page.

This placement would open up

LESSON 1: TRANSCRIPT opportunities for him in the future.
OF MAGELLAN’S
EXPEDITION ● In 1510, Magellan was part of the
Portuguese undertaking to establish
a colony on the west coast of India at
Everyone knows that Ferdinand Magellan
Goa.
was the first person to circumnavigate the
globe. But what if we told you you've been
lied to your entire life? ● In order to do this, Portuguese
vessels sail from their homelands
● Magellan died in the Philippines and
down the West Coast of Africa,
never made it back to Spain.
around the southern tip of the
continent, and across the
● Out of the 270 men who set sail on the
Indian Ocean.
expedition, only 18 completed the
● This is a perilous journey, but one
journey.
that the Portuguese have
become increasingly good at
But the unbelievable thing is that one man
completing.
may have circumnavigated the world 1 year
● While on the expedition,
and 4 months prior to the Magellan
Magellan witnesses Afonso de
expedition, making it back to Europe.
Albuquerque claim Goa in the
name of Portugal, and it is here
So who was this mysterious and unknown
that a new hub for the eastern
explorer? And why was he lost to the sands or
spice trade is set up.
in this case, the waves of time?
● Goa eventually becomes the
capital of the Portuguese
In order to trace the path of Magellan's
Empire, East of the Cape of
voyage and discover what actually
Good Hope, and will endure the
happened during the first circumnavigation
next 450 years.
around the globe, we must start at the
beginning.
● In 1511, at the age of 31, Magellan
continued East with a Portuguese
● Before Ferdinand Magellan betrayed
fleet where they established
his home country of Portugal and set
Portuguese Malacca in what would
off under the flag of its biggest rival,
become Malaysia.
Spain, he had already traveled to parts
of the world that most Europeans could
● Several ports are set up where
only dream of.
spices and a much more
sinister trade system develop.
● It is around 1480 when Magellan's story
● It is from Malay that the
begins and where a series of events will
Portuguese began to transport
lead to the first expedition to circle the
slaves back to Europe.
world.

● They will regain control of this region

Once and for all proving that the earth is
until 1641 when it's captured by the
round and not flat.
Dutch.

But there is one individual from this part of the

ORIGIN OF MAGELLAN BEFORE world that will play a particularly important role
CIRCUMNAVIGATION in the story of the first circumnavigation of the
globe.
● Magellan was born in Villareal in
Trasmonte, Portugal. ● While serving in the Portuguese
expeditionary force that's colonizing the
● Around the age of 12, he became a islands of Malaysia and Indonesia,
part of the Portuguese court as a Ferdinand Magellan purchases a
slave by the name of Enrique.
 ○ It's not clear where the 14 year slice of the lucrative pie that is the
old boy is originally from but he East Indies.
speaks Malay and a few other ● After several meetings, Charles I
languages. agrees to fund the expedition.
○ The boy quickly picked up
Portuguese and spent the next He grants Magellan Spanish citizenship and
several years on Ferdinand 5 vessels (with the initial captains).
Magellan's side. ● Trinidad: Commanded by Gonzalo Gómez
de Espinosa (boarded by Magellan as the
Unknown to anyone at the time and many fleet's commander)
today, Enrique de Malacca will become one ● San Antonio: Commanded by Juan de
Cartagena
of the most important people in human
● Concepción: Commanded by Gaspar de
history.
Quesada
● Santiago: Commanded by Juan Serrano
● Upon returning from the conquests of ● Victoria: Commanded by Luis Mendoza
the east, Magellan begins to fall out
with the Portuguese crown. ● On top of this, Charles bestows upon
● Ferdinand Magellan is accused of the captain of the expedition:
illegal trading, and when he proposes ○ a decade long monopoly on any
an ambitious plan to sail west in order to route he might discover
reach India, Malaysia, and Indonesia, ○ a percentage of the profits; and
Manuel I, king of Portugal, turns him ○ a noble title.
down.
Unfortunately for Magellan, he will not live long
Magellan is sure that he can reach the far enough to reap the benefits of these rewards.
east by traveling westward, and he intends
to prove it. ● From the onset, the voyage is rife with
conflict. The Spanish crew is not
● Many of the world's greatest explorers, afraid to voice their displeasure with
scholars, and philosophers have shown having to follow the orders of a
through multiple forms of evidence that Portuguese commander.
the EARTH IS SPHERICAL.
● Therefore, Magellan believes that it's Spain and Portugal have been bitter rivals
not only possible, but could be for years.
quicker to reach the Portuguese
colonies in the east (Portuguese ● Charles is not just the king of Spain, but
Malacca) by traveling around the also the Holy Roman Emperor under
southern tip of the Americas and the name of Charles V.
proceeding across whatever body of ● Spain has conquered vast amounts of
water lies on the other side. territories in the Americas, while
Portugal has a firm hold on the colonies
in the East Indies.
MAGELLAN'S RELOCATION TO ● Due to the religious upheaval led by
Martin Luther at the time, along with
SPAIN
several political crises across Europe,
only Spain and Portugal have been able
When Manuel I refuses to fund the to expand their empires in any
expedition, Magellan renounces his meaningful way thus far.
Portuguese citizenship and relocates to
Seville, Spain in 1517.

