José María Narváez

José María Narváez (1768 – August 4, 1840) was a Spanish naval officer, explorer, and navigator who is mainly remembered for his work in the Pacific Northwest. He was born in Cádiz, Spain. In 1791, as commander of the schooner "Santa Saturnina", he led the first European exploration of the Strait of Georgia, including a landing on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast [Little, Gary. [http://www.garylittle.ca/narvaez/ "José María Narváez: Discoverer of the Sunshine Coast"] ] and an entry into Burrard Inlet (though not its inner reaches), the site of present-day Vancouver, British Columbia.

Early career

Narváez was accepted to the Royal (Naval) Academy for midshipmen in 1782. Within the year he was at sea and involved in naval combat. [cite book |last= McDowell |first= Jim |title= José Narváez: The Forgotten Explorer |year= 1998 |publisher= The Arthur H. Clark Company |location= Spokane, Washington |isbn= 0-87062-265-X |pages= p. 15]

In 1784 Narváez went to New Spain, his first assignment being at Havana. For three years he served aboard supply ships working the ports of Veracruz, New Orleans, Mantanzas, Campeche, Roatán, and Trujillo. In November, 1787, he was promoted to "segundo piloto havilitado" (qualified second pilot) and reassigned to San Blas, at the time the main Spanish naval base on the west coast of Mexico. He arrived in early 1788. Within the month he sailed north as a pilot to Gonzalo López de Haro on the "San Carlos" [cite book |last= McDowell |first= Jim |title= José Narváez: The Forgotten Explorer |year= 1998 |publisher= The Arthur H. Clark Company |location= Spokane, Washington |isbn= 0-87062-265-X |pages= pp. 16, 20]

1788 voyage to Alaska

Responding to Russian activity in Alaska, the Spanish government began sending ships to investigate and assert sovereignty. The effort was based almost entirely out of the port of San Blas. In March, 1788, two ships were sent north on reconnaissance, the "Princesa", under Esteban José Martínez, and the "San Carlos", under Haro. Narváez sailed aboard the "San Carlos" as Haro's pilot. The ships arrived at Prince William Sound in May. Evidence of Russian fur trading activity was discovered soon after. In June Haro sailed the "San Carlos" west to Kodiak Island. The Spanish traded with a number of natives who came to the ship in twelve canoes. The natives had slips of paper with Russian writing, apparently vouchers for payment, which Haro acquired by trade, eager for indisputable evidence of Russian activity in the region.cite book |last= McDowell |first= Jim |title= José Narváez: The Forgotten Explorer |year= 1998 |publisher= The Arthur H. Clark Company |location= Spokane, Washington |isbn= 0-87062-265-X |pages= pp. 24-31]

On June 30, 1788, Haro sent Narváez in a longboat to investigate a Russian post at Three Saints Bay, Kodiak Island. Narváez found the post, becoming the first Spaniard to make contact with a large contingent of Russians in Alaska. The Russian commander, Evstrat Delarov, accompanied Narváez to the "San Carlos", where he was given a barrel of wine and other gifts. Narváez then returned Delarov to his outpost. Delarov gave Narváez a Russian map of the Alaskan coast and indicated the locations of seven Russian posts containing nearly 500 men. Delarov also told Narváez that the Russians intended to occupy the port of Nootka Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Narváez returned to the "San Carlos" and Haro returned east, rejoining Martínez at Sitkinak Island.

Using the information acquired by Narváez, the expedition sailed southwest to investigate Unalaska Island, where there was a large Russian post under the command of Potap Kuzmich Zaikov. Martínez arrived on July 29, Haro on August 4. Martínez and others came ashore and stayed at the post. He provided a supply of foodstuffs and wine. Zaikov gave Martínez three maps covering the Aleutian Islands. He also confirmed that the Russians planned to take possession of Nootka Sound the next year.

