Ajacan

Ajacan in the province of Axacan, variants include Xacan, Jacan, Iacan, Axaca, Axacam. "Alegre in his 'Historia de la Compania de Fesus en Nueva Espana' (Mexico, 1842, tomo i., p. 26), says Father Segura and his companions "llegaron a la provincia de Axacan,...", quoting W. Lowery 1905.

"It is believed" by some that the early Spanish explorers, who made voyages into the Chesapeake between 1565 and 1570, actually sailed up the Potomac as far as Occoquon. The narratives of these voyages are not easily accessible and those who would yield priority in the Potomac to the Spanish base their contention, in part at least, on the phonetic similarity between "Axacan" of the Spanish missionary chronicles and "Occoquon" the name of the Indian town and creek on the Potomac. These chronicles tell in detail of a tragic trip by land to Axacan made by the missionaries in 1570, the treachery of their guide, and the massacre of the whole party," quoting from the book, "Potomac Landings" By Paul Wilstach, Published 1921, Doubleday, Page & Company, Chap. II "Potomac River" p. 13, Original from the University of Virginia, Digitized Aug 20, 2007 (July 20, 2008) [Google Books. PDF Downloadable: http://books.google.com/books?id=CMULAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA13&lpg=PA13&dq=axacan&source=web&ots=h7LIPkOcpz&sig=u8VJYukz9Bov--yu_ose58oDags&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA13,M1]

panish explorers

Lucas Vásquez de Ayllón, Spanish discoverer of Chesapeake Bay, was looking for a Northwest passage in 1524 for a western ocean route to the Asia Spice trade. Although his birth date is unknown, he died 18 October, 1526. From the religious order of St. Dominic on this expedition of 3 vessels were Fathers Antonio de Montesinos, Antonio de Cervantes and Brother Peter de Estrada. In 1526, he established the settlement of San Miguel de Gualdape. Some believe they proceeded even as far as New York (New Advent). Ayllon named the mission of the landing at Guandape, St. Michael, according Fcija who was the chief pilot of Spaniards searching Virginia in 1609 for English activities at Chesapeake Bay. "Entering the Capes at the Chesapeake, and ascending a river (the James), he landed at Guandape, which he named St. Michael." ["Diocese of Richmond", APA citation. Magri, F.J. (1912). Diocese of Richmond. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved July 20, 2008 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13050a.htm (July 20, 2008)] Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor gave Ayllón a grant of the land he had discovered. Of his colony of 600 settlers, only some 150 survivors returned to Hispaniola. ["The Spanish in the Chesapeake Bay", Charles A. Grymes
http://www.virginiaplaces.org/settleland/spanish.html] After a severe winter and hostilities, in the spring of 1527, Francis Gomez led the remaining settlers back on two of the vessels. One of which sank which left one of the three ships to return. Ayllón's 1526 attempt at the earlier Chesakeake Bay and colony is sometimes confused with the 1570 attempt of Aviles. Estaban Gomez named the Chesapeake Bay "Immaculate Conception Bay" on his expedition in 1525 with 29 sailors and a priest. In 1561, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés also held the belief of a passage by way of the tributaries flowing east from the Allegheny Mountain's gaps and the rivers flowing west on the other side to the Pacific as told them by the Native American at the range of Axacan. ["The Spanish in the Chesapeake Bay", Charles A. Grymes
http://www.virginiaplaces.org/settleland/spanish.html] ["The first visit of the Spaniards to Axacan was that of the Dominican missionaries in 1559-1560, who are said by Sacchini (Hist.Sec.Fesa. Pars tertia, Romae, 1650, p. 323) to have taken the Indian Don Luis from there eleven years prior to 1570. Aviles refers to Don Luis as being already in Mexico in his letter to the King of October 15, 1565 (Ruidiaz, La Florida, tomo ii., p. 94), and it seems probable that from him the existence of the Bay of Santa Maria of Axacan (Xacan, Jacan, Iacan, Axaca, Axacam) was learnt. (Lowery 1905, Appendix DD p.459)...Paragraph Two, page 459, Lowery states, "There can be of little doubt as to its identity with Chesapeake Bay. Velasco in his "Deografio de las Indiaa" 1571-1574 (p. 172) says| Babo de Santiago: [esra] al norte del cabo de Arenas [the Cabo de Arenas was in 37* 30'] , cera del. Bahia de San Cristobal; mas al norte. Bahia ce Santa Maria: mas al norte. Rio de San Anton: en 42 grados y 1/2 como ochenta leguas al norte del cabo de las Arenas." The Chesapeake was visited in 1588 by Vincente Gonzales, for he entered a bay where Indians told him there was an English settlement towards the north on a river flowing into it, but Gonzales does not give the name of the bay. ("Relacion qye dio el Capitan Vizente Gonzales," 1588, MS. Dirc. de Hidrog., Madrid, Col. Nararrete, tomo xiv., Doc. 54, fol. 8.) Juan Menendez Marques in his "Relacion esxrita en el fuerte de San Agustin . . . al P. Comesario General de Indias Fr. Miguel Avengocar," June 7, 1606 (Ruidiaz, too ii., p. 498) refers to this expedition of 1588 as being to the Bay of Jacan." The Spanish Settlements Within The Present Limits Of The United States" by Woodbury Lowery, G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York and London, The Knickerbocker Press, 1905.] It is unknown how far beyond the James River (Virginia) the Spanish explored. Several historians have demonstarted in documention that they did sail up to at least that river's "falls line".

