Port St. Louis
The settlement was established as a French colony under the name Port Saint Louis in 1764, and within a year reached a population of 75 (most of them Acadians), with 3 marriages and 2 births recorded — apparently the first ever in the islands' history. After three years of French possession the settlement was ceded to Spain, and all the French settlers left to be replaced by Spaniards. Acting on personal instructions by King Carlos III, the Spanish Government reimbursed the founder of Port St. Louis, Louis Antoine de Bougainville 618,108 French livres. France insisted that Spain maintained the colony at Port Louis (Puerto Soledad) and thus prevent Britain from claiming title to the Islands. Spain agreed to this condition.
Bougainville himself sailed to Port Saint Louis on board the Boudeuse, accompanied by the Spanish ships Esmeralda and Liebre to hand the settlement over to Felipe Ruíz Puente, the first Spanish governor (1767–73) of Puerto Soledad as the settlement would become known. The ceremony took place on April 1, 1767, and from Puerto Soledad Bougainville set sail to make the first French circumnavigation of the world.
Read more about this topic: Puerto Soledad
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