MAGELLAN’S VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD

Ferdinand MagellanFerdinand Magellan

Portuguese-born Spanish explorer and navigator
• Birth: 1480?
• Death: April 27, 1521
• Place of Birth: Sabrosa, Portugal
• Known as Captain of the first expedition to circumnavigate
the world.
• Milestones
• 1505 Sailed with a Portuguese fleet to explore and conquer
the southeast Asian islands then known as the East Indies.
• 1517 Was denied Portuguese support for an expedition to
reach the Spice Islands (Moluccas) by a westward route; gave
up his Portuguese citizenship, went to Spain, received
funding, and took Spanish citizenship.
• 1520 Named the archipelago at the southernmost tip of
South America Tierra del Fuego (Spanish for 'Land of Fire')
after the campfires that dotted the shore.
• April 27, 1521 Was killed in battle on Mactan, Philippines.
• September 6, 1522 Captain Juan Sebastián del Cano
returned the remaining ship and crew to Spain, completing
the voyage around the world.
 • Did You Know ?
• Because Magellan had been further east on previous
voyages, his 1521 arrival in the Philippines technically made
him the first man to circumnavigate the earth.
• Magellan's expedition proved definitively that the earth is a
sphere, and that all its oceans are connected.
 • Did You Know ?
• Patagonia derives its name from patagões (Portuguese for
'big feet'), the name Magellan gave the foot coverings worn
by the local people.
• Magellan named the Pacific Ocean for its calm waters.
• During the voyage across the Pacific, food supplies ran so low
that the men ate boiled leather, sawdust, and rats to survive.
• 3 Major Oriental Products
• 1. Spices
• 2. Silk
• 3. Porcelain
Antonio Pigafetta

• Born: 1490 in Vicenza, Venice, Italy

• Father: Giovanni Pigafetta
• Mother: Angela Zoga
• Education: Astronomy, Geography,
Cartography, and Chronicler of the
expedition.
Antonio Pigafetta
• Sobresalientes (supernumeraries) – men who
will join the trip for the love adventure and
military service.

• One of the 18 survivors who returned to Spain

on Sept. 6, 1522 aboard the Victoria.
Sailing Ship (CARAVEL)
• Title page of Magellan’s Voyage
Around the World by Pigafetta
with English translation by James
Robertson.

• Pigafetta got the information from

the help of Magellan’s slave and
interpreter, Enrique de Malacca, a
native of Sumatra.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
At dawn on March 16, 1521, we came upon a high land at a distance of 300
leagues from Latroni - an island name Zamal (Samar). The island where we were is
called Humunu (Homonhon).

