Alonso de Ojeda (c.
1465 –
1515) was a
Spanish explorer born of noble parentage in
Cuenca. His name is sometimes spelt
Alonzo and
Oxeda.
He came from an impoverished noble family, but had the good fortune to start his career in the household of the Dukes of Medinaceli. Early on he gained the patronage of Juan Rodríguez de Fonseca, bishop of Burgos and later Patriarch of the Indies, who made it possible for Ojeda to accompany Christopher Columbus in his second voyage to the New World in 1493. Ojeda distinguished himself there by his daring in battle with the natives, towards whom, however, he was unduly harsh and vindictive. He returned to Spain in 1496.
After three years, in May 1499, he again journeyed to the New World, this time on his own account with three vessels and accompanied by the cosmographer Juan de la Cosa and Amerigo Vespucci who discovered that Christopher Columbus was wrong and that where he explored was not Asia. In a little over three weeks he sighted the mainland near the mouth of the Orinoco River, and after landing on Trinidad and at other places, discovered a bay which he called Venezuela (little Venice), from its resemblance to the bay of Venice. There he married an Indian maiden called Guaricha. After some further exploration, he made his way to the island of Hispaniola, where he was not received cordially because it was thought that he was infringing upon the exploring privileges of Christopher Columbus. On his return to Spain in 1500, he took many captives whom he sold as slaves. Even so the voyage was not financially successful, netting some fifteen thousand maravedis in profit to be divided among the fifty-five surviving crew-members (since forty maravedis per day was an average wage for skilled labor, they could have made more money staying at home). Returning on the heels of Peralonso Nino's smaller but far more lucrative voyage magnified this disappointment.[1]
Having influential friends at home, he was appointed Governor of Coquibacoa and was able to fit out a new expedition, which left Cadiz in 1502 and made a landing on the American continent at a place which he named Santa Cruz. There he established a colony which did not last long. Mutiny erupted, and he was hauled to Santo Domingo in shackles where a judge stripped him of his titles and properties before allowing him to return to Spain.[2]
