The sailor who “betrayed” the king of Spain and became obsessed with a mythical treasure

The Venetian sailor educated in England Sebastián Gaboto had been appointed major pilot of the Spanish kingdom after the tragic death of Juan Díaz de Solís on our coasts. Gaboto proposed a thorough plan to Emperor Carlos V to seize the Molucas Islands and quickly produce them. Carlos got excited and approved the project.

Gaboto sailed in 1526, willing to cross the Magallanes Strait. But first he passed through the Canary Islands and far from the real controls, he embarked a few “women in love”, as the prostitutes were called at that time. When he arrived in Santa Catalina, near the current Florianopolis, he heard for the first time the legend that would change his life. He talked about a white king who lived in a palace with silver walls loaded with treasures.

Due obedience was not a value at that time and Gaboto chopped the Molucas through the Río de la Plata. Down the Atlantic He was surprised to see a man with European clothes: was Francisco del Puerto, the only survivor of “those of Solís”. From the port he had lived with Charrúas and Guaraníes who had made the legend become his head into a nearby reality.

Gaboto incorporated him into his hosts and together they crossed the river that the Indians called Paraná. In the confluence with Carcarañá they founded the strong Sancti Spiritu, the first Spanish population in Argentine lands.

But Gaboto had the idea fixed and had no time to walk putting reminder plates. He left 30 armed men in the fort and left in search of the white king.

Carlos V was still waiting for some news about the Molucas. He impatient and ordered to find out what had happened to Gaboto.

The expedition was in command of Diego García, former companion of Solís, and reached these beaches in November 1527.

The world was a boy then the few days met Gaboto. There was a fierce fight until Garcia understood that he was convenient to lower the copete and make Gaboto’s friends in exchange for a participation in profits.

Quickly the Molucas remained for later and the two unified expeditions began to navigate the Paraguay River to the north.

Those of Sancti Spíritu behaved according to what was expected. Due to the doubts, they began to mistreat the Indians and these, under the caciques Siripo and Marangoré, responded by attacking the fort of September 2, 1529 until they leave only ruins.

Many years later, Captain Monastery, Armero of the Army of Manuel Belgrano, baptized one of his cannons with the name of Chief Guerrero Marangoré, in tribute to his heroic resistance to Spanish invader.

Gaboto and García aware of what happened rushed to return, but they were late. Of the two hundred gaboto companions only twenty arrived alive in Seville on July 22, 1530 and managed to spread the news that they had reached very close to the lands of the White King.

Shortly after arriving, Gaboto and García began to plead with each other for the rights over the new territories “discovered” and the rights to assemble an expedition that will take one of the two to the mythical lands of the White King.

Fed up with disputes, Gaboto moved cut and put at the service of the new king of England, Eduardo VI. He specified for his new masters the exploration of the current Canada, the land of the farmer and terranova and, as president and first counselor of the Royal Company of the North Seas, he negotiated English trade with Russia.

At his death, He left a notable collection of notes and maps That Queen María Tudor gave her husband, Felipe II of Spain.