Martínez, prone to bouts of abusive aggression, had continuing problems with his officers and sailors, including Haro and Narváez. While at Unalaska, Martínez had Haro temporarily arrested, during which time Narváez was in command of the "San Carlos". Haro was restored to his command before the expedition left Unalaska on August 18, 1788. Within three days the two ships broke off contact and sailed south separately. Haro's orders were to rejoin Martínez at Monterey, California, but on the way Haro, with support from Narváez and the other pilots, declared his ship no longer under Martínez's command. They sailed back to San Blas on their own, arriving on October 22, 1788. Martínez, who spent a month in Monterey waiting for Haro, did not arrive at San Blas until December, where he found himself faced with charges of irresponsible leadership. Nevertheless Martínez regained favor and was placed in charge of a new expedition to occupy Nootka Sound before the Russians did.

1789 expedition to Nootka Sound

Despite the bitterness between Martínez and Haro, the two were again ordered to sail together in 1789, this time to take possession of Nootka Sound. Once again Narváez served as Haro's first pilot and second in command on the "San Carlos". The two ships set sail from San Blas on February 17 and arrived at Nootka on May 5, 1789. Three merchant ships were already there, one English and two American. Three more English ships arrived during the summer, one of which was the "Northwest America", which had been built by John Meares at Nootka Sound the previous year. Martínez, in his effort to assert Spanish sovereignty, seized the ship.cite book |last= McDowell |first= Jim |title= José Narváez: The Forgotten Explorer |year= 1998 |publisher= The Arthur H. Clark Company |location= Spokane, Washington |isbn= 0-87062-265-X |pages= pp. 32-40, 51]

On June 21, Martínez dispatched Narváez in the captured "Northwest America", renamed "Santa Gertrudis la Magna" (and later "Santa Saturnina"), to explore three inlets south of Nootka Sound — Clayoquot Sound, Barkley Sound, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Narváez sailed more than 25 leagues (about convert|65|mi|km) into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Only a few non-natives had entered the Strait by this time, and none as far as Narváez. By early July he was back at Nootka Sound. His report to Martínez recommends Port Renfrew as a good anchorage.

While Narváez was away on this mission, Martínez performed an elaborate ceremony of possession at Nootka and soon after fought a brawl with the British Captain James Colnett, had him imprisoned, and seized several English ships and their crews. These events escalated into a major international crisis. Martínez forced a group of captured Chinese workmen to construct Fort San Miguel and other structures. In July, shortly after Narváez had returned, Martínez captured a newly arrived English ship, the "Princess Royal", which led to an incident in which the Nuu-chah-nulth ("Nootka") Chief Callicum, the son of Chief Maquinna, was shot and killed.

Martínez believed that the Strait of Juan de Fuca was the entrance of the legendary Northwest Passage and therefore of extreme strategic importance. On July 27, Martínez placed Haro and Narváez in command of the "San Carlos" and the captured "Princess Royal" and sent them back to San Blas with the news. They arrived by the end of August, 1789. In October, Martínez completely evacuated Nootka Sound and returned to San Blas himself, with his prisoners and captured ships.

1790 reoccupation of Nootka

In late 1789 a new viceroy took charge of New Spain, Juan Vicente de Güemes Padilla Horcasitas who, along with Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, the naval commander of San Blas, made great efforts to enhance Spain's power in the Pacific Northwest. One of the first tasks was to send another expedition to reoccupy Nootka Sound. Quadra loaded all the artillery he could find on the frigate "Concepción", the "San Carlos", and the captured English "Princess Royal", which was renamed "Princesa Real". Francisco de Eliza was given command of the "Concepción" and the expedition as a whole, and was appointed commandant of Nootka. Salvador Fidalgo was in command of the "San Carlos", and Manuel Quimper of the "Princesa Real". Martínez, now out of favor and scapegoated, went along as an unranked officer with no responsibility. Eliza's three ships sailed from San Blas on February 3, 1790. In early April two more frigates joined the fleet — the "Princesa" under Jacinto Caamaño, with Narváez as pilot, and the "Aranzazu" under Juan Bautista Matute. This was the largest Spanish force sent northward up to that time.cite book |last= McDowell |first= Jim |title= José Narváez: The Forgotten Explorer |year= 1998 |publisher= The Arthur H. Clark Company |location= Spokane, Washington |isbn= 0-87062-265-X |pages= pp. 41-45]

