Francisco Hudson
Encyclopedia
Francisco Hudson Cárdenas (Curaco de Vélez
, Chile
, July 1, 1826 – March, 1859) was a Chilean naval officer and hydrographer notable for his explorations of Southern Chile
and Chilean Patagonia
. Hudson sailed on behalf of the Chilean government several times to Peru
and Ecuador
, but gained notoriety for his explorations and investigations of Maullín River
, Roca Remolino
and the channels of Aysén Region
. Hudson was the first to infer the possible existence of sailing route through internal waters from Chiloé Archipelago
to Straits of Magellan, but was also the first to realize that only the Isthmus of Ofqui
made this impossible. However his hydrographic works laid the groundwork for Hans Steffen
's exploration of Aysén Region
in late 19th century.
in Quinchao Island
of Chiloé Archipelago
to the couple Santiago (possibly a translation of "James") Hudson and Juana Cárdenas. Hudson studied at the Maritime School of Ancud (Escuela Naútica de Ancud), afterwards he was transferred to the frigate
Chile where Roberto Simpson was in command. He later explored Maullín River
with Francisco Vidal Gormaz
but did however not reach Llanquihue Lake, its birth place. Hudson and Vidal Gormaz reached only to the "three cascades". Gormaz proposed to clean the river from trunks to use it for transport of wood in benefit of the German settlers that had already settled in the shores of Llanquihue Lake. He tried later unsuccessfully to reach the "three cascades" starting from Llanquihue Lake, and was preparing a new expedition when he was ordered instead to investigate Roca Remolino
(lit. "whirl rock"), a dangerous underwater rock in Chacao Channel
.
After having read "Sailing Directions for South America" by Robert FitzRoy
Francisco Hudson realized the possibility of the existence of a route that would allow traffic through the channels of Patagonia without the need of sailing through the open sea at Tres Montes Peninsula
. Sailing at the open sea in the roaring 40s
was dangerous and finding such route would significantly improve the traffic between the Chilean settlement of Punta Arenas in the Straits of Magellan one one hand and Chiloé
and Central Chile
on the other.
In 1857 he is sent to explore the possible inner passage he had inferred from Fitz Roy's writings. He sailed of Ancud with the brigantine
Janaqueo and the sloop-of-war
Emprendedora but had to sent back Janaqueo due to its bad maintenance after many years of service. The expedition sailed thought Moraleda Channel
to San Rafael Lagoon
where they explored by foot the Isthmus of Ofqui
without finding any passage to the San Quintín Bay of Gulf of Penas
.
After this expedition he mapped Dalcahue Channel
near his hometown and explored once again Maullín River
with Vidal Gormaz.
with the governor of Punta Arenas on board. In Punta Arenas he met his brother-in-law
Martín Aguayo who was in command of the brigantine Meteoro and had like Hudson to sail north, so they decided to sail together. They then tried to sail through the western section of the Strait of Magellan but had to sail instead east to enter the Atlantic
and through Cape Horn
due to strong westerlies
. After having passed the Le Maire Strait
the two ships separated in a storm and while the more robust Meteoro managed to sail back to Punta Arenas for reparations, Pizarro and Francisco Hudson were never seen again. On July 1, 1860, the government issued a decree where he was considered dead.
and in the Patagonian channels through his maps. His works were essential for the later inland exploration of Aysén Region
by Hans Steffen
. Hudson did also outline several projects to improve fluvial and maritime traffic but most of them were never applied. Francisco Hudson had Mount Hudson
, the most active volcano of Aysén Region is named after him as well as one of several headlands in at the entrance of San Rafael Lagoon
and the Oceanographic and Hydrographic service
of the Chilean Navy
have one of its buildings named "Don Francisco Hudson".
Curaco de Vélez
Curaco de Vélez is Chilean commune in Chiloé Archipelago which is part of Chiloé Province and Los Lagos Region. The commune is located in western Quinchao Island while the eastern part is administered by the commune of Quinchao.-History:...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, July 1, 1826 – March, 1859) was a Chilean naval officer and hydrographer notable for his explorations of Southern Chile
Zona Sur
The Zona Sur is one of the five natural regions on which CORFO divided continental Chile in 1950. Its northern border is formed by the Bío-Bío River, the limit with the Central Chile Zone. By west with the Pacific Ocean, by the east with the Andean mountains and Argentina. Its southern border is...
and Chilean Patagonia
Zona Austral
The Zona Austral is one of the five natural regions into which CORFO divided continental Chile in 1950 corresponding to the Chilean portion of Patagonia. It is surrounded by the Southern Zone and the Chacao Channel to the north, the Pacific Ocean and Drake's Passage to the south and west, and the...
