Las Malvinas and the Fuegian Archipelago

4oo years of history

Without the intention of entering into discussions about sovereignty, reality indicates that the Malvinas Islands have been linked to the Fuegian archipelago since the era of discoveries and subsequent colonization. I am not only referring to the Big Island of Tierra del Fuego but to the island of the States, Strait of Magellan and of course the Antarctic peninsula with the islands that surround it. And as it will be seen they were usurped by the British Crown.

As mentioned in the discovery of the Strait of Magellan, it is believed that it was this same expedition that first sighted the islands. Actually because of the ship that decided to return by deserting the fleet (the "Incognita"). The certain thing is that in the fabulous document that constitutes the "General Islario" they appear located with enough precision. This publication dates from 1541 and was made by Alonso de Santa Cruz, so it has nothing to do with British discovery. Many other navigators sighted them and that is how they received the name Sebaldinas, after the Dutch Sebald de Weert.

By Papal Bull (Alexander VI in 1493) and the Treaty of Tordesillas signed a year later belongs to Spain, although the English never gave much importance to treaties in general.

The first to occupy them were the French and that happened in 1764 (April 5) when the fort, Fort Saint Louis, was officially inaugurated by the expedition of Luis Antonio De Bougainville. The islands were named Malouines, in honor of the intrepid navigators of St. Malo, and in Port Luis Nerville G. De Bougainville (cousin of the expedition leader) remained as governor of the small colony of 27 people. Some were Canadians and among them were a boy and 5 women; they also brought pets.

The English, under the command of John Byron, settled in Port Egmont Isl. Trinidad or Saunders, in January 1765. In the name of King George III of England he took possession of the port and all the nearby islands, baptizing them "Malvinas Islands". The following year John Macbride erected a fortification. Before the Spanish claim, the French surrendered their colony in 1767. Bougainville was compensated for all the expenses he incurred, recognizing the sovereignty of the Spanish by his government.

In April 1767, Don Phelipe Ruiz Puente assumed the first Hispanic governor for 5 years. Then (1770) the English were expelled by a Spanish naval division. But by a treaty, from 1771 they had to be accepted again in Port Egmont (port of the Crusade) until in 1774 they abandoned it.

From that date to 1811, 20 Spanish governors passed with 32 periods of government. They occupied both ports and the population is estimated at about 600 people at the beginning of the 19th century, most of them were Spanish.

On February 13, 1811, the last Spanish governor withdrew and thanks to the claims that he presented for what was owed to him today we know that the position of the Malvinas was considered as a ship. Viceroy Sobremonte decided to pay as "a ship sailing and all the employees in that destination, as dependents of the same ship ...", there was the "table" bonus that was paid while sailing plus the supplements that corresponded according to the seas or zones Given the situation of the Argentine Revolution (1810) and the battles that followed one another with Spain (crossing of the Andes, defense of the northwest, war against Montevideo naval and land, and civil struggles) it was not until 1820 that the flag was raised blue and white in the Malvinas by the privateer David Jewett (North American) who was in the service of the government of Buenos Aires. He did so in the presence of many American and English wolfhounds who reported to their governments, publishing the fact in the " Gaceta "of Salem (USA) and" El Redactor de Cádiz ". It is estimated that there were between 40 to 50 wolf ships including frigates, cutters, and schooners.

During that period of abandonment, the buildings were ruined and the wolfhounds and whalers were the only inhabitants of the place, in addition to the classic castaways. The horses, cattle and pigs expanded in great quantity although it was hunted by the occasional inhabitants. On the other hand, there was always abundant wild game, especially the native "Ganso de las Malvinas".

Several Argentine ships arrived at the Malvinas, such as the "Holy Spirit", the schooner "Rafaela", "San José y Animas", "Neptuno", etc. In 1823 the merchant Jorge Pacheco presented the Government of Buenos Aires with a request for exploitation from the Malvinas Islands. He had a salting farm in Pedriel and by associating himself with Luis Vernet (32 years old) he wanted to exploit the cattle, horses and sea lions of the Malvinas that were at the mercy of "foreigners". In exchange for that, he forced himself to rebuild the prison in favor of the Government. They made a contract with the Englishman Roberto Schofield to carry out hunting and slaughter, for which he bought two ships. Pablo Areguay was sent to control the exploitation, who also invested the character of Commander of Soledad Island. He was accompanied by Emilio Vernet, Luis's brother. The company ended in total failure in 1824, losing ships and all the capital invested.

In 1825 Luis Vernet (a German resident in Buenos Aires) decided to resume the exploitation but personally. For this, he made a series of trips and as a conclusion he presented to the government a report on the possibilities of the Malvinas, Isla de los Estados, San Gregorio Bay in the Strait of Magellan and the islands near Cape Horn. Since 1826 when Vernet arrived at Puerto Luis (former Soledad port), a register of ship entries was kept. In 1826 9 entered (from June); 22 ships did so in 1827; 11 in 1828; in 1829 16 ships (of them 9 wolfhouses); in 1830 23 of them 14 were wolfhounds. The majority were North American and British wolfhounds, with the exception of some Argentinian and the occasional merchant.

