Ferdinand Magellan: First Around the World (Almost)

Ferdinand Magellan was one of the prominent explorers of the Age of Discovery. Often recognized as the first person to circumnavigate the globe, he fell just short of that achievement, meeting his end on the Marianas Islands. Nevertheless, his vision and determination, despite significant challenges, paved the way for a westward route to Asia and solidified his legacy as one of history’s great adventurers. In today’s Biographics, we explore the life and tragic death of Ferdinand Magellan.

**Beginnings**

Ferdinand Magellan was born around 1480 in northern Portugal. His family belonged to the Portuguese aristocracy, with his father, Rui de Magalhaes, serving as an official in Aveiro, and his mother, Alda de Mesquita, connected to the Portuguese royal court. Both parents passed away when Ferdinand was about ten years old, leading him to be taken into the royal court as a page boy. He served Queen Leonor, the wife of King John II, who reigned from 1481 to 1495, and was succeeded by his brother, King Manuel I.

At the dawn of the 16th Century, as Ferdinand was coming of age, Portugal was the most advanced maritime nation in Europe, boasting well-built ships and experienced sailors. These advancements enabled the Portuguese to lead in exploring the west coast of Africa. However, Italian states had already established land-based trade routes to the East, limiting Portugal’s access to this lucrative market. Portuguese merchants and explorers sought ways to develop their own maritime route to the East, igniting a rush to find a seaborne path to the eastern markets. Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama made a significant breakthrough by sailing down the African coast, around the Cape of Good Hope, and reaching the southern tip of India. Over the next decade, the Portuguese established trade relations with Indian kingdoms. During Ferdinand’s formative years, exploration and trade opportunities were constant topics of interest among the Portuguese nobility, with the Crown fully invested in financing explorations.

**Mariner**

Around 1505, Ferdinand, now in his mid-twenties, joined a twenty-two-ship escort for Francisco de Almeida, the first viceroy of Portuguese India. It is likely that he also traveled to places like Malaysia and Mozambique. Amid this flourishing inter-cultural trade, he was exposed to a variety of languages, cultures, foods, and trade goods. Magellan served in the Portuguese navy for eight years, participating in several battles, including the Battle of Cannanore in 1506, where the Portuguese fleet defeated a much larger Indian force. He was wounded in this encounter. In February 1509, he took part in the Battle of Diu against the Ottoman Turks, which was another Portuguese victory. A year later, he was present when the Indian city of Goa was captured. After defeating the Muslim push into Asia, the Portuguese focused on Malaysia and the city of Malacca, a key port for accessing the lucrative spice markets. Magellan was part of the invasion force that conquered the island in 1511. By the end of that year, he was rewarded for his services with riches from an exploratory mission to the Spice Islands of Indonesia and received a Malay slave named Enrique, who would later serve as a translator on Magellan’s voyage to the Indian Ocean.

**Soldier**

Magellan returned to Portugal in 1513 after spending eight years in the Indies. He returned to a nation deeply involved in military and commercial activities in Africa, facing ongoing conflicts with North African pirates and local Muslim populations. Shortly after his return, he joined an expedition against a revolt in the Moroccan city of Azamor, which had been a Portuguese possession since 1486. The ruler of Azamor, Moulay Zamon, refused to pay tribute and led a revolt against the Portuguese. The king sent an army of 15,000 men to quell the uprising, which was successful. However, the costs of maintaining order in Azamor soon outweighed the revenue from tribute, leading to the city’s abandonment. During the battle, Magellan was thrown from his horse and sustained a leg wound that left him with a lifelong limp. Despite being awarded spoils of victory, he faced accusations of illegal trade with locals, which were investigated and found to be unsubstantiated. However, this incident tarnished his previously exemplary record and diminished his standing with King Manuel, who denied his requests for an increased pension and permission to join other military expeditions.

**Explorer**

With the king no longer supporting him, Magellan began to formulate plans for his own voyage of exploration, aiming to find a faster route to the Spice Islands by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. Unaware of the vastness of the Pacific Ocean and the length of South America, he believed this route would be quicker than the established route around Africa. He sought financing from the Spanish crown, arguing that the Spanish could reach the Spice Islands before the Portuguese. Although King Manuel rejected his request, he permitted Magellan to seek funding from other rulers. Magellan then turned to the Spanish crown for support, presenting his expedition as an opportunity to achieve the westward route to the Indies that Columbus had failed to find in the 1490s. He also claimed that the Spice Islands lay within Spanish territory under the Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494. This proposal appealed to Spanish King Charles I, who appointed Magellan and his cartographer, Rui Faleiro, as joint captains of the expedition, granting them a ten-year monopoly on trade in the area and a share of the revenues. The Spanish Crown financed the purchase of ships, crew, and supplies, marking a significant success for Magellan.

However, he soon faced challenges. Spanish sailors were resentful of having two Portuguese mariners in charge, and members of the Spanish court attempted to undermine the expedition. Delays in funding made preparations difficult. Meanwhile, King Manuel learned of the Spanish financing and sought to sabotage the expedition. Tensions also arose between Magellan and Faleiro, leading to Faleiro’s removal from the expedition. The Spanish authorities prevented Magellan from bringing experienced Portuguese sailors on board, resulting in a predominantly Spanish crew, along with representation from other regions, including North Africa. Magellan’s slave, Enrique, also accompanied him.