. Hudson sailed on behalf of the Chilean government several times to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, but gained notoriety for his explorations and investigations of Maullín River
Maullín River
Maullín River is a river of Chile located in the Los Lagos Region. The river originates as the outflow of Llanquihue Lake, and flows generally southwestward, over a number of small waterfalls, emptying into the Gulf of Coronados...
, Roca Remolino
Roca Remolino
Roca Remolino is a submarine mountain in Chacao Channel, Chile, notorious for being a major hazard for traffic along the channel. Roca Remolino does not show up during low tides. When there are strong tidal currents in Chacao Channel the rock creates whirl effect drawing objects to it...
and the channels of Aysén Region
Aysen Region
The XI Aisén Region of General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo , also spelled Aysén, is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. Although the third largest in area, the region is Chile's most sparsely populated region with a population of 105,000. The capital of the region is Coihaique, the...
. Hudson was the first to infer the possible existence of sailing route through internal waters from Chiloé Archipelago
Chiloé Archipelago
Chiloé Archipelago consists of several islands lying off the coast of Chile. It is separated from mainland Chile by Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and Gulf of Corcovado to the southeast. All of the archipelago except Desertores Islands, which are part of Palena...
to Straits of Magellan, but was also the first to realize that only the Isthmus of Ofqui
Isthmus of Ofqui
Isthmus of Ofqui is a narrow isthmus that connects the Taitao Peninsula with the Chilean mainland. The isthmus is bounded in the south by the Gulf of Penas, in the north by the San Rafael Lagoon, in the west by the Taitao Peninsula and in the east by the Northern Patagonia Ice Field.Geologically...
made this impossible. However his hydrographic works laid the groundwork for Hans Steffen
Hans Steffen
right|thumb|200px|Picture of Hans Steffen in 1916Hans Steffen Hoffman was a German geographer and explorer of Aysén Region in western Patagonia. Steffen did also work as teacher, encyclopedist and historian...
's exploration of Aysén Region
Aysen Region
The XI Aisén Region of General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo , also spelled Aysén, is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. Although the third largest in area, the region is Chile's most sparsely populated region with a population of 105,000. The capital of the region is Coihaique, the...
in late 19th century.
Biography
Hudson was born in the town of Curaco de VélezCuraco de Vélez
Curaco de Vélez is Chilean commune in Chiloé Archipelago which is part of Chiloé Province and Los Lagos Region. The commune is located in western Quinchao Island while the eastern part is administered by the commune of Quinchao.-History:...
in Quinchao Island
Quinchao Island
Quinchao Island is an island in Chiloé Province, Chile, off the east coast of Chiloé Island. It has an area of 135 km2 and a population of ca 12,000. It includes the communes of Quinchao and Curaco de Vélez. Main towns are Achao and Curaco de Vélez. Quinchao Island is separated from Chiloé...
of Chiloé Archipelago
Chiloé Archipelago
Chiloé Archipelago consists of several islands lying off the coast of Chile. It is separated from mainland Chile by Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and Gulf of Corcovado to the southeast. All of the archipelago except Desertores Islands, which are part of Palena...
to the couple Santiago (possibly a translation of "James") Hudson and Juana Cárdenas. Hudson studied at the Maritime School of Ancud (Escuela Naútica de Ancud), afterwards he was transferred to the frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
Chile where Roberto Simpson was in command. He later explored Maullín River
Maullín River
Maullín River is a river of Chile located in the Los Lagos Region. The river originates as the outflow of Llanquihue Lake, and flows generally southwestward, over a number of small waterfalls, emptying into the Gulf of Coronados...
with Francisco Vidal Gormaz
Francisco Vidal Gormaz
Francisco Vidal Gormaz was a Chilean naval officer and hydrographer who explored the coasts of Chile including some river systems and lakes. During the 1850s he explored and surveyed several times Maullín River with Francisco Hudson...
but did however not reach Llanquihue Lake, its birth place. Hudson and Vidal Gormaz reached only to the "three cascades". Gormaz proposed to clean the river from trunks to use it for transport of wood in benefit of the German settlers that had already settled in the shores of Llanquihue Lake. He tried later unsuccessfully to reach the "three cascades" starting from Llanquihue Lake, and was preparing a new expedition when he was ordered instead to investigate Roca Remolino
Roca Remolino
Roca Remolino is a submarine mountain in Chacao Channel, Chile, notorious for being a major hazard for traffic along the channel. Roca Remolino does not show up during low tides. When there are strong tidal currents in Chacao Channel the rock creates whirl effect drawing objects to it...
