Francisco de Ulloa

Francisco de Ulloa (fɾanˈθisko ðe wˈʎoa) (died 1540) was a Spanish explorer who explored the west coast of present-day Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula under the commission of Hernán Cortés. Ulloa's voyage was among the first to disprove the cartographic misconception of the existence of the Island of California. It is not known whether Ulloa accompanied Cortés on his first expedition to the New Spain. By the account of historian Bernal Díaz del Castillo, he came to Mexico later while transporting letters to Cortés from his wife. According to some early historians, Ulloa was influential in helping subdue the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan by naval power. In 1539, at the private expense of Cortés, he embarked on an expedition in three small vessels, sailing north from Acapulco to explore the Pacific Coast, and to seek a sea route through the North American continent that supposedly led to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, proving the existence of a northern passage. The expedition left on July 8 sailing northwards along the coast and reaching the Gulf of California six weeks later. Ulloa named it the "Sea of Cortés" in honor of his patron. When one of his ships was lost in a storm Ulloa paused to repair the other two ships, and then resumed his voyage on September 12, eventually reaching the head of the Gulf. Unable to find the through-continent route, Ulloa turned south and sailed along the eastern coast of the Baja California Peninsula, landing at the Bay of La Paz. After taking on supplies of wood and water Ulloa rounded the tip of the peninsula with great difficulty and sailed northward along the western shore in the Pacific Ocean. The voyage eventually reached 28 degrees north near the Isla de Cedros. The fierce winds and high seas he encountered eventually stalled his progress. Accounts differ if Ulloa continued northward or if he turned around to return to New Spain. A personal letter to Cortes on April 5 seemed to indicate that he intended to continue northward, at which point his ship was lost.