**A Fateful Voyage**

Eventually, Magellan had five ships ready to sail: the Trinidad, Victoria, Concepcion, Santo Antonio, and Santiago, with a total crew of 273 men. Much of what we know about Magellan’s voyage comes from the journal of crew member Antonio Pigafetta. They departed from Seville on August 10, 1519. During his time in Seville, Magellan married a young woman named Beatriz Barbosa, with whom he had a son named Rodrigo. After setting sail, he would never see them again.

The fleet sailed down the Guadalquivir River to the port of Sanlucar de Barrameda and headed into the Atlantic Ocean on September 20. Their first stop was Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The next leg of the journey, from Tenerife southwest across the equator, was fraught with storms. Pigafetta recounts how the crew feared for their lives during these turbulent conditions, attributing their survival to divine intervention. After navigating the storms, Magellan set a course for Brazil, which was still largely uncharted territory for the Portuguese. The fleet reached the Brazilian coast in early November and continued south to the bay of Rio de Janeiro.

Upon reaching South America, Magellan faced the reality of the geography he had only speculated about. He had assured the Spanish king that he would find a strait through the continent, but the South American coast extended further south than he anticipated, and there was no clear passage. This realization created tension among the crew. From Rio de Janeiro, the fleet traveled to the Rio de la Plata estuary, where they encountered a tribe of natives described by Pigafetta as cannibalistic giants. The crew attempted to capture some natives, leading to a violent confrontation. Magellan lost his first man to a poisoned arrow and decided to retreat.

Instead of returning to the open sea, they ventured into a river, mistakenly believing it might be the strait they sought. Upon realizing their error, Magellan turned south to the port of San Julian in Argentina, where they decided to winter. During this time, a mutiny was incited by two Spanish captains who resented serving under a Portuguese. Magellan managed to maintain the loyalty of most of the crew, sidelining the dissenters. The Santiago, sent on a reconnaissance mission, was shipwrecked, resulting in the loss of the vessel and one crew member.

**The Straits of Magellan**

With only four ships remaining, Magellan continued down the South American coast to Cape Virgenes, where they discovered a strait between the mainland and Tierra del Fuego. This strait would later be known as the Straits of Magellan. One ship was sent to test the waters, confirming they were saltwater, and the fleet proceeded through the strait. However, during this exploration, the Santo Antonio experienced a mutiny and returned to Spain. The remaining three ships continued down the westward channel, reaching the South Sea, which Magellan renamed the Pacific Ocean, on December 1, 1520.

Navigating the straits was a remarkable feat, but Magellan was acutely aware of dwindling supplies. Stopping to forage along the coast posed risks of conflict with native peoples, so they decided to venture directly into the ocean despite the lack of food. It would be twelve weeks before land was sighted, and the crew’s situation became dire. They subsisted on old biscuits infested with grubs and yellow, foul-smelling water. As food ran out, they resorted to eating rats and even leather and sawdust. Scurvy took a heavy toll, leading to numerous deaths, including those of the two giants captured earlier.

Finally, in late January 1521, they sighted a group of uninhabited islands, but finding no food, they continued until reaching Guam in early March, where they finally found supplies. From Guam, the fleet sailed southwest to the Marianas Islands, known today as the Philippines. Magellan sought to establish friendly relations with the local people, aided by his translator, Enrique, through gifts and demonstrations of arms.

**Journey’s End**

The people of Limasawa Island encouraged Magellan to move on to Cebu, which they did. Upon arrival, Magellan ordered artillery to be fired as a show of strength, but the locals were friendly. He mistakenly believed that Rajah Humabon, the chief of Cebu, was the king of all surrounding islands and thought he had secured their allegiance. However, each island operated independently. Magellan then turned his attention to the island of Mactan, expecting a warm reception. Instead, Chief Lapu Lapu refused to submit to the foreigners, prompting Magellan to prepare for an attack.

Underestimating the resistance, Magellan and about sixty men landed on Mactan, only to face a much larger force of 1,500 to 3,000 warriors armed with spears and arrows. Although the sailors had muskets, they were cumbersome and unreliable. Magellan attempted to create confusion by sending men to burn native huts, but they were intercepted and killed. The attackers struggled to gain ground and were forced to fight from the shore. Pigafetta describes the final moments of Magellan, who was struck by a poisoned arrow and ordered a retreat. However, many of his men fled, leaving only a few to defend him. Despite his bravery, he was ultimately overwhelmed and killed.

Following Magellan’s death, the remaining crew retreated to their boats. The ship returned to Cebu, only to find that Rajah Humabon had turned hostile, leading to the poisoning of about thirty sailors during a feast. The surviving crew then set sail for the Spice Islands, achieving their goal but at a tremendous cost. Over 90 percent of Magellan’s men perished during the voyage. The captains of the two remaining ships disagreed on the route home, parting ways. The Trinidad attempted to return across the Pacific but was captured by Portuguese officials, while the Victoria took the route around the Cape of Good Hope.

Ultimately, the Victoria arrived back in Seville on September 6, 1522, laden with spices but with a crew near death from starvation. Only 18 men remained from the original 237 who had set sail three years earlier, but these men had the distinction of being the first to circumnavigate the globe.