There are many islands in that district and therefore we called them the
archipelago of St. Lazaro, as they discovered on the Sabbath (Sunday) of St. Lazarus.
Nine men came to the boat and the captain-general ordered food and
gave them red caps, mirrors, combs, bells, ivory, bocasine and other
things. When they saw the captain’s courtesy, they presented fish, figs
(bananas), rice, oranges, cock cocoanuts (coconuts) products – bread, ,
oil, vinegar, and plenty of wine.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
Their seignior was an old man who was
painted (tattooed). He wore two gold
earrings and many gold armlets, kerchiefs
on their heads. There are people who
have holes (earrings) in their ears so large
that they can pass their arms through
them. Those people are caphri, that is to
say, heathen. They go naked, with cloth
from the bark of the tree about their
privies, except the chiefs who wear silk
cloth.
Precolonial Costume
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
They are dark, fat, and painted. They
anoint themselves with cocoanut oil as a
protection against the sun and wind. They
have very black hair that falls to the waist,
use daggers, knives, and spears
ornamented with gold, large shields,
fascines, javelins, fishing nets, and their
boats are like ours.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
Pieces of gold, the size of walnuts and eggs in the
island of that king who came to our ships. All the
dishes of that king are of gold and portion of his
house. He was the finest looking man that we saw
among those people. His hair was exceedingly black
and hung to his shoulder. He had covering of silk to
his head and wore to large earrings. Wore cotton
cloth embroidered with silk from waist to the
knees. At his side hung a dagger and three spots of
gold on every tooth. He was perfumed with storax
and benzoin. He was tawny and painted (tattooed)
all over. That island of his was called Butuan and
Calagan (Caraga). The first king is Raia Colambu, the
second Raia Siaui.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
Early morning of Sunday, the last of March
and Easter-day, the captain-general sent the
priest for a mass. Therefore the king sent us
two swine that he had had killed for offerings.
The kings went forward to kiss the cross and in
their knees. After the mass, some men took
communion and give tokens. The captain-
general asked them whether they were Moros
(Muslims) or heathen. They replied that they
worshipped nothing (had no other worship and
pointed to the sky. They called their god
“Abba”.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
On asking which port was best to get food,
they replied three: Ceylon (Leyte), Zubu (Cebu),
and Calaghann (Calagan) but Zubu is the largest
and with most trade.
Then we descended and went to balanghai
(boat). They requested the kings to accompany
them to Zubu but they ate and drank so much
that they slept all the day. They are heavy
drinkers.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
Their women are clad in tree cloth from their
waist down and has black hair that reaches to the
ground. They have hole pierce in their ears which are
filled with gold.
They are constantly chewing a fruit which they
call areca (betel plant). They mix it with a lime,
chewed thoroughly, they spit it out. It makes the
mouth exceedingly red. All the people in that part of
the world use it, for it is very cooling to the heart and
if they ceased to use it they would die.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
There are dogs , cats, swine, fowls,
goats, rice, ginger, cocoanuts, figs
(bananas), oranges, lemons, millet,
pancium, sorgo, wax, and quantity of
gold in the island. The island is called
Mazaua (Limasawa).
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
On Sunday, April 7, we entered of the
port of Zubu (Cebu). The artillery was fired
that caused a great fear of the people. The
interpreter told them that it was a sign of
peace and friendship. The king told them
that they are welcome but need to pay
tribute. The interpreter replied that his
master was a captain of the greatest king of
the world and the king exempted them. A
junk from Ciama (Siam) laden with gold and
slaves paid a tribute.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
The interpreter told the king that his
master’s king was more powerful in men
and ships than the king of Portugalo, that
he was the king of Spagnia (Spain) and
emperor of all the Christians. If the king did
not care to be his friend he would next time
send so many men that they would destroy
him. These men are the same who have
conquered Calicut, Malaca, and all India
Magiore (India Major).
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
The king was satisfied, and if the captain
wished to become his sincere friend, the king
demanded the captain to send him a drop of
blood and he would do the same as a sign of
friendship. The captain and king called one
another brothers. The king’s name was Raia
Humabon.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
Those people are in accordance of justice,
have weights and measures. They love peace,
ease, and quiet. The youth play on pipes
which they call subin. The houses are
constructed of wood, bamboo, logs, raised
high and one must used a ladder to enter.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
A large cross was set up. The captain told
them that if they wished to become Christians
they must burn their idols and set up a cross in
their place. They were told to adore the cross
daily with clasped hand, make sign of the cross,
and by kneeling. 500 men were baptized.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
After a dinner the priest went ashore to
baptize the queen, who came with 40 women.
She was shown a beautiful wooden child Jesus
and a cross. After baptism, she was named
Johanna. The queen was young and beautiful,
her mouth nails very red and wore a large hat of
palm leaves. Counting men, women, and
children, we baptized 800 souls. The Moros are
much harder to convert than the heathen.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
The other village was called Matan
(Mactan). Their chief were Zula and
Cilapulapu. Cilapulapu refused to obey the
king of Spagnia. Zula requested the
captain to send him one boatload of men
to fight against the other chief. But the
captain send three boatload instead. At
midnight, 60 men set out armed with
corselets and helmets together with 20-30
balanghais of the chief.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
When morning came, 49 of us leaped into
the water up our thighs and walk to the shore.
The boat could not go nearer because of the
rocks. When they saw us with exceeding loud
cries and we begin to fight. The musketeers
and crossbowmen shot from a distance for
half an hour but it was useless for it was
passed through the shields of the natives. The
captain cries to them, “cease firing! cease
firing! but his order was not heeded.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
When the natives realized that we were
shooting our musket to no purpose, they shot
so many arrows at us and hurled so many
bamboo spears at the captain-general. Seeing
that, the captain-general ordered to burn
their houses, they were roused to greater
fury. So many of them shot the captain
through the right leg with a poisoned arrow.
He ordered the to retire slowly, but the men
took to fight, except six or eight of us who
remained with the captain.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
The natives shot only at our legs, for the
latter were bare. So many were the spears
and hurled at us, that we could offer no
resistance. The mortars in the boats could
not aid us as they were too far away. So we
continued to retire but the natives continued
to pursue us with spear again and again.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
Recognizing the captain, so many turn
upon him, that they knocked his helmet off
twice but stood up like a good knight. Thus
we fight for another 1 hour , refusing to
retire further. An Indian hurled a bamboo
spear into the captain’s face, but the latter
killed him with a lance, which he left in the
Indian’s body.
Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage Around the World
Trying to lay hand on sword, he could only
draw it out halfway because he is already
wounded in the arm of bamboo spear. When
the natives saw it, they all hurled into him
and wounded the captain on the left leg with
large cutlass. That caused the captain to fall
face downward. That battle was fought on
April 27, 1521.
Relevance:

1.) It proves that the earth is not flat but an

oblate sphere.

2.) Completed the first circumnavigation of the

world.

3.) It confirmed that the Portuguese route is not

the only way to Spice Island.

4.) It brought to the attention of the Europeans

that the other side of the American continent
exist a large body of water which they named
Pacific Ocean (Mar Pacifico).