The Chesapeake Bay was in the province of Axacan which included the Allegheny Mountains. The Virginias were not called thus at this time, before Sir Walter Raleigh and the "Virgin Queen". The English Crown had been focused on the Tudor re-conquest of Ireland through the Tudor period. It was after the Desmond Rebellions and Nine Years' War (Ireland) did Virginia and Massachusetts colonization become a special interest to the London merchants. Earlier noble investors were concerned with the long distant Spice Trade, yet, few of noblesse oblige, the root of the Age of Discovery ascending from the time of Marco Polo.

Background

Ship pilots of Portugal in the 15th century centered around Henry the Navigator's methods of seamanship. These shipwrights developed a vessel of two masts that could better cut across water and cross winds,Tack (sailing). Naval architect, engineers, developed a Bow (ship) Knee (construction) for the keel line on the Caravella which became a great improvement over, most often single, the square rigged Cog (ship) rising from Celtic nations and the overlord's Norse Knarr. Later Celtic Cogs resembled Viking construction and rigging, but, were much more "beamy" (wider) for greater volumes of merchant freight, particularly livestock and mineral as the Renaissance period arose. The Portuguese Caravella was a great improvement in steerage in harbours, yet, able to carry plenty of provisions for extended voyages.

The Portuguese began sailing beyond Cape Bojador on the African coast to India. Pope Eugenius IV declared Portuguese discoveries had a right to claim on this spice route of the Atlantic and Indian Ocean which the following Popes in Rome continued to support. Spain, the other exploring seapower of the century, agreed to the Treaty of 1479 not to interfere with Portugal's long standing right to discoveries on the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. King John of Portugal became alarmed by Christopher Columbus' claim for Spanish dominion of what these sailors thought were islands of Cathey of the Far East Asia coast, otherwise Cipango, today's Japan. Pope Alexander VI brokered a Treaty of right of discovery between Spain and Portugal on May, 4th, 1493. A demarkation between Spain and Portugal was agreed to as Columbus prepared his second expedition. By the Pope's efforts to avoid conflict of trespassing, a second Treaty of Tordesillas was agreed to. It extended the line of dominion beyond the "Cape de Vird Islands" in the Atlantic by 370 leagues. It was this treaty that allowed Portugal's claim to Brazil which was reported discovered in 1500. ["The Spainish Settlements Within The Presant Limits Of The United States" by Woodbury Lowery, chapter "The Treasure Fleets and Florida", Pp 17.]

