ORELLANA, Francisco -- Biography - A Stan Klos Company
ORELLANA, Francisco (o-rayl-yah'-nah),
Spanish adventurer, born in Trujillo, Spain, about 1500; died in Guiana in 1545.
He was a school-mate of Francisco Pizarro, and, following him to Peru,
participated in the conquest. In 1537 he rebuilt the city of Guayaquil.
He commanded the rear-guard as Gonzalo Pizarro's deputy in
the latter's expedition of 1539 in search of El Dorado. They arrived at the
junction of Coca River with the Napo, and Orellana was ordered with sixty men to
explore the river in a boat and return with provisions. He was rapidly carried
down stream, but found only villages of warlike natives. After many days he
reached the mouth of the Napo, where it joined a mighty river, which he called
Orellana.
He resolved to continue down the latter, and, after being
at the point of starvation, reached a large village, where, after a fight with
the inhabitants, the explorers found abundant provisions and much gold. Shortly
afterward they arrived in the possessions of a cacique named Aparia, who
received them well, and Orellana resolved to build a brigantine, as his boat was
in a precarious condition. A forge was erected, from their old arms and stirrups
nails were made, and after thirty-five days the brigantine was launched.
On 20 June they discovered many villages, where they were
fiercely attacked. According to Carvajal, the chronicler of the expedition, the
natives were commanded by warlike women of imposing aspect, and he was told that
the country belonged to women, who lived alone in communities. In consequence
the story of an Amazon country became current, and this name was given to the
river that Orellana had discovered.
As they approached the ocean, they made cordage from grass
and sails from their blankets and cloaks, took in water and provisions, and
coasted as far as the Gulf of Paria, which they entered on 4 September, reaching
on 11 June the island of Cubagua, or, according to Garcilaso, Trinidad.
Orellana was certainly the first European to navigate the
Amazon for the greater part of its course. He went immediately to Spain to give
the king an account of his discoveries and solicit the government of the
territory along the river. On 2 February, 1544, he obtained a grant of the
country under the name of Nueva Andalucia, and he left San Lucar on 11 May with
four ships and 400 men, accompanied by his wife.
The expedition met with many drawbacks, and, after several
defeats by the savages, Orellana died. His wife returned with the few survivors
to the island of Trinidad, where she fixed her residence. A relation of
Orellana's first voyage, by Friar Gaspar de Carvajal, was presented by the
former to the king in 1542, and is to be shortly published in Madrid.
Edited Appletons Encyclopedia by John Looby, Copyright © 2001
VirtualologyTM
ORELLANA, Francisco (o-rayl-yah'-nah), Spanish adventurer, born in Trujillo, Spain, about 1500; died in Guiana in 1545. He was a school-mate of Francisco Pizarro, and, following him to Peru, participated in the conquest. In 1537 he rebuilt the city of Guayaquil. He commanded the rear-guard as Gonzalo Pizarro's deputy in the latter's expedition of 1539 in search of El Dorado. They arrived at, the junction of Coca river with the Napo, and Orellana was ordered with sixty men to explore the river in a boat and return with provisions. He was rapidly carried down stream, but found only villages of warlike natives. After many clays he reached the mouth of the Napo, where it joined a mighty river, which he called Orellana. He resolved to continue down the latter, and, after being at the point of starvation, reached a large village, where, after a fight with the inhabitants, the explorers found abundant provisions and much gold. Shortly afterward they arrived in the possessions of a cacique named Aparia, who received them well, and Orellana resolved to build a brigantine, as his boat was in a precarious condition. A forge was erected, from their old arms and stirrups nails were made, and after thirty-five days the brigantine was launched. On 20 June they discovered many villages, where they were fiercely attacked. According to Carvajal, the chronicler of the expedition, the natives were commanded by warlike women of imposing aspect, and he was told that the country belonged to women, who lived alone in communities. In consequence the story of an Amazon country became current, and this name was gives: to the river that Orellana had discovered. As they approached the ocean, they made cordage from grass and sails from their blankets and cloaks, took in water and provisions, and coasted as far as the Gulf of Paria, which they entered on 4 September, reaching on 11 June the island of Cubagua, or, according to Garcilaso, Trinidad. Orellana was certainly the first European to navigate the Amazon for the greater part of its course. He went immediately to Spain to give the king an account of his discoveries and solicit the government of the territory along the river. On 2 February, 1544, he obtained a grant of the country under the name of Nueva Andalucia, and he left San Lucar on 11 May with four ships and 400 men, accompanied by his wife. The expedition met with many drawbacks, and, after several defeats by the savages, Orellana died. His wife returned with the few survivors to the island of Trinidad, where she fixed her residence. A relation of Orellana's first voyage, by Friar Gaspar de Carvajal, was presented by the former to the king in 1542, and is to be shortly published in Madrid.
