Pedro Porter Casanate

Admiral Pedro Porter y Casanate was a Spanish sailor, soldier, explorer of California and Royal Governor of Chile from 1656 to 1662.

Porter was born in Zaragoza, the second son of Juan Porter and Esperanza Casanate. In 1627, he joined the Spanish Navy, and under Admiral Fadrique de Toledo participated in the expedition against La Rochelle. The year after, he joined the fleet of Admiral Francisco de Vallecilla, charged with protecting the silver galleons from pirate attacks. In 1629, he travelled to the new world for the first time, to fight against the British that had occupied the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, taking part in several conflicts in his time and in numerous naval expeditions in the Indies, as a consequence of which he was promoted to alfrez in 1631, and sea captain in 1634. The same year, he published his first book on naval themes, the Correction to mistakes of the Spanish navigation .

Source: Wikipedia