Meanwhile, Henry the Navigator's fishing pilots had been going to and from Newfoundland and Labrador's fisheries. Of these are the old sailor's stories which are rather difficult for scholars to document. Scholars suspect even Columbus had ventured along on one of these Portuguese fishing trips to the North Atlantic's western fisheries prior to his acquiring his first exploration fleet. Stories of sea monsters and places such as the "Land of The Saints" were common pilot's and fishermen's "Inn talk", stories, at the western Europe seaport villages during the 15th century. "For many years after, the ships and adventurers of France and England drew an unfailing supply of skillful pilots from the little kingdom, sometimes by enlisting them by cunning, sometimes by force, and not infrequently finding them ready and willing servants to conduct their most hazardous interprises," quoting historian Woodbury Lowery in his book, "The Spanish Settlements Within The Presant Limits Of The United States" (1905). Northern Europe vessels tended to be the Square-rigged Caravel as opposed to the southern Lateen rigged. Spain provided the improved Square-rigged Carrack to Christopher Columbus. The Galleon appeared later in the 16th Century.

Early ocean routes

Early transatlantic voyagers used the ocean currents. A major cold ocean current, the Labrador Current, on the west side of the North Atlantic Ocean flows southward along the east coast of North America. It meets the warm Gulf Stream current from Cape Hatteras and Cape Fear, a couple hundred miles south of the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. This merging of cool and warm currents move easterly to the southern portions of the Celtic Sea of which the Irish Sea's current moves and adjoining the north-western Bay of Biscay. The English Channel current cuts between these two seas of west Europe's continental shelf to meet the warm eastern current just north of the Sargasso Sea. The merging currents flow south along Portugal's Iberian Peninsula coast towards the North Equatorial Current which moves westerly, south of the Sargasso Sea, to the southern Caribbean and adjoining northern South America continental shelf. The earliest seafaring people used these currents to navigate to and from the ocean's fisheries. Only speculation can say how long ago and how far into the North Atlantic fishermen travelled.

Amerigo Vespucci found the Chesapeake Bay on his first trip to the New World in 1497 in his Caravel. He used the warm Gulf Stream current north and passing into the cooler current that moves down to the Outer Banks coastal region. John Cabot had discovered the American coast line and the Chesapeake Bay in 1498. He sailed down exploring the coastline of New England by this mid-Atlantic's cooler current to the Chesapeake Bay. Only legends and Sagas tell of Vikings and Basque fishermen visit to the Newfoundland fisheries. Pan-Celticism and Irish Immram (voyages) are yet to be proven as exampled by "Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis" ["Irish and Vikings"
http://www.win.tue.nl/~engels/discovery/viking.html] and the other adventures and voyages. These legends appear before the Personal union of Ireland and England, and some before Canute the Great and the Viking Age. Italian navigator, Amerigo Vespucci, explored the east coast of South America during the voyages of discovery for Spain in 1499. He sailed across by the North Equatorial Current as Christopher Columbus had done in 1492.

Also see "The Order of Christ under Henry the Navigator" chapter during Prince Henry's rule.

Concerned Encroach

[
Diego Ribero (1529), where the Southern Half of the East coast of the current US is named as Tierra de Ayllón] The Chesapeake Bay was called "Bahia de Santa Maria" after the time of Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón. Axacan had been called "Land of The Saints" earlier. The Spanish considered this land to be in their domain. Later, Avilés apparently thought the Portuguese were in the vicinity of the mountains eighty leagues (~240 miles) to the north of the Chesapeake Bay and not a great distance from the channel connecting the bay from the "South Sea", Gulf of Mexico. [March, 28 1568 Brit. Mus. Add. MSS.,33,983,fol.324] Greater Axacan and adjoining Allegheny Mountains's western slopes, Mocosa, to Ajacal (Avacal) was thought to have rivers connecting to the south and west seas at that time. It was due to what the Spanish viewed as trespassing that had brought about the order for the Monks to support the Virginia mining efforts. Hernando Boyano and Juan Pardo prospected through the Cherokee range in 1566-67 and barely sufficient reports suggest mining continued into the 1690s along the Appalachian Mountain Range. These had routed by land. The explorers had discovered the curiosity of interior oil springs, copper outcrops, iron ore and coal for forging. All of which were located towards the Allegheny Mountains and Unaka Range also in the province of Axacan and the northern areas of "La Florida". North of "La Flordia" at today's Virginia was called "Land of Don Luis" by later half 16th century Spanish.

