Tejano History
Enriquez Barroto, Juan
ENRÍQUEZ BARROTO, JUAN (ca. 1660–1693). Juan Enríquez Barroto, Spanish pilot, navigator, and explorer, was probably born in Mexico about 1660. He came to prominence while searching for the French colony of René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. His maps and diaries, the source of many names for coastal features around the Gulf of Mexico, recorded the first detailed exploration of several Texas bays and river mouths. He studied mathematics and astronomy under the noted Mexican savant Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora. By 1690 he was recognized as perhaps the foremost authority on Gulf navigation. As chief pilot or commanding officer, he was involved in three of the five Spanish sea voyages of the La Salle quest. When not at sea, he was often in consultation with the viceroy or his advisers concerning the search strategy.
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Full article on the Texas State Historical Association's Handbook of Texas Online
Courtesy of the Texas State Historical Association.
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