(lit. "whirl rock"), a dangerous underwater rock in Chacao Channel
Chacao Channel
The Chacao Channel is located in Los Lagos Region, Chile and separates Chiloé Island from mainland Chile. The channel was created during the Quaternary glaciations by successive glaciers that flowed down fron the Andes to the coast...
.
After having read "Sailing Directions for South America" by Robert FitzRoy
Robert FitzRoy
Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy RN achieved lasting fame as the captain of HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin's famous voyage, and as a pioneering meteorologist who made accurate weather forecasting a reality...
Francisco Hudson realized the possibility of the existence of a route that would allow traffic through the channels of Patagonia without the need of sailing through the open sea at Tres Montes Peninsula
Tres Montes Peninsula
The Tres Montes Peninsula is a southwestward projection of Taitao Peninsula which in turn connects to the mainland of Chile by the narrow Isthmus of Ofqui. The peninsula is situated in Aisén Region close to the Chile Triple Junction of the Nazca, Antarctic and South American Plate....
. Sailing at the open sea in the roaring 40s
Roaring 40s
Roaring 40s is an electricity generator formed in partnership between Hydro Tasmania and China Light & Power . Since the beginning in 2005, Roaring 40s’ has 13 sites in operation or in planning in Australia, India, Hong Kong and mainland China. Cathedral Rocks, Woolnorth, Waterloo Wind Farm and...
was dangerous and finding such route would significantly improve the traffic between the Chilean settlement of Punta Arenas in the Straits of Magellan one one hand and Chiloé
Chiloé Archipelago
Chiloé Archipelago consists of several islands lying off the coast of Chile. It is separated from mainland Chile by Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and Gulf of Corcovado to the southeast. All of the archipelago except Desertores Islands, which are part of Palena...
and Central Chile
Zona Central, Chile
Zona central is one of the five natural regions into which CORFO divided continental Chile in 1950. It is home to a majority of the Chilean population and includes the three largest metropolitan areas- Santiago, Valparaíso, and Concepción...
on the other.
In 1857 he is sent to explore the possible inner passage he had inferred from Fitz Roy's writings. He sailed of Ancud with the brigantine
Brigantine
In sailing, a brigantine or hermaphrodite brig is a vessel with two masts, only the forward of which is square rigged.-Origins of the term:...
Janaqueo and the sloop-of-war
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
Emprendedora but had to sent back Janaqueo due to its bad maintenance after many years of service. The expedition sailed thought Moraleda Channel
Moraleda Channel
Moraleda Channel is a body of water separating the Chonos Archipelago from the mainland of Chile. It is located at . Southward from the mouth of the Aisén Fjord, Moraleda Channel divides into two arms. The east arm, called Canal Costa , is the main one...
to San Rafael Lagoon
San Rafael Lagoon
San Rafael Lagoon is an arc-shaped coastal lake located in the Aisén Region of Chile, within the national park that bears its name. To the north the lagoon is connected to the Moraleda Channel, to the south lies the Ofqui Isthmus...
where they explored by foot the Isthmus of Ofqui
Isthmus of Ofqui
Isthmus of Ofqui is a narrow isthmus that connects the Taitao Peninsula with the Chilean mainland. The isthmus is bounded in the south by the Gulf of Penas, in the north by the San Rafael Lagoon, in the west by the Taitao Peninsula and in the east by the Northern Patagonia Ice Field.Geologically...
without finding any passage to the San Quintín Bay of Gulf of Penas
Gulf of Penas
The Gulf of Penas is a body of water located south of Taitao Peninsula, Chile. It is open to the westerly storms of the Pacific Ocean, but it affords entrance to several natural harbours. Among these are the Gulfs of Tres Montes and San Esteban, and Tarn Bay at the entrance to Messier...
.