Dominican Friars
Paquiquino the Virginia Indian of province Axacan was a brother to a chief in the lower Chesapeake Bay area. [Aviles to Philip II., Jan. 30, 1566, Ruidiaz, "La Florida", tomo ii., p.151] He's Spanish given name was Don Luis. He was reported to be from Chiskiak town on the York River. In 1559 or 1560, a Spanish vessel, perhaps, with some Dominican monks caused Paquiquino to go with them to Mexico as a guide where Aviles meets Paquiquino and thought to have learnt of the Axacan passage. [Hist. Soc. Fesu. Pars tertia, Romae, 1650, p.323, Appendix DD, "The Spainish Settlements Within The Presant Limits Of The United States" by Woodbury Lowery] Historians generally believe it was Juan Menendez Marques who picked up Don Luis and left another Spanish boy with one of Luis' brothers the chief, a hostage in exchange. The Viceroy of Mexico had Paquiquino baptised with the name Don Luis de Velasco (Lowery 1905). Ángel de Villafañe had been in the Chesapeake Bay area in 1561. He reported the chief at the Chesapeake indians was called Regulus according to Francisco Sacchini. [ Historia Societatis Fesu, Pars tertia, Romae, MDCIL., p.323, "The Spainish Settlements Within The Presant Limits Of The United States" by Woodbury Lowery] At San Mateo, Avilés sent a Captain with 32 soldiers and two Dominican friars to settle the believed route to the mountain pass and rivers that was thought to lead to the Pacific Ocean. This was supposed to have returned Luis to his Chesapeake home and develope a colony at Ajacan landing. But no, the two friars who had already worked in South America and the military Captain convinced the pilot to navigate back to Europe claiming bad weather for the deviation. Some accounts declare they actually made land-fall, but, were blown off point as they tried to enter the bay. This is how Luis had arrived at Seville, Spain instead of returning to the "Bay of Santa Maria". Gone for about eleven years, Don Luis had spent the past six years with Aviles. They had returned to winter at Havanna by 1570. But, now the concern was about trespassers on his Pacific Ocean passage theory to the China Spice Trade. Meanwhile, it would seem that Luis harboured resentment through the years, although, the reports declare he was eager to help evangelize his kindred.

Segura Mission 1570
Ajacan landing included Father Segura, vice provincial of the Jesuits with seven companions, Father Luis de Quiros, Brothers Gabriel Gomez, Sancho Cevallos, Juan Bautista Mendez, Pedro de Limares, Gabriel de Solis (related to Aviles), and Cristobal Relondo, a boy named Alonso, and Indian Don Luis departed Santa Elena, just north of St. Augustine (now Parris Island [Part 11: The New World, 11.2 The Spanish and the French (1492-1540), Spanish Conquest of the New World, by George Parris © Copyright 1998] ), for the Chesapeake Bay on August 5th, 1570. [Buckingham Smith, "Florida MSS., 1526, 1743, p.255, MS. New York Historical Society.] They had arrive at Ajacan landing on September 10th, 1570. They found the local people had removed themselves from the Ajacan landing area villages due to extended drought of six years. It was reported that only a few old men remained so "that they might die where their fathers had died." [A quotation cited in Woodbury Lowery in his book, "The Spanish Settlements Within The Presant Limits Of The United States" (1905).] Indian crops there at that time was scarce and corn was brought to them. In a brief letter before the ship left the missionaries, Father Quiros wrote of the Allegheny Mountains as told him by the native, of "the entrance through the mountains and China...Three or four days journey from yonder, were the mountains, and two of these days' journey were by a river, and one or two days' travel beyond the mountains another sea is observed." Aviles of Spain maintain his theory that the passage to the Pacific was by way of the Chesapeake Bay.

