Diario de la navegacion empredida en 1781

A seasoned pilot’s log brings listeners into the restless world of late‑18th‑century Spanish expansion along South America’s southern coast. The narrative opens with the Crown’s decision to settle the vast Patagonian shoreline, detailing the fraught preparations in Montevideo and the leaky vessels that set sail in 1778. As the expedition reaches the mouth of the Río Colorado, the diary captures the tension between rival officials and the first uneasy steps into a river that had never before been charted by Europeans.

The second part of the journal follows a meticulous reconnaissance mission in the summer of 1781, when the author and a small party push inland on horseback, guided by an indigenous scout. Their observations reveal a landscape of fertile pastures, scattered islands, and saline lagoons, while noting the river’s modest flow and surprising depth. Listeners will hear vivid descriptions of the terrain, the challenges of supplies, and the early hopes of establishing a foothold in this remote, untamed region.