Ignacio de Arteaga y Bazán, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetIgnacio de Arteaga y Bazán
Spanish explorer
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Aracena, Andalusia, Spain
About Ignacio de Arteaga y Bazán
- Ignacio de Arteaga y Bazán (17 February 1731 – 1783) was an officer of the Spanish Navy.
- He was born in Aracena, Andalusia.
- His paternal Basque family 'Arteaga' made it possible for Arteaga to join the naval academy at Cádiz.
- He was accepted as a guardiamarina (midshipman) in 1747 and upon graduation in 1754 was given the rank of alférez de fragata (ensign).
- After serving on various ships and in various places he was transferred to Havana in 1766 and given his first command, the sloop Vibora.
- In 1767 he was promoted to teniente de navío (lieutenant).In 1771 Arteaga returned to Spain and tried to marry without certain required royal and ecclesiastical permissions.
- The priest who was to perform the marriage ceremony refused and Arteaga made an appeal to the ecclesiastical tribunal.
- During the proceedings grew abusive and insulting.
- As a consequence he was imprisoned for three years in the jail of the naval arsenal at La Carraca, Cádiz.In 1774 he was released.
- Although allowed to continue his career in the navy he was exiled to the remote naval station at San Blas, on the west coast of New Spain.
- He arrived in San Blas in 1775.
- He was given command of an expedition to Alaska in 1779.
- Two frigates were assigned, the Favorita, commanded by Arteaga, and the Princesa, under Bodega y Quadra.
- With Bodega y Quadra on the Princesa was second officer Francisco Antonio Mourelle, surgeon Mariano Nunez Esquivel, pilot Jose Canizares, and second pilot Juan Bautista Aguirre.
- The expedition's objective was to evaluate the Russian penetration of Alaska, search for a Northwest Passage, and capture James Cook if they found him in Spanish waters.
- Arteaga and Bodega y Quadra did not find Cook, who had been killed in Hawaii in February 1779.The two frigates sailed directly from San Blas to Bucareli Bay, Alaska.
- The voyage of 81 days, which was relatively fast, leaving time for further exploration.
- Arteaga and Bodega y Quadra carefully surveyed Bucareli Bay then headed north to present-day Port Etches on Hinchinbrook Island, near the entrance to Prince William Sound.
- While the ships were anchored, Arteaga took a party ashore to perform a formal possession ceremony.
- All the officers and chaplains went ashore in procession, raised a large cross while cannons and muskets fired salutes.
- The Te Deum was sung, followed by a litany and prayers.
- After a sermon was preached a formal deed of possession was drawn up and signed by the officers and chaplains.
- Arteaga named the site Puerto de Santiago, commemorating Saint James, the patron saint of Spain, whose feast day falls on July 25.
- The title to Puerto de Santiago was important for years afterward, as it formed the basis of Spain's claim to sovereignty in the North Pacific up to 61°17'N.Arteaga and Bodega y Quadra also explored Cook Inlet, and the Kenai Peninsula, where a possession ceremony was performed on August 2, 1779, in what today is called Port Chatham.
- Due to various sicknesses among the crew Arteaga decided to return south.
- On September 8, the ships rejoined and began the return trip to San Blas.
- Although the Spanish were normally secretive about their exploring voyages and the discoveries made, the 1779 voyage of Arteaga and Bodega y Quadra became widely known.
- La Perouse obtained a copy of their map, which was published in 1798.
- Mourelle's journal was acquired and published in London in 1798 by Daines Barrington. After returning to San Blas, Arteaga requested and received a royal pardon and reinstatement of his loss of pension.
- He did not go to sea again, due to "broken health".
- Arteaga served as commandant of the naval department of San Blas until his death in 1783.
- Shortly before he died he was promoted to capitán de fragata (commander)—his first promotion in 16 years.
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