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A Brief Summary of the First Voyage Around the World by Magellan by Antonio Pigafetta

Who is Ferdinand Magellan?

  • Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521) was a Portuguese explorer who is credited with masterminding the first expedition to circumnavigate the world.

  • Best known for being an explorer for Portugal, and later Spain, who discovered the Strait of Magellan (Estrecho de Magallanes) while leading the first expedition to successfully circumnavigate the globe.

Who is Antonio Pigafetta?

  • Antonio Pigafetta (1491-1531) was a Venetian scholar and explorer. He joined the Spanish expedition to the Spice Islands led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, the world's first circumnavigation, and is best known for being the chronicler of the voyage.

  • During the expedition, he served as Magellan's assistant until Magellan's death in the Philippine Islands and kept an accurate journal, which assisted him in translating the cebuano language.

The First Voyage Around The World 1519-1522

  • This book was taken from the sixteenth-century chronicles of contemporary travelers and navigators. One of them was Antonio Pigatetta, an Italian nobleman, who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his tragic world circumnavigation.

  • Travelogue of Pigafetta is one of the most important precolonial Philippines research.

In Pigaffeta"s account

  • their fleet reached what he called the Landrones Islands or the "Islands of the Thieves".

  • The Landrones Islands is presently known as the Marianas Islands.

2 DAYS AFTER

  • Pigafetta Recounted after 2 days, March 18, nine men came to them and showed joy and eagerness in seeing them. Pigafetta described the people as "very familiar and friendly," and happily showed them different islands and island names. The fleet headed to Humunu Island (Homonhon) and found what Pigafetta called the "Watering Place of Good Signs"" there.

  • It was at this location that Pigaffeta wrote they discovered the island's first signs of gold. On March 25th, 1521. In Mazzava / Mazaua, Pigafetta recounted that they saw two ballanghai (balangay), a long boat full of men.

  • The balangay king offered to give Magellan a bar of gold and a chest of ginger but Magellan declined. Magellan sent the interpreter explain that he was coming to the islands as a friend and not as an enemy.

  • After a couple of days Magellan was introduced to the brother of the King who was also a ruler of another country. Pigafetta described this King as the most beautiful of all the men he saw here. He was dressed like a silver sword with silk and gold rings, which he carried in a wooden polished sheath with him.

  • This king was named Raia Calambu, king of Zuluan andCalagan (Butuan and Caragua), and the first king was Raia Siagu. On March 31st, which happened to be Easter Sunday, Magellan ordered the chaplain to preside a Mass by the shore. The king heard of this plan and sent two dead pigs and attended the Mass with the other king.

  • After the mass, Magellan ordered that the cross be brought with nails and crown. The signs of his emperor.

  • The mass would go down in history as the first mass in the Philippines. The cross would be the famed Magellan's cross still preserved at present day.

  • Magellan and his men reached the port of Cebu, the largest and the richest of the islands with the helped of Raia Calambu.

  • The king of Cebu (Rajah Humabon) demanded that they pay tribute as it was customary but Magellan refused.

  • Magellan said that he was the captain himself and thus would not pay tribute to the other king.

  • On the 26th of April, Zula, a principal man from the island of Matan (Mactan) went to see Magellan and asked him for a boat full of men so that he would be able to fight the chief named Silapulapu (Lapulapu).

  • Such chief, according to Zula, refused to obey the king and was also preventing him from doing so. Magellan offered three boats instead and expressed his desire to go to Mactan himself to fight the said chief.

  • Magellan's forces arrived in Mactan in daylight. They numbered 49 in total and the islander of Mactan were estimated to number 1,500. The battle began.

  • Magellan died in that battle. The natives, perceiving that the bodies of the enemies were protected with armors, aimed for their legs instead. Magellan was pierced with a poisoned arrow in his right leg.

  • A few of their men charges at the natives and tried to intimidate them by burning an entire village but this only enraged the natives further. Magellan was specifically targeted because the native knew he was the captain general.

  • Magellan was hit with a lance in the face. Magellan retaliated and pierced the same native with his lance in the breast and tried to draw his sword but could not lift it because of his wounded arms. One native with a great sword delivered a blow in Magellan's left leg, brought him face down and the natives ceaselessly attacked Magellan with lances, swords and even their bare hands.

  • "Whilst the Indians were thus overpowering him, several times he turned round towards us to see if we were all in safety, as though his obstinate fight had no other object than to give an opportunity for the retreat of his men."

  • The king of Cebu who was baptized could have sent help but Magellan instructed him not to join the battle and stay in the balangay so that he would see how they fought. The king offered the people of Mactan's gifts of any value and amount in exchange of Magellan's body but the chief refused. They wanted to keep Magellan's body as a momento of their victory.

  • Henry, Magellan's slave and interpreter betrayed them and told the king of Cebu that they intended to leave as quickly. The slave allegedly told the king that if he followed his advice, the king would acquire the ships and the goods of Magellan's fleet.

Before he was a sea Captain, he fought in the military

  • Magellan got his first taste of sea life when he joined a Portuguese military fleet headed for India at the age of 25. At the time, Portugal was hungry to control global trade, and that meant taking strategic points along the Indian Ocean. Magellan fought in a number of pivotal naval conflicts and learned the ropes of navigation. (He also fought in Morocco, where he suffered a leg injury that caused a permanent limp).

