Ignacio de Arteaga y Bazán

Who was Ignacio de Arteaga y Bazán?

Ignacio de Arteaga y Bazán was an officer of the Spanish Navy. He was born in Aracena, Andalusia. His paternal Basque family 'Arteaga' made it possible for Arteaga to join the naval academy at Cádiz. He was accepted as a guardiamarina in 1747 and upon graduation in 1754 was given the rank of alférez de fragata. After serving on various ships and in various places he was transferred to Havana in 1766 and given his first command, the sloop Vibora. In 1767 he was promoted to teniente de navío.

In 1771 Arteaga returned to Spain and tried to marry without certain required royal and ecclesiastical permissions. The priest who was to perform the marriage ceremony refused and Arteaga made an appeal to the ecclesiastical tribunal. During the proceedings grew abusive and insulting. As a consequence he was imprisoned for three years in the jail of the naval arsenal at La Carraca, Cádiz.

In 1774 he was released. Although allowed to continue his career in the navy he was exiled to the remote naval station at San Blas, on the west coast of New Spain. He arrived in San Blas in 1775. He was given command of an expedition to Alaska in 1779. Two frigates were assigned, the Favorita, commanded by Arteaga, and the Princesa, under Bodega y Quadra. With Bodega y Quadra on the Princesa was second officer Francisco Antonio Mourelle, surgeon Mariano Nunez Esquivel, pilot Jose Canizares, and second pilot Juan Bautista Aguirre. The expedition's objective was to evaluate the Russian penetration of Alaska, search for a Northwest Passage, and capture James Cook if they found him in Spanish waters. Arteaga and Bodega y Quadra did not find Cook, who had been killed in Hawaii in February 1779.