Felipe González de Ahedo
They landed on 15 November 1770, only the second time Europeans had seen Easter Island, and stayed five days, thoroughly surveying the coast, and naming it Isla de San Carlos, while taking possession on behalf of King Charles III of Spain.
They ceremoniously signed a treaty of annexation with the inhabitants and erected three wooden crosses on top of three small hills on Poike volcano.
By 1736, González de Ahedo had joined a new ship, the Incendio, when it made its voyage to Veracruz; this was his first experience in Central America.
After his experience on the frigate, González de Ahedo went on to serve on numerous ships of all shapes and sizes until 1766, when he was promoted to Commander of the Firme.
[4] According to the navigation data, after passing 280º of the Tenerife meridian (96º west longitude of Greenwich) they continued the trip staying at 27º south latitude.
[3] The chosen place was an inlet well-sheltered from the wind and with a sandy bottom, which was baptized Ensenada de González and corresponds to the current Hanga Ho'onu or Turtle Bay.
After this, the two boats, this time under the command of Lieutenant Cayetano de Lángara of the San Lorenzo and Lieutenant Hemeterio Heceta of the Santa Rosalía, departed with armed men and food with the mission of circumnavigating the island and taking note of the all kinds of data about its coast, noting everything that was of interest from the point of view of geography and contact with the indigenous people.
The pilot Juan Hervé described the canoes as “five pieces of very narrow boards (because they don't have thick sticks on the ground), about a fourth, and for this reason they are so zealous that they have their counterweight to prevent them from tipping over; and I think these are the only ones on the whole island: instead of nails they put wooden dowels».
During the night they spent in the cove today known as Vinapu, they observed that the indigenous people were taking earth from a nearby cave with which they painted their bodies.
They were invited to visit a large house, which was perhaps a temple, and during the march they were able to observe various crops of yams, cassava, white squash, sweet potatoes, plantains, and sugar cane, among others.
In addition, according to the diaries of the expedition members, some Easter Islanders had very dilated earlobes with a large hole in which they placed earrings of various sizes made from dried cane leaves.
If this information was correct, it would explain, in addition to the fact of not finding elders on the island, the extreme confidence with which the natives approached the Spaniards from the first moment.
When the Dutchman Jakob Roggeveen arrived on the island 48 years earlier, he ordered fire on the approaching natives, killing at least a dozen.
As for the fauna and flora of the island, the Spanish were not impressed, seeing only common seabirds that nested on the nearby islets, chickens, and some mice.
After his time with the San Eugenio, he retired from active service on the water but continued working in the Navy Office until his death.
