Manila Galleons
The Spanish empire stretched around the world in the sixteenth century, encompassing not only lands in the Americas but also in Asia. Manila, the capital of the Philippine Islands, became a bustling Spanish trading center for the riches of the Indies
A regular trade flourished between Manila and the city of Acapulco on the west coast of Mexico. Manila galleons, heavy sailing ships with many decks for cargo, lumbered across the Pacific each year. The galleons were filled with Asian silks, jewels, spices, and fine china. They returned to Manila carrying cargoes of gold and silver from the mines of New Spain.
The eastbound voyage from Manila usually took six months or more. During this long and difficult voyage, the crews suffered horribly from starvation, thirst, and scurvy. They also faced the danger of raids by English privateers like Francis Drake. What was needed was a west coast port, perhaps in California, where the galleons could get fresh supplies and an escort vessel.
The captain of the Manila galleon in 1595 was Sebastián Rodríguez Cermeño, charged by the viceroy of New Spain to explore the California coast for a safe harbor. After sailing from Manila across the Pacific, Cermeño anchored his ship the San Agustín at Drake's Bay on the Point Reyes Peninsula. There he encountered the Coast Miwok Indians and recorded his impressions in considerable detail. Soon a powerful storm blew in from the southeast, destroying Cermeño's ship. Archaeological evidence of the San Agustín has been discovered at Drake's Bay.
In 1602 Sebastián Vizcaíno led an expedition along the California coast, continuing the search for a harbor for the Manila galleons.