● He presents Charles I, of Spain with START OF CIRCUMNAVIGATION

his plan to reach the spice-producing
lands of the east by traveling around On August 10, 1519, the 5 ships of
the Americas. At first, Charles is Magellan's expedition, the Trinidad,
skeptical. Santiago, Victoria, Concepcion, and San
● Magellan leverages Spain's desire to Antonio, left Seville and proceeded down
strengthen their empire and to gain a
the Guadalquivir River to Sanlúcar de ● The vessels take on more supplies such
Barrameda. as vegetables to eat and pitch to
make repairs as needed, both of which
● The fleet is given the name Armada de are cheaper on the islands than back
Molucca and remains in the harbor of in Spain.
Sanlúcar de Barrameda for just over 5
weeks, in preparation for the perilous It's during this stop that Ferdinand Magellan
journey ahead. learns from a secret letter sent by his father-in-
law, Thiago Barbosa, that the captain of the
As we'll see, only ONE of these ships San Antonio, Juan de Cartagena, has been
(VICTORIA) will complete the intended planning a mutiny with his Castilian crew.
journey with a fraction of the crew of 270 men
who embark on the expedition. Magellan does not have time to deal with this
threat at the moment as a more immediate
On the morning of September 20, 1519, problem has presented itself.
Magellan's fleet is ready to depart and the
voyage to circumnavigate the world begins. ● King Manuel of Portugal has
dispatched 2 fleets to arrest Magellan
● The Trinidad is the flagship of the and stop his voyage before it has even
fleet. On board, Ferdinand Magellan begun.
looks to the west as his final adventure
officially begins. The crew makes haste to load the ship with
supplies and get underway.
● Also on board the Trinidad is Enrique,
the slave Magellan has purchased in ● On October 3, 1519, the
Malacca. At this point, Enrique is no circumnavigation fleet left the Canary
longer a slave, but a servant of Islands.
Magellan. ● The 5 vessels sail south along the
western coast of Africa.
● He has proven himself to be ● There is squabbling between the
extremely talented when it comes to captains as disagreement erupts over
interpretation and translation. the best route to the Atlantic.
● Some want to travel straight West
● On the fleet's manifest, Enrique de while Ferdinand Magellan argues that
Malacca is listed as a supernumerary the fleet needs to travel further South
(or interpreter) and is being paid along the African coast to evade the
1,500 Maravedis per month. Portuguese ships pursuing them.

Interestingly, it seems that Enrique has been Ultimately Magellan, as the commander of
deemed especially important as Antonio the voyage, makes the final decision and
Pigafetta, the expedition's chronicler, is the fleet continues SOUTH.
only being paid 1,000 Maravedis per month.

Along with being paid, Magellan gives JOURNEY SOUTH ALONG THE
Enrique his word that if he DIES DURING
THE VOYAGE, Enrique will no longer be
WEST COAST OF AFRICA
indentured to anyone and will be a free
man. As they reach the equator towards the end
of October, the weather begins to deteriorate.
● A series of storms batters the armada.
And for several days, the ships must
ARRIVAL AT THE CANARY lower their sails to prevent damage.
ISLANDS
The crews aboard the ships are explorers, but
After 16 days at sea, the ships lay anchor at also highly religious.
Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
● In fact , they have been tasked with
bringing Christianity to any non-
 believers they encounter along the Mendoza convince Magellan to
way. relieve Cartagena of command
and confine him to the Victoria.
During the trip south, the men witness Saint
Elmo's fire, a phenomenon that is seen as Magellan agrees and promotes Antonio de
good luck on a voyage. Coco as the new captain of the San
Antonio.
● Saint Elmo's fire occurs when the air
becomes electrically charged and the
molecules seek a way to release this ARRIVAL IN SOUTH AMERICA
charge and return to equilibrium.