Eliza arrived at Nootka on April 4, 1790, and found no ships present. The Nuu-chah-nulth natives, alienated by the events of the previous summer, had moved to a more secure location. After reoccupying Fort San Miguel and other buildings, Eliza dispatched two exploration expeditions. Fidalgo explored northward to Alaska on the "San Carlos", while Quimper, with López de Haro and Juan Carrasco as pilots, explored the Strait of Juan de Fuca with the "Princesa Real". Both ships were unable to return to Nootka and instead sailed to San Blas. Eliza would not know about their discoveries until the following year. After these ships had left Caamaño, with Narváez, arrived on the "Aranzazu". He would remain under Eliza's command for the next two years, participating in various voyages of exploration.

1791 explorations

By early 1791 several more ships and people had arrived at Nootka, along with instructions from Quadra to Eliza proposing further exploration of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. On May 4, 1791, Eliza set out in the "San Carlos" with the pilots Juan Pantoja and José Antonio Verdía, the latter having apprenticed under Narváez in 1788 and 1789. The "San Carlos" was accompanied by the schooner "Santa Saturnina", nicknamed "La Orcasitas", which had originally been the "Northwest America", built by Meares at Nootka. Narváez commanded the "Santa Saturnina", with the pilot Juan Carrasco. The schooner was about 33 feet long on the keel and of shallow draft. She had eight oars and carried about 20 days' supply of food. In addition, the "San Carlos" carried a longboat 28 feet in length with thirteen oars.cite book |last= McDowell |first= Jim |title= José Narváez: The Forgotten Explorer |year= 1998 |publisher= The Arthur H. Clark Company |location= Spokane, Washington |isbn= 0-87062-265-X |pages= pp. 50-60]

The expedition first stopped at Clayoquot Sound, staying for about two weeks. Narváez and Carrasco spent a week exploring the inner channels, and another week collaborating on a chart of the sound, which they called Puerto Clayucuat. While Narváez was busy with this work, Eliza made friends with Chief Wickaninnish. Eliza wrote that he was honored with a dance of over 600 young men. Eliza also reported that there were five large settlements in Clayoquot Sound, each with over 1,500 inhabitants. The largest, which Eliza called Guicananich (Wickaninnish), had over 2,500 people.

In late May Eliza, on the "San Carlos", sailed into the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Esquimalt. The "Santa Saturnina" spent several weeks exploring Barkley Sound. The two ships rejoined at Esquimalt on June 14, 1791.cite book |last= Pethick |first= Derek |title= The Nootka Connection: Europe and the Northwest Coast 1790-1795 |year= 1980 |publisher= Douglas & McIntyre |location= Vancouver |isbn= 0-88894-279-6 |pages= pp. 54-55]

In the "Santa Saturnina" Narváez and Carrasco explored the inner channels of Barkley Sound, which they called Puerto de Boca Carrasco, and drafted a chart. According to Eliza's summary report of the voyage, Narváez saw five large settlements with "warlike and daring" inhabitants. On two occasions Narváez's ship was attacked by groups of about 200 men, but "he held them in check by means of some cannon shot." The natives "were surprised to see the schooner and, according to their explanations, had never seen a vessel inside."