Antonio Pigafetta (ca. 1490-ca. 1534)

  • known by the name of Antonio Lombardo or Francisco Antonio Pigafetta.

  • Famous Italian traveler.

  •   Born in Vicenza around 1490.

  •   Died in the same city in 1534.

  •   Studied astronomy, geography and cartography and during his younger years, he worked in the ships owned by the Knights of Rhodes

  • Joined the Magallanes-Elcano famous expedition to the Moluccas begun in August 1519 and finished September 1522.

  • Had a hand-written account of the expedition entitled "The First Voyage Around the World" which will be analyzed later.

  • "The First Voyage around the World" was written in one of the 5 ships of the Magallanes-Elcano expedition.

  • King Charles V provided the Spanish fleet named Armada de Molucca which was led by Magellan.

  • These 5 ships were first one to circumnavigate around the world that was led by Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer, and when he died in the Battle of Mactan, Juan Sebastian Elcano took over.

The 5 ships

Santiago

  • Crew: 32

  • Under the command of Juan Serrano

  • Smallest of the 5 ships

  • Called as a 'caravel'

  • First ship that has been lost

San Antonio

  • Crew: 60

  • Under the command of Juan De Cartagena

  • Soon led by Alvarado De Mesquita

  • Largest in the fleet

  • Second ship that has been lost

Concepcion

  • Crew: 43

  • Under the command of Gaspar de Quesada

  • Captain was executed because of mutiny

  • burned

  • Third ship that has been lost

Trinidad

  • Crew: 55

  • Under the command of Ferdinand Magellan

  •   The Flagship

  • Was attacked by Portuguese ship

  •   Left shipwrecked

  • Fourth ship that has been lost

Victoria

  • Crew: 43

  • Under the command of Luiz Mendoza; soon led by Juan Sebastian Elcano

  • Antonio Pigafetta on board

  • First ship circumnavigated the world

  • Only ship to complete the voyage

  • Upon the advice of Pigafetta's associates, he presented his account to Pope Clement VII, Philippe de Villiers l'Isle-Adam, and to Louis of Savoy to finance its publication. But, he was unable to find a financier.

  • The original journal of Pigafetta did not survived throughout the history. What was handed to us was just the manuscript that never came out of the press during his lifetime.

THE TIMELINE DURING THEIR STAY IN THE PHILIPPINES

March 16, 1521, Arrival In Samar

  • Arrived in Zamal (now Samar), the island was called Humunu (now Homonhon)

  • Locals welcomed them by giving them their native products such as fish, figs, coconuts, palm wine

March 31, 1521, First Mass In The Philippines

  • Sunday morning

  • Held at Mazaua (Limasawa)

  • Attended by local islanders, Spanish voyagers, the two Rajas, and Magellan

April 7, 1521, Arrival In Zubu

  • Arrived at the port of Zubu (Cebu), the largest and the most trade island

  • Pigafetta described the inhabitants' houses that were made of logs

  • Fired mortars as a "sign of peace and friendship"

  • Tension between the king of Zubu and the voyagers and Magellan threatened them to rage war

April 14, 1521, Image Of Child Jesus

  • Held mass with Raja Humabon and baptized 800 souls

  • Pifagetta showed the image of Child Jesus and a cross to the queen and asked to keep in place of her idols

  • The Child Jesus is known today as Santo Niño, which is celebrated every January in Cebu

April 27, 1521, Battle Of Mactan

  • Datu Zula, chief of the island Matan (Mactan). welcomed them. But Cilapulapu, the other chief, refused to obey to the king of Spain.

  • Datu Zula requested the captain to defeat Cilapulapu, which started the battle

  • Natives outsmarted them, used 'patibongs' to defeat them. The voyagers were losing in this battle

April 28, 1521, Death Of Magellan

  • Captain told them to give up this losing battle, but his men insist.

  • Magellan was shot in the leg with a poisoned arrow. He died, their 'mirror', 'comfort', and 'true guide’ as what Pigafetta described.

  • They retreated leaving their captain dead.

Additional Information

  • The account contributed to the field of geography, navigation, and history.

  • It proved that the earth is not flat, and one can go to the east by sailing west.

  • Discovery that there is a big body of easter side of American continent which they called Pacific ocean.

  • Make us know the different native products during the pre-colonial period such as palm wine, figs, coconuts, palmito, and such.

  • It proved that the Philippines was rich in natural resources even before the colonial period

  • Described the barter trade during the colonial period

  • Make us know the physical appearance of our ancestors: wearing gold earrings, gold armlets on their arms, kerchiefs on their heads

  • Described the economic and political status during the pre-colonial era

  • Described the faith or religion during the pre-colonial period: worshipping the nature.

  • This account is an evidence that these voyagers first introduced to us Christianity. They taught our ancestors worship idols.

  • Let us know some rare animals present during that era.

  • Let us know the way of life of our ancestors such as their houses and livelihood.

  • An evidence that most of the Filipinos are hospitable even before

  • Let us know the funeral practices and beliefs during the pre-colonial period

  • Showed the 'nationalism' of Lapulapu before, it also showed how wise and prepared they fought against the voyagers.