San Antonio

Posted by Albert Parker on Sunday 11th of June 2017 22:03

This was NOT the ship that explored the coast of Patagonia in 1745–46. That "San Antonio" was a "fragata" of 150 toneladas and 8 guns that left Cadiz on Jan. 28, 1745 and sailed from Montevideo for the exploration mission in Dec. 1745. The Spanish navy could not afford to send a ship of the line on a coastal survey expedition while at war with Great Britain. Raúl J. Mandrini, "El viaje de la fragata San Antonio, en 1745–1746: Reflexiones sobre los procesos politicos, operados entre los indíginas pampeano-patagónicos," Revista España de Antropologia Americana, Vol. or No. 30 (2000), 235–263 [see p. 236]; tonnage and guns from Carmen Martinez Martín, "La expedición del P. Quiroga, S.J., a la costa de los Patagones (1745–46)," Revista Complutense de Historia de América, vol. 17 (1991), 121–137 [see p. 130]. It is easy to find other references to this expedition that make it clear that the vessel in question was not a ship of the line in spite of having the same name as one. Search on "'San Antonio' Patagonia 1745" or "'San Antonio' Patagonia Joaquin Olivares Centano". Joaquin de Olivares y Centano was the commanding officer of the fragata San Antonio; different sources give his rank as alferez de navío or teniente de navío.