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TALAMANTES, Melecor (tah-lah-man'-tays),
Peruvian geographer, born in Lima about 1750; died in Vera Cruz, Mexico, in
1809. He studied theology in the University of San Marcos, Lima, and, after
receiving the degree of D. D., entered the military religious order of Merced,
in which he soon rose to the rank of superior of his province.
His favorite study was geography, in
which he soon became an acknowledged authority, and on his way to Spain in 1806
he stopped in Mexico, to study documents regarding the colonization of the
northern provinces. He was commissioned by the viceroy, Hurrigaray, to determine
the boundary of the viceroyalty with the former French possession of Louisiana,
and between the latter and Florida. While occupied in this work, he was
implicated in Hurrigaray's plans of secession, and on the latter's deposition,
15 September, 1808, Talamantes was arrested and transported to Vera Cruz, where
he died of yellow fever.
His manuscript, "Apuntamientos para
deslindar los justos limites de las posesiones Españales de la America
septentrional con las Francesas," came into the possession of his collaborator,
Jose Pichardo, who used the notes and completed the work.
Edited Appletons Encyclopedia, by John Looby Copyright © 2001
StanKlos.comTM
TALAMANTES, Melecor (tah-lah-man'-tays), Peruvian geographer, born in Lima about 1750; died in Vera Cruz, Mexico, in 1809. He studied theology in the University of San Marcos, Lima, and, after receiving the degree of D. D., entered the military religious order of Merced, in which he soon rose to the rank of superior of his province. His favorite study was geography, in which he soon became an acknowledged authority, and on his way to Spain in 1806 he stopped in Mexico, to study documents regarding the colonization of the northern provinces. He was commissioned by the viceroy, Hurrigaray, to determine the boundary of the viceroyalty with the former French possession of Louisiana, and between the latter and Florida. While occupied in this work, he was implicated in Hrrigaray's plans of secession, and on the latter's deposition, 15 September, 1808, Talamantes was arrested and transported to Vera Cruz, where he died of yellow fever. His manuscript, "Apuntamientos para deslindar los justos limites de las posesiones Espanales de la America septentrional con las Francesas," came into the possession of his collaborator, Jose Pichardo, who used the notes and completed the work.
