BIOGRAPHY

  • The most important moments in his biography:
    • He was born in Getaria on 21 September 1713. His parents were Juan Bautista de Bonetxea Aramburu and Francisca de Andonaegi Narbasta.
    • He was appointed an officer of the navy in 1732.
    • He was made captain of 1766 fragata until 1774.
    • 1772-1773 first expedition to Tahiti.
    • 1774-1775 Second expedition to Tahiti.
    • He was appointed captain of the ship in 1774.
    • He died in Tautira on 26 January 1775 (Tahiti) while riding in the fraga Santa Maria Magdalenta, nicknamed “El Aguila”.
  • He was a member of a family of sailors. The members distinguished themselves most:
    • His father, Francisco de Bonetxea, was a captain of the army.
    • His brother, Francisco de Bonetxea, was a lieutenant in the army in 1776.
      Other members of his family:
    • The pilot Manuel de Bonetxea and his two brothers, Bartolome and Joseph, died in 1771 when the Oriflama ship of the Ustariz company sank.
    • Manuel de Agote Bonechea, between 1779 and 1798, he sailed through all the oceans.
  • The historical context of the childhood and youth of the Domingo de Bonau.
    • In those years the maritime economy of his country had undergone great changes:
    • In 1728, Caracas Company was founded. In the years that followed, he hired most of his sailors, which led to the decline of fishing.
    • In 1732, the Donostian whaling Company was founded.
    • The administrative change of the Spanish Empire led to new international conflicts: the War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1713), the War of the quadruple Alliance (1718 – 1719), and the asceticism of Gibraltar (1727-1728).

MARITIME CAREER

  • Bonetxea, member of the Navy
    • First contact with the sea world, 1732.
    • During the conflicts between 1733 and 1748 (1733 – 1738), the Polish succession war against England (1739 – 1748) was marked by Cape Sicie.
    • During the Seven Years ‘War (1756 – 1763) he took part in the Battle of Havana. After a fierce struggle he was forced to surrender to the English.
  • Historical text area
    • Contexto local: La època de las grandes compañías privilegiadas.
      • To promote fishing, members of the enlightened elite founded the Getaria sardine Company in 1764.
      • Con el propósito de fomentar más la pesca, miembros de la élite ilustrada del país fundaron la Real Compañía Sardinera de Getaria en 1764.
      • General context: sea empires collision. England, Spain and France were the main countries and tried to establish their dominance in the conflicts that broke out in Europe: the Polish Succession War (1733 – 1738), the Asiento War (1739 – 1748), the pragmatic Zigor War (1740-1748), the Seven Years ‘War (1756 – 1763), the Malbins War (1763 – 1771)…

The UNESCO ‘s Relations

    • Working for the science empire. In conflicts, the most important countries used the advances of science in favor of imperialism. Consequently, construction, marine ingenuity, and cosmography underwent much development.

  • There were many scientists in the Basque Country in the eighteenth century, mostly working for the navy:
    • Construction and marine engineering: Antonio de Gaztañeta (1656 – 1728), Jeronimo de Aizpurua (1702-1761)…
    • Cosmography, cartography and hydrography: Cosme Damián de Churruca (1761-1805), Ignacio María de Álava (1750-1817), José de Iturriaga (1699 – 1767), Bruno de Hezeta (1743-1807), José Manuel de Moraleda (1750-1810)…
    • Navigation: Santiago Zuloaga (1714 – 1791), Manuel de Agote (1755-1803), José de Mazarredo (1745-1812).
  • Basque illustration. Enlightenment was an eighteenth century cultural and intellectual movement that sought to overcome superstition and ignorance through reason. With that goal, he had them.
  • He made the two expeditions to Tahiti.
      Naval expeditions into the Pacific — John Byron (1764-1766), Samuel Wallis (1766-1767) and James Cook (1768-1771) — caused fears that new colonies would be established in these areas.

    • Development of the first expedition (1772-1773).
      • He set sail from the port of El Callao on 26 December 1772, known as El Águila in the fraga of Santa Maria Magdalena, and after a month arrived at the Tuamotu archipelago, where he found many islands. Tahiti arrived on 8 November 1772 and nearly sank after a collision with a wave of coral. On December 20, 1772 they left Tahiti and arrived at Moore. On 21 February 1773 they arrived at Valparaiso to supply the ship and set out for the island of Paskum. On April 2, 1773, the ship began to sink as the Paskoa were about the islands and they decided to abandon the expedition and arrived at Callao on 31 May. Development of the second expedition (1774-1775).
    • Development of the second expedition (1774-1775).
      • The expedition consisting of the ships of Santa Maria Magdalene and Jupiter left Callao on 20 September 1774. This Franciscan mission was intended to gain the supremacy of the island.
      • On November 7, 1774, the ship Jupiter arrived at Tahiti, a week after that of Santa Maria Magdalene.
      • On January 4, 1775, they completed the mission of Tautira by establishing a large wooden cross and negotiating a treaty with the kings of the island that declared Spanish dominion. The house was sick by then
      • On 26 January 1775, Bonaventure died and was buried in Tautira Cemetery. Two days later the expedition started home. They arrived at Callao on 8 April 1775.

 

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE RELATIONS OF THE UNESCO

  • Other European expeditions described only the canoes using the inhabitants of Polynesia, but during the Bonaparte expedition they sailed with the natives and discovered their history and navigation systems. Unfortunately, this development is unknown among archaeologists and scientists. Many data on the history, anthropology, and ethnography of the Tahiti population came from Asia. They described the Tahiti fauna, flora, and natural resources. They collected data on the health of the Tahiti population and described the major diseases.

    Xabier Alberdi Lonbide

    Doctor en Historia (EHU/UPV)

    Especialista en historia marítima vasca