● When this happens, the particles On November 29 1519, the Armada finished
discharge their energy in a luminous its crossing of the Atlantic.
plasma that looks like lightning via the ● It is now 27 leagues or
grounding of a tall structure such as approximately 93 miles from the
the mast of a ship. coast of South America.

Saint Elmo is considered the patron saint of ● Just over 2 weeks later, Magellan's
sailors. Hence, the name of the phenomenon expedition reached Rio de Janeiro on
is given. December 13, 1519.

Antonio Pigafetta, a Venetian explorer, The danger is that this is Portuguese territory
joined Magellan's expedition as the (Rio de Janeiro), but no enemy ships seem to
chronicler of the voyage. In his notes, he be docked in the harbor. And therefore, it's
recounts such religious events by saying: decided that the fleet can stop to resupply.

“During these storms, the body of Saint ● Magellan and his crew are greeted by
Anselme appeared to us several times. the indigenous people of the region.
Amongst others, one night that it was very dark ● The fleet stays in the harbor for 13 days
on account of the bad weather, the said saint while they make repairs and trade.
appeared in the form of a fire lighted at the ● The Europeans stock up on foods such
summit of the main mast and remained there as yam, cassava, and tropical fruits
near 2 hours and a half, which comforted us along with gallons of fresh water.
greatly for we were in tears only expecting the
hour of perishing. And when that holy light was They had brought numerous items to trade
going away from us, it gave out such great with when encountering indigenous
brilliance in the eyes of each that we were near populations along their route.
a quarter of an hour like people blinded and
calling out for mercy. For without any doubt, ● Enrique de Malacca is tasked with
nobody hoped to escape from that storm.” facilitating trade deals in the hopes
that his multi language skills will
● Invigorated by this good omen, the fleet allow him to communicate better with
maneuvers west and follows the non Spanish or Portuguese speaking
south equatorial current and trade people.
winds. ● However, this is not the region of the
● However, during the crossing, Juan de world he is from, and there are no
Cartagena voices his displeasure commonalities between the
with Magellan's decision and claims languages of his homeland and that
he should be removed from of indigenous Americans.
command. ● Still, Enrique does his best to facilitate
○ This act of mutiny is enough for deals between the Europeans and
Magellan to have Cartagena Americans through gestures and
arrested. He's thrown in drawings.
stocks.
● But rather than being executed This will be a common practice
as was the traditional punishment (communication through gestures and
for mutiny, captains Quesada and drawings) for much of the voyage until the
expedition reaches the Western Pacific, where launched a coup against their Portuguese
something astonishing will happen. commander, Ferdinand Magellan.

As the day marking the resurrection of Christ

JOURNEY SOUTH ALONG THE begins, chaos aboard the ships erupts.

COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA ● Like the disagreement in the Atlantic,

the mutiny is led by the former captain
After departing Rio de Janeiro, the fleet of the San Antonio, Juan de
continues south along the coast. By February Cartagena.
of 1520, they were approaching the southern ● However, this time, due to the
terminus of the continent. disgruntled men and dissatisfaction
● Magellan is sure that there's a strait among many of the Spaniards,
that will allow him to circle around Cartagena is supported by Gaspar de
the tip of South America and reach Quesada, captain of the Concepcion,
the western portions of the and Luis Mendoza of the Victoria.
landmass.
● In fear of missing the strait, the ships They claim that Magellan is unfit to
are ordered to travel as close to the continue leading the expedition and that his
coast as possible and only sail decisions have endangered the fleet and
during the day. the men aboard the ships.
● This is a dangerous proposition as there
are no reliable maps of the region, ● The mutineers covered their faces in
and running aground is a very real charcoal and boarded the San Antonio.
possibility.
As they board the ship, a sailor by the name
Each day that passes, the temperature begins of Juan de Eloriaga desperately tries to
to drop. The expedition is in the southern warn the others that a mutiny has begun.
hemisphere, so winter is not ending, but just
about to begin. ● In the blackness of night, Eloriaga is
stabbed several times by Gaspar de
● On March 21, 1520, Ferdinand Casada to silence his warnings.
Magellan gave the order to anchor the ● The mutineers make their way through
ships and prepare for winter. the vessel and take control of San
● The fleet has stopped in a bay which is Antonio.
given the name Port Saint Julien. ● They now control 3 of the 5 ships in
Magellan's fleet.
No Europeans have ventured this far south in
the Americas. So Magellan's fleet are in Only Santiago commanded by Juan
uncharted territories. Serrano and the flagship Trinidad are under
Magellan's authority.
● For the next 5 months, the men in
Magellan's expedition struggle to survive ● The mutineers fire the San Antonio's
the brutal South American winter. cannons at Magellan's ship but do not
● Tensions run high and there will be cause any significant damage. The sun
discontent among the crew. However, rises.
as the frigid temperatures and harsh ● There's a standoff between the two
weather will not allow for safe travel, factions as both sides decide what their
there is no means of escape and a next course of action should be.
mutiny begins to take shape.
On April 2, 1520, the mutineers decided to
consolidate their forces.
MUTINY ALONG THE COAST OF ● Unfortunately, the current in Port Saint
Julien is strong and one of the
SOUTH AMERICA
longboats is pushed into the vicinity
of the Trinidad where it is captured.
At midnight on March 31, 1520, Easter day,
the Spanish captains on the expedition
 ● The mutineers are forced to death or to try and brave the frigid,
divulge their comrades' plans. choppy waters.
Learning of the next move by his
adversaries, the Portuguese A DEATH SENTENCE WITHIN ITSELF.
commander decides to launch a
counteroffensive. ● The remainder of the mutineers are
● Magellan and several marines forced to work in chains and
switch clothes with the shackles aboard the ships of the fleet.
captured mutineers and board
their longship. They row toward
Victoria in disguise. CONTINUATION OF THE
● Simultaneously, another group of
loyal marines circles around the
EXPLORATION ALONG THE
opposite side of the Victoria. COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA

