Magellan's First Voyage: Quick Reference Notes

Pigafetta: Italian scholar, joined Magellan's expedition aboard one of the $5$ ships; wrote the detailed account covering the voyage from $1519$ to $1522$ ; primary source that influenced Western literature and understanding of the New World.
Objective: reach the Spice Islands (Maluku) by westward route under the Spanish crown.
Key participants: Ferdinand Magellan (Portuguese navigator, sailed for Spain); Antonio Pigafetta (chronicler); ships included Trinidad, Concepcion, San Antonio, Victoria, Santiago.
- Trinidad: $55$ crews
- Concepcion: $45$ crews
- San Antonio: $60$ crews
- Victoria: $43$ crews
- Santiago: $32$ crews

Ferdinand Magellan: led the expedition under King Charles V of Spain; killed in the Philippines in $1521$ .
Victoria: the only ship to complete the circumnavigation; captained by Juan Sebastián Elcano on the return voyage.
San Antonio: deserted during the voyage (abandoned the fleet around $1520$ ).
Pigafetta: surviving eyewitness account; diary later circulated in multiple manuscript versions.

Aug $10$ , $1519$ : Magellan sets sail from Seville with $5$ ships.
Sept $20$ , $1519$ : cross the Atlantic toward Brazil; trade with locals along the coast.
1520: Mutiny at Puerto San Julian; Magellan suppresses it; San Antonio deserts; mission continues.
Aug $1520$ : Discovery of the Strait of Magellan, ~ $350$ miles long.
1521: Reaches the Philippines; landfall at Mazaua (Limasawa) on $Mar 17, 1521$ ; first Mass in the Philippines; Blood Compact on $Mar 29, 1521$ between Magellan and Rajah Kolambu.
Apr $8$ , $1521$ : Magellan reaches Cebu; trade with locals.
Apr $15$ , $1521$ : Magellan Cross planted in Cebu.
Apr $27/28$ , $1521$ : Battle of Mactan; Magellan killed by a poisoned arrow; remnants of his forces retreat.
After Apr $1521$ : survivors proceed under Elcano; attempts to return home.
Mar 17, $1521$ : Arrival in Zamal (Samar) at Humunu (Humonhon).
Aug to Sep, $1522$ : Victoria and remaining crew sail toward Spain; crossing Indian Ocean and around the Cape of Good Hope.
Sept $8, 1522$ : Victoria returns to Seville; ~ $3$ years after departure; many crew members died on the voyage.

March 17, 1521: First Mass in the Philippines at Mazaua/Limasawa; Magellan, Rajah Kolambu, Raj Siagu, and locals present.
Blood Compact with Rajah Kolambu (Mar $29$ , $1521$ ).
Humabon and Humamay convert to Christianity; Magellan gifts Santo Niño image; Humabon becomes Carlos, Humamay becomes Juana.
Lapu-Lapu rejects Spanish overlordship; Battle of Mactan on Apr $27/28$ , $1521$ ; Magellan killed; local forces overwhelmed Spaniards.

After leaving the strait, crew find calmer waters; named the Pacific Ocean as Mare Pacifico (the peaceful sea).
Severe shortages: supplies run out; 99 days at sea before reaching Guam in the Marianas; 19 crew members die from scurvy.
First contact with Guam; challenges with islanders over provisions; Magellan’s men land in the Philippines soon after.

Trinidad sinks due to a leak; Concepcion wrecked; Victoria and Concepcion captured by the Portuguese later in the Maluku region.
Victoria completes the voyage home under Elcano; crosses Indian Ocean, rounds the Cape of Good Hope; many deaths due to famine and disease; ~ $21$ died on the voyage back.
Return to Seville on $Sept 8, 1522$ ; the entire expedition spans roughly $3$ years.

Pigafetta’s account: survived in multiple manuscript versions (4 known: 1 Italian by Carlo Amoretti, 3 French); original diary language unknown; copies circulated to Pope Clement VII and European rulers, influencing European understanding of the New World.
The account provides critical details on encounters, dates, and the sequence of events of Magellan’s voyage.

The 3Gs: Gold, Glory, God; driving force behind the voyage and colonial ventures.
Spice trade: valued commodities; Europe’s spice routes dominated by Portugal and Spain; Magellan proposed reaching the East by sailing west; King Charles V supported the expedition and financed the voyage with a fleet of $270$ crews aboard $5$ ships.
Outcome: the expedition proved the world’s circumference is achievable by sea, opened long-distance global exploration, and highlighted the challenges of sea travel and intercultural contact.