the
UARTERDECK
Vol. 22 No.1
Winter1996
A review and newsletter from the Columbia River Maritime Museum at 1792 Marine Drive in Astoria, Oregon
Exploradores ! The Spanish and Northwest America Like an ancient chant or a half-remembered song, the word exploradores conjures up visions of men in doublets and tall boots, tri-cornered hats with flowing plumes, and long mustachios. They sailed aboard fanciful galleons and lived fabled lives. Some of their adventures took place off our own part of the Northwest Coast, as early as a century after Columbus. But who were they really, the Spanish exploradores? And what brought them here? A new exhibition at the Columbia River Maritime Museum is now taking shape around these questions. Entitled Exploradores! Spanish Adventurers on the Northwest Coast, our story includes strong characters on long voyages against considerable odds. It includes elements of treasure, mystery, and misery - all of which were factors in the exploration of the Northwest Coast. And to tell the story, we are using dramatic accounts from the late 18th century Spanish expeditions. The dramatic centerpiece of the exhibition is a full-sized model of the 52-foot long Spanish schooner, Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe) commonly known by her nickname Sonora. The Great Hall resembles a shipyard with the ongoing reconstruction of Sonora, which was originally built in 1767 at the royal shipyards in San Blas, New Spain (now Mexico). A lifesized mural animates the schooner with its realistic depiction of life at sea in the cramped, damp and rudimentary quarters of the Sonora. The Spanish ship's boat Buenaventura, built by volunteers at the Oregon Historical Society, provides a vivid glimpse of how the work of exploration was accomplished, from the interior of a small boat using rudimentary equipment. The exhibition Exploradores! examines Spain's long history on the West Coast, and particularly Sonora and Santiago's
The last unknown coastline is sketched vaguely on Jacques Bellin's map of 1766. This map served as Hezeta's principal guide during Santiago's Northwest voyage in 1775. Courtesy of Honnold Library, Claremont Colleges, Claremont, California.
1775 voyages of exploration from Mexico to Alaskan waters. During this extraordinary voyage, the schooner Sonora accomplished epic feats of seamanship, and the frigate Santiago be-
came the first European vessel to sight the entrance to the Columbia River. Turn to page 6 for a closer look at the Spanish on the Northwest Coast. -Anne Witty