The concession that was given to him was similar to that of Pacheco and consisted of all the vacant lands of Soledad Island, reserving 10 square leagues in the Strait of San Carlos and Isla de los Estados; deducted those delivered to Pacheco. He had an obligation to establish a colony. The following year (1829) he was appointed Military Political Commander with jurisdiction up to Cape Horn.On Isla de los Estados after exploring it and making a sketch of it (1826) he put a wolf factory in Port Hoppner (1828), and a sawmill. He later raised two boxes in Port Cook (1829) and one Flinders Bay. The exploitation and development of the colony in the Malvinas were perfectly calculating its population at about 160 people.

In 1831 Vernet stopped the North American schooner "Harriet" for indiscriminate hunting of amphibians. The North American government sent the war corvette "Lexington" with a mission to attack Port Luis and destroy the colony. Which he did in January 1832 and also prohibited fishing and hunting, not only to Vernet, but to all Argentines.

The Government of Buenos Aires sent the Artillery Captain D. Esteban J. Mestivier (September 1832) to take charge of the situation in Puerto Luis. He is assigned 20 soldiers, 5 NCOs and also 11 women with their children. The schooner "Sarandi" under the command of Lieutenant Colonel D. José Maria Pinedo, transferred them with food and various equipment. The schooner carried 57 men, counting a small troop of infantry.

The idea was to reestablish order and defend the colony started by Luis Vernet from possible attacks. Vernet's men who stayed on the island continued their exploitation. They were gauchos and Indians who, with the foreman Juan Simón, continued with the slaughter of animals.

The "Sarandi" went on an inspection trip to the Strait of Magellan, where in San Gregorio she left an inscription on the Argentine sovereignty in the place, and to the island of the States and New Island. On the way, she was in charge of removing some wolfhounds from the area. Upon returning to the Malvinas he found that an uprising had ended the order imposed by Mestivier, in addition to his life. Pinedo arrested the rebels and was making preparations to set sail for Buenos Aires when, on January 1, 1933, the British fleet's war corvette "Clio" arrived at the destroyed Port Egmont and set up its flag.

All Pinedo did was protest energetically, but according to his statements, he decided to file a fight since many of his men were English and also the power of the Clio was triple. On January 3, after appointing Juan Simón (Vernet foreman) as Interim Governor of Malvinas, he returned to Buenos Aires. Upon his arrival, the pertinent councils of war were held (to Pinedo for not resisting and to the rebels) in addition to claims against England, while the exploitation of Vernet was going towards bankruptcy. The gauchos and "Charruas" Indians deported by the governor of Montevideo, were dissatisfied with the lack of payment and foresaw a bad future.

Although Pinedo delegated the governorship to Simón, the one who really exercised real power was Captain J.J. Onslow of the British Royal Navy. The "Clio" left the Malvinas a few days (January 14) and appointed another man from Vernet, the Scotsman Guillermo Dickson, to raise the flag and wait for other British ships. During 1833 the islands were left without a government and only 26 people lived there. Brisbane arrived as administrator of Vernet and received the visit of the "Beagle" with Fitz Roy.

When Fitz Roy passed through the Malvinas he got an ugly impression. He had already been to the islands during the previous expedition of the "Beagle" and in addition to being surprised by the change of the colony's flag, he commented: "... instead of the cheerful little village that I expected to find only hall, some half-ruined stone hovels, the occasional isolated peat ranch, two or three gutted boats ... and the occasional miserable-looking human being. " He also described the Vernet gauchos when they were idle in Puerto Luis: "... they fought with a long knife, causing serious injuries. Loose poncho, slouchy hat, long hair, brown complexion, and Indian eyes are more suitable to an artist's pencil than to the quiet home of an industrious settler ... ". He also commented surprised that they slept in the open air on their errands.

In August of that year, two gauchos and five Indians led by the gaucho Antonio Rivero staged another uprising, killing Brisbane, Juan Simón, Dickson and other companions. For several days they continued looting and terrorizing the survivors.

On January 7, 1834, the English ship "Challenger" arrived. Her captain freed Rivero's prisoners and left Lieutenant Henry Smith with 6 soldiers in command of the garrison. After leaving, they began a series of skirmishes with the gauchos and Indians until they managed to capture Rivero, who was transferred by the "Beagle" to Rio de Janeiro. At this point, the colonists that were scattered around the islands, in addition to the English soldiers, did not reach 40 of what was a flourishing Argentine colony. From that moment it was under British rule. The next governor was John Tissen (1839 to 1841). In 1834 a company was founded that began to work on the islands, on a 6,000 hectare concession, and brought in the first 18 British settlers. From then until today, except for a short period in 1982 (during the Malvinas War), it remained under British rule despite constant Argentine claims.