Tomás de Cardona

Tomás de Cardona, a native of Venice who lived in Seville during the 17th century, was a business entrepreneur and a favorite at the Spanish royal court.

In 1611 Tomás de Cardona was granted an "encomienda" from Philip III of Spain to create a company to exploit California's pearl fishery.

In 1612 he signed an agreement with the viceroy to find pearl fisheries, look for General Luis Fernandez de Cordoba's lost galleons,[4] and explore California.

At Margarita, the entrepreneurs desired a contract with Basilio to use his vessels and instruments in exploiting the placeres under their control; their own divers were unable to descend more than twelve fathoms or 72 feet (22 m).

Before he could set out, reports reached Acapulco that Dutch corsairs had entered the South Sea through the Straits of Magellan and were headed for New Spain after raiding the coast of Peru.

The alcalde mayor ordered Iturbe to delay his departure, and impressed his company into service to ready the port for defending it against the corsairs, a task that took more than two months.

Map of the Gulf of California included by Nicolás de Cardona, 1632 nephew of Tomás de Cardona, in his report on the trip to the Kingdom of California.
Original Chart of San Francisco de Campeche by Nicolás de Cardona, 17th century, towards 1620. From Archivo de Indias, Seville Spain.