In mid-June, with the expedition based at Esquimalt ("Cordova" to the Spanish), Eliza instructed Pantoja to explore Haro Strait with the "Santa Saturnina" and the longboat. He was assisted by Narváez, Carrasco, and Verdía. They entered the strait and rapidly passed between Vancouver Island and San Juan Island and reached Pender Island. They noted several openings leading west and two leading east, and decided to investigate the larger of the two eastern ones, today called Boundary Pass. On June 15, 1791, they weighed anchor and sailed east along the southern shore of Pender Island and Saturna Island before entering "a grand and extended canal" — the open water of the Strait of Georgia, which they named Canal de Nuestra Señora del Rosario. This was the first time Europeans had seen the Strait of Georgia. The Spaniards believed they had found the legendary inland sea and that it probably connected, somehow, to Hudson Bay or the Mississippi River. They spent the night anchored at Patos Island. The next day they sailed east to the vicinity of Lummi Island and the northern end of Rosario Strait. Out of food and exhausted, they returned they way they had come. The longboat, rowing against the wind, arrived at Esquimalt on June 24, Narváez in the "Santa Saturnina" the next day.

Eliza moved his base of operations to Puerto de Quadra (Port Discovery) on the south side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Eliza and the "San Carlos" remained there while the "Santa Saturnina" and the longboat, under Narváez with Carrasco as pilot, set out to explore Rosario Strait and the Strait of Georgia more fully.

Narváez set out on July 1, 1791. Passing through Rosario Strait, which he called Canal de Fidalgo, Narváez surveyed Guemes Island (Islas de Guemes), Cypress Island (San Vincente), and Lummi Island (Pacheco), explored Padilla Bay (Seno Padillo) and Bellingham Bay (Seno Gaston), and anchored in Chuckanut Bay (Puerto Socorro), before heading north into the Strait of Georgia. He anchored in Birch Bay (Puerto del Garzon) and Drayton Harbor (Punta de San José), and sailed west across Boundary Bay to round Point Roberts. For some reason Narváez had the impression that Point Roberts was an island (Isla de Zepeda) and the inland sea extended far to the northeast. On the map later made by Carrasco a large inlet is shown, called Boca de Floridablanca (also Canal de Floridablanca), which included Boundary Bay and extended north to about Burrard Inlet. After rounding Point Roberts Narváez sailed several miles from the shore through the discharge of the Fraser River. He noted the water was "more sweet than salt", but mistook the land between the mouths of the river as low-lying islands in the imagined Boca de Floridablanca. He anchored off Point Grey, which he also took to be an island (Isla de Langara).

While at anchor off Point Grey the "Santa Saturnina" was visited by a number of Musqueam men in canoes who traded food, water, and firewood for pieces of copper and iron. The Spaniards noted that the language of the Musqueam was quite different from that of the Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka), which they were familiar with. The Musqueam were able to indicate that the Strait of Georgia continued north for a great distance. One of Narváez's crew bought a young native boy, from whom the Spaniards learned that many Indians regularly came to the Musqueam on horseback, from a "flat country" in the northeast, to trade iron, copper, and blue beads for fish. The Spaniards did not visit the Musqueam village, but did go ashore near Point Grey, where they collected water from a large river (probably the north arm of the Fraser River). Narváez sailed some distance into Burrard Inlet, today the harbor of Vancouver. Carrasco's map shows not only the Musqueam village at Point Grey but another settlement at Point Atkinson (Punta de la Bodega), and another on the entrance to Howe Sound (Bocas del Carmelo), near present-day Horseshoe Bay.

Narváez continued north to Texada Island, Hornby Island, and Denman Island. Nanaimo Harbour was found and named Bocas de Winthuysen. Sailing along Galiano Island and Valdes Island Narváez noted Porlier Pass and gave it its present (Anglicized) name. Narváez's returned to Port Discovery on July 22, 1791.

At the start of his voyage, Narváez had passed by Admiralty Inlet (Ensenada de Caamaño), the entrance to Puget Sound. He planned to explore it upon his return, but was running out of food by then and so returned directly Eliza's "San Carlos" in Port Discovery. Once resupplied with food from the "San Carlos" an exploration of Puget Sound was certainly possible, but Eliza was eager to return to Nootka. Thus the Spanish missed the opportunity to preempt the British exploration of Puget Sound, which was done the following year under George Vancouver.

