Francisco Hudson

Francisco Hudson Cárdenas (Curaco de Vélez, Chile, July 1, 1826 – March, 1859) was a Chilean naval officer and hydrographer notable for his explorations of Southern Chile and Chilean Patagonia. Hudson sailed on behalf of the Chilean government several times to Peru and Ecuador, but gained notoriety for his explorations and investigations of Maullín River, Roca Remolino and the channels of Aysén Region. Hudson was the first to infer the possible existence of sailing route through internal waters from Chiloé Archipelago to Straits of Magellan, but was also the first to realize that only the Isthmus of Ofqui made this impossible. However his hydrographic works laid the groundwork for Hans Steffen's exploration of Aysén Region in late 19th century.

Hudson was born in the town of Curaco de Vélez in Quinchao Island of Chiloé Archipelago to the couple Santiago (possibly a translation of "James") Hudson and Juana Cárdenas. Hudson studied at the Maritime School of Ancud (Escuela Naútica de Ancud), afterwards he was transferred to the frigate Chile where Roberto Simpson was in command. He later explored Maullín River with Francisco Vidal Gormaz but did however not reach Llanquihue Lake, its birthplace. Hudson and Vidal Gormaz reached only to a point he observed "three cascades" in the river. Gormaz proposed to clean the river from trunks to use it for transport of wood in benefit of the German settlers that had already settled in the shores of Llanquihue Lake. Hudson tried later unsuccessfully to reach the "three cascades" starting from Llanquihue Lake, and was preparing a new expedition when he was ordered instead to investigate Roca Remolino (lit. "whirl rock"), a dangerous underwater rock in Chacao Channel.

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