After this expedition he mapped Dalcahue Channel
Dalcahue Channel
Dalcahue Channel is a body of water of the Sea of Chiloé that separates Quinchao Island from Chiloé Island, both part of the Chiloé Archipelago. The town of Dalcahue is located close to the narrowest part....
near his hometown and explored once again Maullín River
Maullín River
Maullín River is a river of Chile located in the Los Lagos Region. The river originates as the outflow of Llanquihue Lake, and flows generally southwestward, over a number of small waterfalls, emptying into the Gulf of Coronados...
with Vidal Gormaz.
Death
In 1858 he was put in command of the brigantine Pizarro and sailed south from ValparaísoValparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
with the governor of Punta Arenas on board. In Punta Arenas he met his brother-in-law
Brother-in-law
A brother-in-law is the brother of one's spouse, the husband of one's sibling, or the husband of one's spouse's sibling.-See also:*Affinity *Sister-in-law*Brothers in Law , a 1955 British comedy novel...
Martín Aguayo who was in command of the brigantine Meteoro and had like Hudson to sail north, so they decided to sail together. They then tried to sail through the western section of the Strait of Magellan but had to sail instead east to enter the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and through Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
due to strong westerlies
Westerlies
The Westerlies, anti-trades, or Prevailing Westerlies, are the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude, blowing from the high pressure area in the horse latitudes towards the poles. These prevailing winds blow from the west to the east, and steer extratropical...
. After having passed the Le Maire Strait
Le Maire Strait
The Le Maire Strait is a sea passage between Isla de los Estados and the eastern extremity of the Argentine portion of Tierra del Fuego....
the two ships separated in a storm and while the more robust Meteoro managed to sail back to Punta Arenas for reparations, Pizarro and Francisco Hudson were never seen again. On July 1, 1860, the government issued a decree where he was considered dead.
Legacy
Francisco Hudson coontributed substantially to the exploration and mapping of southern Chile, improving navigation around Chiloé ArchipelagoChiloé Archipelago
Chiloé Archipelago consists of several islands lying off the coast of Chile. It is separated from mainland Chile by Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and Gulf of Corcovado to the southeast. All of the archipelago except Desertores Islands, which are part of Palena...
and in the Patagonian channels through his maps. His works were essential for the later inland exploration of Aysén Region
Aysen Region
The XI Aisén Region of General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo , also spelled Aysén, is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. Although the third largest in area, the region is Chile's most sparsely populated region with a population of 105,000. The capital of the region is Coihaique, the...
by Hans Steffen
Hans Steffen
right|thumb|200px|Picture of Hans Steffen in 1916Hans Steffen Hoffman was a German geographer and explorer of Aysén Region in western Patagonia. Steffen did also work as teacher, encyclopedist and historian...
. Hudson did also outline several projects to improve fluvial and maritime traffic but most of them were never applied. Francisco Hudson had Mount Hudson
Mount Hudson
Mount Hudson is a stratovolcano in southern Chile, and the site of one of the largest eruptions in the twentieth century. The mountain itself is covered by a glacier. There is a caldera at the summit from an ancient eruption; modern volcanic activity comes from inside the caldera...
, the most active volcano of Aysén Region is named after him as well as one of several headlands in at the entrance of San Rafael Lagoon
San Rafael Lagoon
San Rafael Lagoon is an arc-shaped coastal lake located in the Aisén Region of Chile, within the national park that bears its name. To the north the lagoon is connected to the Moraleda Channel, to the south lies the Ofqui Isthmus...
and the Oceanographic and Hydrographic service
SHOA
SHOA or Servicio Hidrográfico y Oceanográfico de la Armada de Chile is an agency of the Chilean Navy managing situations dealing with hydrography and oceanography including tides and tsunamis.SHOA has faced severe criticism after the 2010 Chile earthquake, the largest earthquake since the 1960...
of the Chilean Navy
Chilean Navy
-Independence Wars of Chile and Peru :The Chilean Navy dates back to 1817. A year before, following the Battle of Chacabuco, General Bernardo O'Higgins prophetically declared "this victory and another hundred shall be of no significance if we do not gain control of the sea".This led to the...
have one of its buildings named "Don Francisco Hudson".
Sources
- Sepúlveda, Jorge. FRANCISCO HUDSON, UN DESTACADO MARINO POCO CONOCIDO EN NUESTRA HISTORIA.