Eliza was impressed by Narváez's report on the size and nature of the Strait of Georgia. A great number of whales had been seen in the Strait of Georgia, but few in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which led Eliza to later speculate, correctly, a second connection to the ocean. Further, Eliza came to suspect, again correctly, that Nootka Sound was not on the mainland, but rather on an island. Narváez had been unable to explore all of the Strait of Georgia, and Eliza was aware of the importance of further exploration, but by the time Narváez returned to Port Discovery many of Eliza's sailors were sick, as was Eliza himself. Further exploration was abandoned and the ships soon sailed for Nootka. Eliza transferred Narváez to the "San Carlos" and gave Juan Carrasco command of the "Santa Saturnina" for the return voyage.

Sailing west, the ships found Port Angeles on August 2, 1791. They reached Neah Bay on August 7. From there the "San Carlos", with Narváez on board, returned to Nootka Sound, arriving on November 9. Carrasco, however, was unable or unwilling to beat upwind to Nootka and instead sailed the "Santa Saturnina" south to Monterey, California, arriving there on September 16, 1791. Alessandro Malaspina was in Monterey at the time, having arrived five days earlier. Thus Malaspina, a powerful figure of the Spanish navy at the time, became the first to know about the discovery of the Strait of Georgia, outside of Eliza's sailors at Nootka Sound. Malaspina immediately recognized the strategic importance of further exploration. Shortly after his encounter with Carrasco, Malaspina sailed to San Blas and Acapulco, where he arranged to have two of his own officers, Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdés, take command of two ships for the purpose of fully exploring the Strait of Georgia. [cite book |last= Kendrick |first= John |title= Alejandro Malaspina: Portrait of a Visionary |year= 1999 |publisher= McGill-Queen's University Press |isbn= 0-7735-2652-8 |pages= pp. 58-59]

Eliza eventually received credit for most of the discoveries made during the 1791 expedition under his command, even though he actually did no exploring himself and Narváez commanded the ship that made most of the discoveries.

Mexican War of Independence

In 1810 rebellion broke out in Mexico, spreading rapidly and becoming the Mexican War of Independence. By the end of 1810 rebel forces had captured Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco, with little resistance. Soon the revolt spread west into Nayarit, where the Spanish naval port of San Blas was located. The capital city of Tepic was captured and by late November, 1810, a rebel army led by Father José María Mercado was heading for the poorly defended San Blas. A number of royalists and other non-revolutionaries had sought refuge at the naval base, where there was a military garrison and the chance to escape by sea.cite book |last= McDowell |first= Jim |title= José Narváez: The Forgotten Explorer |year= 1998 |publisher= The Arthur H. Clark Company |location= Spokane, Washington |isbn= 0-87062-265-X |pages= pp. 77-86]

Narváez arrived at San Blas on November 1, 1810, in command of the frigate "Activo". Within days he was ordered by Commander Lavayen to arm the ship for war and load it with supplies in case a retreat was required. The total force assembled at San Blas numbered a few hundred, and these were mostly Spanish merchants and other elite "peninsulares" or "gachupines" who had fled the rebellion. Most of the townspeople were in favor of the rebels. There were three ships naval present, the "San Carlos", "Activo", and "Concepción", in addition to two merchant ships and a number of smaller vessels. Rebel forces, numbering in the thousands, surrounded San Blas and issued terms for surrender. On November 30, Lavayen and the nine other naval officers met and decided to surrender. Narváez thought the Spanish position was hopeless. The next morning Lavayen capitulated and San Blas fell into rebel hands.

Within a month of the fall of San Blas the revolution suffered a severe defeat near Guadalajara. In the aftermath the royalist army was able to regain control of Tepic and San Blas, among other areas. In February of 1811 Narváez, Lavayen, and nine other officers were brought before a military tribunal, accused on failing to defend San Blas. The officers, including Narváez, were found guilty of treason, but cleared of most of the charges and restored to duty. Narváez continued to serve the Spanish Navy, but made repeated attempts to remove the stain on his reputation.

