Juan set off on the expedition in 1590, from Mexico toward Canada with 3 ships. But as the ships reached coast of California, mutiny broke out and the ships were forced to return. Later the Spanish kingdom refused to compensate the Greek sailor for his futher explorations claiming it as unsuccessful.
Juan left the colonial service but remained a sailor until he returned to his home town of Valerianos in Kefalonia, to spend his last days. He died in 1602.
Before his return to Kefalonia, Juan (also known as Apostolos Valerianos in his diary), had narrated his life to an English Officer in Venice, who published his diary in 1604. In the diary the Englishman Michael Lok assumes that Juan did indeed find the route to the North Sea, but this has not been proven. It was forgotten until it was discovered in 1787 by the English captain John Meares. In 1788
he named it as the “Juan De Fuca strait”. It lies by Vancouver Island in USA.
Today Kefalonia with its desolated harbours, reminds you to admire its seafarers who crossed the oceans in the days of uncertainty. |
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