific and Atlantic estuaries were explored, its natural and geographical features were determined, contacts were established with the indigenous population, and the place of the future settlement was outlined. However, noticeable exaggerations in the descriptions of the region's natural resources, the mild climate and its dense population will contribute to the failure of the second larger expedition to the Strait.