Page "Francisco de Ulloa" Paragraph 3

In 1539, at the private expense of Cortés, he embarked on an expedition in three small vessels, sailing north from Acapulco to explore the Pacific Coast, and to seek the mythical Strait of Anián that supposedly led to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, proving the existence of the Northwest Passage.

The expedition left on July 8 sailing northwards along the coast and reaching the Gulf of California six weeks later.

Ulloa named it the " Sea of Cortés " in honor of his patron.

When one of his ships was lost in a storm Ulloa paused to repair the other two ships, and then resumed his voyage on September 12, eventually reaching the head of the Gulf.