Sebastían Vizcaíno was a skilled merchant who opened long-distance trade routes from China and the Philippines to Mexico in the late sixteenth century. The journey took merchant galleons from Southern Asian waters through Japanese waters, where they would ride the powerful currents to the northern Californian coast. In 1599 Vizcaíno was granted a royal license to explore the Californian coastline to identify and establish a settlement that would allow sailors and ships a safe harbor to recuperate, restock, and repair after their long Pacific journey. Vizcaíno was required to map the coastline and collect information about climate, resources, Native peoples, and geography along the way.