The leader of this second party, Gonzalo de Magellan decides that in late April, he
Espinosa, claims he has a message for needs a plan for once the winter comes to
captain Luis Mendoza. an end and the expedition can resume.
● He is brought on board and shown to
the captain's quarters. ● He orders Juan Serrano to take the
● Mendoza waits patiently for Espinosa to Santiago out of the bay and scout
relay his message. But instead, further south for the strait that will
Espinosa pulls out a knife and stabs allow them to pass around the tip of
the mutineering captain in the neck. South America.
● Moments later, Magellan and his ● On May 3, 1520, Santiago reached the
marines disguised as mutineers board estuary of the Santa Cruz river.
the victoria and attack the crew. ○ Here, they find an abundance of
fish and other natural
Those loyal to Magellan successfully take resources such as strong
the victoria, shifting the balance of power wood for making repairs.
back in the Portuguese commander's favor.
● After exploring a little further, Serrano
● Cartagena realizes that he can no decides to return to the rest of the fleet.
longer capture the entire fleet and tries ○ However, on May 22, 1520,
to negotiate with Magellan. Santiago encountered an intense
● Quesada gave the order to flee, but winter storm. The ship is
sailors loyal to Magellan had slammed into a sandbar.
sabotaged San Antonio by cutting
several ropes and cables, rendering ○ The sailors abandon ship and
the sails of the ship useless. make it to shore moments before
● Magellan and his men capture the the Santiago capsizes.
remaining two vessels and force the
mutineers to surrender. ○ Serrano asks for volunteers to
hike back up the coast to
On April 7, 1520, 1 week after the Easter inform Magellan of what has
mutiny, the trials of the traitors begin. happened.

● Gaspar de Quesada is beheaded. ○ It takes them 11 days to reach

● The bodies of both Quesada and Port Saint Julien where the
Mendoza are strung up and their remaining 4 ships are harbored.
bodies are displayed for 3 full
months. As a reminder to everyone ○ Magellan sends 24 men back
what will happen if they try to mutiny over land to aid the stranded men
again. at Santa Cruz.
● Juan de Cartagena is sentenced to
be marooned on a small island in the ○ The shipwrecked crew of the
bay, where his options are to starve to Santiago have built small huts
to shelter themselves from the
 elements. The abundance of The captains of the Concepcion and San
seafood in the area ensures Antonio inform Magellan that the storm had
they don't starve while they pushed them further into the bay, where they
wait for rescue. stumbled upon a strait that seemed to
○ The rescue party reaches them continue west well out of sight.
and the entire group returns to
Saint Julian safely. ● Magellan and the captains decide this
may be the strait they've been
After the disaster of the Santiago, Magellan searching for. The fleet travels back
decides to keep the fleet sheltered in the into the bay and towards the
bay until the winter begins to subside. coordinates of the strait.
○ As the vessels enter the
● By August, he determines that it's safe passageway, they test the water's
enough to relocate the ships to Santa salinity. Unlike in estuaries
Cruz, where the Santiago had been where the rivers flow from
shipwrecked. inland, the water salt content in
● The survivors had informed Magellan of this region has remained the
the abundance of resources in the area. same.
So moving the fleet is determined to be
worth the risk. This is a good indication that the waterway
the fleet is traveling through is in fact a
The ships set sail around August 24, 1520 passageway around South America.
and arrived safely at the estuary of the
Santa Cruz river. ● At the time, Magellan referred to this
stretch of water as the Estrecho de
● They remain there for several more Todos Los Santos or All Saints
weeks to wait out the rest of winter Channel. But it will later be renamed
before resuming their search for the to the Strait of Magellan.
elusive strait.
● Around October 28, 1520, the
On October 18, 1520, Magellan ordered the expedition reached an island almost
expedition to continue their mission. halfway through the strait.
○ Magellan gives the order for the
● They reach Cape Vergenes at 52 fleet to split up to explore
degrees south latitude, where they multiple pathways around the
find a large bay. Suddenly, the weather island and ensure they don't
changes drastically. The winds pick up miss the route through the
and a storm sweeps through the bay. channel.

