Orellana, Francisco de

Orellana, Francisco de (about 1500-about 1550), Spanish explorer.

Francisco de Orellana was the first white man to sail down the River Amazon.

In 1539, he went with Gonzalo Pizarro on an expedition over the Andes from Peru.

They ran short of supplies and Pizarro sent Orellana with fifty men down a river to find food. The river led into the Amazon and Orellana followed it for almost 2,000 miles (3,218 kilometers). He reached the Atlantic Ocean in 1541.

On the long journey downstream, Orellana fought many battles with indigenous people and one tribe of women warriors. This tribe reminded him of the warrior women called Amazons in stories from Ancient Greece, and he called their land the land of the Amazons. In time, this name was given to the river.