Narváez, by virtue of being born in Spain, was a member of the elite class known as "peninsulares" or "gachupines". But he had made Mexico his home and became increasingly interested in the general goals of the revolutionary movement, which repeatedly flared up into revolt and violence in various regions. Nevertheless, he remained a royalist and continued to serve the navy. He was put in charge of a voyage to the Philippines and back in 1813-1814.

In 1815 Narváez participated in a blockade of the rebel stronghold of Mescala Island in Lake Chapala, near Guadalajara. Narváez watched as royalist forces attempted and failed to take Mescala Island at least four times, taking significant loses in the process. The Spanish commander in charge of crushing the rebels was Brigadier José de la Cruz, who had also been in charge of the military tribunal that found Narváez guilty of treason in 1811. Having failed to take Mescala Island by storm, Cruz conducted a ruthless scorched earth campaign around the entire lake. Late in 1816 the rebels on Mescala Island finally surrendered.

During 1817 and early 1818 Narváez worked on a project to map the entire province of Jalisco, including charting Lake Chapala. He was also involved in surveying a new road to Guadalajara. On March 20, 1818, he was promoted to "alférez de navio" in recognition of his service during the Lake Chapala campaign.

By 1818 royalist forces had pacified nearly all of New Spain and the revolutionary movement collapsed. Then in 1821 a young royalist captain, Agustín de Iturbide, formed a partnership with the rebel General Vicente Guerrero, formed a common army and, within the year, marched into Mexico City and proclaimed independence.

Mexican Navy

With the end of Spanish rule Narváez decided to remain in Guadalajara with his family. He accepted retirement from the Spanish Navy. In 1821 he was elected as Guadalajara's Provincial Deputy to the new Mexican government under Iturbide. A Mexican Navy was created in late 1821 and Narváez was appointed "teniente de fragata" ("frigate lieutenant", a rank which Narváez was unlikely to ever achieved in the Spanish Navy).cite book |last= McDowell |first= Jim |title= José Narváez: The Forgotten Explorer |year= 1998 |publisher= The Arthur H. Clark Company |location= Spokane, Washington |isbn= 0-87062-265-X |pages= pp. 87-89]

In 1822 Narváez was given command of the "San Carlos" and sailed from San Blas to Baja California and Alta California on a mission to install Mexican commissions and councils in both provinces. By the time he returned to San Blas in March, 1823, Iturbide had been overthrown and a new government set up under Antonio López de Santa Anna. Narváez was appointed Commandant of the Department of San Blas, a position he kept until 1827 when the post was suspended due to funding cuts.

In 1824 and 1825 Narváez was given command of the "Mexicana" in order to survey and map the coast between the ports of San Blas and Manzanillo. In April of 1825 he was promoted to "capitán de fragata". Later that year he produced some maps of the border areas between Louisiana and Texas for the government. In 1826 he became a founding member of an Institute of Science, Literature, and the Arts.

After 1827 Narváez's naval position was eliminated, but he continued to work for the Mexican Navy in various capacities, including the production of a number of maps. He retired in 1831 at the age of 63 and settled in Guadalajara, where he lived on a meager pension. In retirement he continued to make maps, including the first official map of the state of Jalisco.

Death

Narváez died on August 4, 1840, in Guadalajara, Mexico. His date of birth varies in the historical record, but has been set in 1768 by historian Jim McDowell. [Dates of birth and death from: cite book |last= McDowell |first= Jim |title= José Narváez: The Forgotten Explorer |year= 1998 |publisher= The Arthur H. Clark Company |location= Spokane, Washington |isbn= 0-87062-265-X |pages= pp. 13, 89]

References

External links

* [http://portal.sre.gob.mx/vancouver/index.php?option=displaypage&Itemid=58&op=page&SubMenu= Consulate of Mexico in Vancouver, talking about the importance of the Narváez's discoverings in the region] (in Spanish)