Santiago from San Blas on 5 June 1781. The voyage was plagued by difficulties, such as continually contrary winds and bad weather. The Santiago took on so much water it needed to be careened, but there was no opportunity to do so until in Peru. Bodega finally reached Callao, Peru, on 18 July 1782, thirteen months after sailing from San Blas. He soon discovered that there was no surplus quicksilver to be had. The Viceroy of Peru, Agustín de Jáuregui, had heard of Bodega's mission before Bodega arrived and decided to expedite matters by sending all the quicksilver he could spare to Acapulco on the merchant ship San Pablo. Wishing not to return without any cargo, Bodega arranged to carry military supplies. The Santiago was careened and many rotten planks were replaced. Bodega sailed from Callao at the end of March 1783, carrying the cargo of military supplies and a number of passengers. The voyage north went smoothly, and Bodega anchored the Santiago at San Blas on 20 June 1783. Spain Shortly after Bodega's return to San Blas he received orders to go to Havana, Cuba. There, in 1784, he requested and received permission to travel to Spain, which he did in 1785. He spent four mostly discouraging and frustrating years in Spain. However, there were at least two positive events. First, the king approved Bodega's promotion to capitán de navío (Ship Captain) on 15 November 1786, the highest naval rank below flag officer ranks. Second, he was knighted by the King of Spain as a full-fledged knight of the Order of Santiago—the most prestigious of Spain's four orders of chivalry. It was very difficult to earn a commission in the Order of Santiago. Bodega had begun the process in 1775. He was finally knighted by the king on 8 April 1788. Commandant of San Blas At the end of his stay in Spain, Bodega was appointed commandant of the Naval Department of San Blas. Instructed to select six junior officers to serve under him at San Blas, Bodega y Quadra chose Manuel Quimper, Ramón Saavedra Guiráldez y Ordóñez, Francisco de Eliza, Salvador Fidalgo, Jacinto Caamaño, and Salvador Menéndez Valdés. Bodega and these six officers sailed to America on the same ship that was carrying the new Viceroy of New Spain, Conde de Revillagigedo. The viceroy and Bodega arrived to find themselves in the immediate aftermath of the Nootka Crisis.