History, Pirates and Legend of the Island

Legendary pirates, who plundered ships to steal the gold and the silver from them. They used to anchored their ships in Mocha Island , as they were attracted by the tranquility of the island, in order to obtain water, food and rest.
The island was 160 years uninhabited aproximately, that's the reason for what some villagers believe in the existence of treasures hidden in the island.

Historical Chronology

Until 1690		Period in which the Lafkenches lived.
1544		Juan Bautista Pastene, Italian navigator to the service of the Spanish Crown. They discovers the Mocha island, On September 10th.
1579		Year in which the English pirate Francis Drake, lands in the island ... more info.
1594		Year in which the Pirate Hawking visits the island.
1599		Simón de Cordobés, Dutch pirate, lands in the island ... more info.
1600		Olivier Van Noorth, Dutch pirate, lands in the island ... more info.
1615		Joris Van Spilbergen, Dutch pirate, lands in the island ... more info.
1685-1697		The Spanish Jerónimo de Quiroga, makes depopulate the island, moving the aborigens to the Bío-Bío river's creek, near Concepción city.
1690-1850		Period when the island is still uninhabited.
1790-1820		Period in when a place of Anglo-American trade about whales existed in the island.
1846		The businessman Juan Alemparte takes over of the island.
1850		Year when the first Chileans comes to the island.
1857		The Chilean government hires the island to Juan Alemparte.
1900		The Chilean government hires the island to the businessman Daniel Vial Carvallo.
1938		The Settling Agencies creates the Mocha Island's colony, delivering 32 plots.
1988		The native forest happens to be Nacional national by Supreme decree nº70 of the Agriculture Department and is managed by CONAF.
1994		" The Island of the Broken Words ". Daniel Quiroz and Marcos Sanchez.

Know That ...?

Amucha:
A Spanish chronicler says that the Lafkenches call Amucha the island, word that is composed by "AM" that means soul and "UCHA", which means to revive. Therefore the name of our island means " Souls Resurrection".

Araucanian's Legend:
The Araucanian people believed that their dead men's souls crossed the sea from the continent and they were going to be lived to this island, where they found the peace and tranquility. Also they believed that some old women, called Tepulcahues, transformed their selves in whales which leaded to the souls by the sea, up to the island.

The Volcano's Lagoon
Know that ... in the center of the island's mountains , there is a beautiful lagoon, which as the villagers say, it is an extinct volcano, mute witness of a history which has something of magic and something of reality.

Moby Dick
Know that... The famous novel "Moby Dick" (published by Hernán Melville in 1851). Tells the story of a white whale that could never be captured, and that full of harpoons and bows lives in a secret place arround Mocha island... see photo

Reserva Nacional
The Isla Mocha has very special microclimate, which is one of the seven less controlled worldwide and that from 1988 happens to be National Reserve.

Fardelas Castellanas
Varied birds of different species such as Turtle-doves, Thrushes, Chucao, the Chercán, Goldfinches, Chincoles, Diucas, Torcazas, Pidenes, Bandurrias, Jotes and being outlined the Castilian Fardelas, that emigrate from Alaska to come to nest to the mountain... see photo

Island's Legends

• The Lost Child ... go to legend
• The Weeping Old woman ... go to legend
• The Appearances of the Landslides ... go to legend
• The Orphan Pine ... go to legend

More Information

If it wishes more information of the Mocha Island, can unload the following file that contains 15 documents of studies history and legend, of the Mocha Island.