The mission called Segura Mission consisted of a hut and small chapel about two leagues, two hours canoe trip up the river of their landing, to Don Luis's brother's village. Don Luis remained with the priests as an interpreter. An expected supply vessel had not returned before winter after which Luis deserted the Monks. Wihtin four months, Luis left the missionaries to forage on their own through the winter. Father Rogal wrote of Avales' vengeance on Luis' party who commited the murders on February 8th, 1571. [Tanner, "Societas Militans" Pp.449-451] Don Luis's brother saved the boy named Alonso from the betrayal, the only survivor. Avales' is reported not to have punished Luis' brother's village. Father Carrera wrote of the punitive action in 1572 as he had witnessed the Ajacan landing of the supply vessel.

Other visitors

In 1499, Amerigo Vespucci for the Spanish Crown spent thirty-seven days repairing their ships at the Chesapeake Bay. About the same time, John Cabot also entered the bay. On May 30, Captain Vicente Gonzalez sailed around the shores of the Chesapeake to the 39th latitude (Annapolis, MD) and on the return at the 37th latitude near the mouth of James River. He found and returned evidence to St. Augustine of English there in 1588. Governor of Florida, Menendez Marques, sailed to the 38th latitude near today's Virginia and Maryland border in 1589. He found Vicente the Indian who claimed he was evangelized at the Segura Mission of Ajacan. Marques allowed him to return to the Florida capitol with him. This was after the forming of the Iberian Union.

The Florida priests built the mission Ajacan across the peninsula to the York River (Virginia) despite two earlier intentions. Historians attribute Spanish abandonment of the Chesapeake Bay to either the Powhatan Confederacy or privateers. Poorly documented seafaring nationals were known to fish and trade at Norfolk Anchorage. Later in the 16th century, many pilots, as the ship's master (today's Captain) was called at that time, held English and French Letter of marque to raid the Spanish treasure fleet. English privateers had been sailing to the North American coast since 1562, preying on Spanish shipping loaded with royal loot from the Spanish Main. Their provision and repair anchorage was often at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. This is where the easterly North Atlantic current, just north of the "Sargasso Sea" moves towards the Celtic Sea of Ireland and Bay of Biscay of northern Spain and Portugal. Father Segura's Ajacan settlement was destroyed by the Native American Don Luis and his group of deceit, "Indians". [Some claim from early printed history such as the following quoth, "...Towards the Southwest, four days journey is situate a town called Sequotan, which is the Southermost town of Wingandacoa, near unto which, six and twenty years past, there was a ship cast away, whereof some of the people were saved, and those were white people, whom the country people preserved. . ." Richard Hakluyt, The Principall Voyages, Traffiques, and Discourses of the English Nations (1599-1600), reprinted in Albert Bushnell Hart, ed., American History Told by Contemporaries (New York, 1898), volume 1, 89-95.] England's Jamestown Settlement became known to the Spanish at St. Augustine in 1610. These English took the Spanish captive, who were sent by caravella to investigate, in 1611. Although many nationals came to repair or clean their ships hauls, reprovision and trade or prospect for many decades before, it remains unclear as to whom removed the Spanish presence across the mining region of Axacan before the English first permanent colony at Jamestown.

ee also

Ajacàn Mission

Juan Pardo (explorer)

Hanseatic League

Portugal in the Age of Discovery

Spanish colonization of the Americas

European colonization of the Americas

Roman Catholic Church and colonialism

Maritime history

Reference

Citation: Chesapeake Bay - The Mariners' Museum, online.