- Francisco Antonio Mourelle
Francisco Antonio Mourelle de la Rúa (1755 –
May 24 ,1820 ) was a Spanish naval officer andexplorer . He was born in 1755 at San Adrian de Corme, near La Coruña, Galicia,Spain .cite book |last= Thrapp |first= Dan L. |title= Encyclopedia of Frontier Biography: In Three Volumes |year= 1991 |publisher= University of Nebraska Press |isbn= 0803294182 |pages= p. 1028]1775 voyage
Mourelle served the Spanish navy in the
Guyanas ,Trinidad , and theAntilles before becoming stationed at New Spain's Pacific Ocean naval base at San Blas,Mexico in 1774. He joined the 1775 expedition ofBruno de Heceta andJuan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra , serving as Quadra's pilot on the schooner "Sonora". On July 29, at around 49 degrees north latitude, the "Sonora" became separated from Heceta's ship "Santiago". Heceta soon returned south while Quadra and Mourelle continued north, eventually reaching 58 degrees 30 minutes north latitude. They found and anchored inBucareli Bay . Then they sailed south, arriving atMonterey, California , on October 7, and San Blas on November 20, 1775.Mourelle's journal was somehow taken clandestinely to London where it was translated and published. Captain
James Cook made use of the information in Mourelle's journal during his travels in the Pacific Northwest.1779 voyage
Mourelle again served as the pilot of Quadra, and second in command of the ship "Favorita", during the 1779 expedition commanded by Arteaga. Leaving San Blas on February 11, 1779, the expedition reached 61 degrees north and Hinchinbrook Island at the head of the
Gulf of Alaska . From there they sailed southwest along theKenai Peninsula . The ships returned to San Blas on November 21, 1775.Later career
During his service at San Blas, Mourelle traveled extensively throughout the
Pacific Ocean . He visitedTonga in 1781. He was also familiar with thePhilippines and Canton,China .Mourelle was to command the "Mexicana" for a 1792 voyage to explore the
Strait of Georgia butAlessandro Malaspina had one of his own officers, Cayetano Valdés, placed in command of the "Mexicana".Dionisio Alcalá Galiano commanded the "Sutil", the twin companion of the "Mexicana".Mourelle was transferred to Spain in 1793. He was promoted to frigate captain in 1799, ship's captain in 1806, and commodore in 1811. He commanded a squadron in 1818 that was to put down a rebellion in the Rio de la Plata, but the endeavor never got underway.
Mourelle died on May 24, 1820, at the age of 64.
References
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