● Magellan orders the vessels to Trinidad, Victoria, and Concepcion regroup

retreat back to open water to on the other side of the island. However,
reduce the risk of being San Antonio is not there.
wrecked on the jagged rocks
jutting out of the bay. ● Magellan orders the fleet to wait for the
missing ship. But with each day that
Trinidad and Victoria managed to make it passes, hope diminishes that they will
out unharmed. But the Concepcion and San be reunited.
Antonio are pushed deeper and deeper into ● Gonzalo de Espinosa is tasked with
the unexplored inlet. continuing onward to explore whether
the passage lets out into the body of
● For 3 days, the ships are water on the western side of South
separated. But once the storm America.
diminishes, the fleet is reunited.
● He sails for 3 days and is
greeted by open waters.
DISCOVERY OF THE STRAIT Espinosa turns his ship around
and returns to Magellan with the
 good news that he's been waiting ● Several days later, another island is
for. THEY HAVE FOUND IT. spotted which is given the name San
Pablo.
The strait that connects the Atlantic to what
lies beyond. It now seems that Magellan's ● But this piece of land is also
dream of sailing west to reach east Asia will uninhabited and devoid of
become a reality. anything of use for the
malnourished sailors.
Magellan sheds tears of joy upon news of the
discovery. ● The expedition leaders had no way of
knowing how large the Pacific ocean
● He gives the order for the fleet to carry would be.
on. At this point, it is believed that
San Antonio has either been lost or Magellan assumed that Asia would be
deserted. relatively close to the western shores of the
Americas or at the very least, there would
● It will turn out to be the latter as San be inhabited islands along the way.
Antonio is already on its way back to
Spain. NEITHER OF THESE THINGS END UP
BEING TRUE.

JOURNEY TO THE PACIFIC ● The ships were not stocked with enough
food or water when they left South
OCEAN America.

On November 28, 1520, Trinidad, ● What little meat they had spoiled in
Concepcion, and the Victoria pass through the intense equatorial heat.
the strait and are in what Magellan calls ● Antonio Pigafetta records the horrors of
Marpacifico (or the Pacific Ocean) due to its this stretch of the voyage, recounting
calm waters. that there were only old biscuits full
of maggots to eat.
● The ships proceed up the coast of South ● To make matters worse, the rats
America until they reach what will aboard the ship had gotten into the
eventually become Santiago, Chile. food stores and defecated on much
● After gathering whatever supplies and of the supply.
food they can from the coast, Magellan ● The crew even resorts to eating
orders the fleet to proceed northwest sawdust and any rats that they can
into the open ocean on December 18, catch.
1520.
And explore a part of the world that no The men begin to suffer from scurvy and
European has encountered before. the crew looks more like skeletons than
able-bodied sailors.
It is over a month before the men aboard
the Trinidad, the Concepcion and the
Victoria see land again.
DISCOVERY OF ISLAND GUAM
● On January 24, 1521, a series of small
islands were spotted. On March 6, 1521, when hope was all but
● The main island is given the name lost, the fleet spotted the island of Guam.
Sharks Island, which is likely what is
known as the Pukapuka Atoll today. ● This island is different from the previous
○ The island is uninhabited and has ones as there are people living on it.
very little resources of use. The ● The sailors shout with joy as there must
expedition continues; and be food and water on the islands.
● On February 13, 1521, the ships ● Enrique de Malacca is tasked with
crossed the equator. translating Magellan's questions and
desires to the indigenous peoples
 they encounter, but there is no have originally been from the
common language between them. Philippine Islands.
● The people on the island belong to the
Chamorro culture, which has very little Other than finding a western route around
contact with east asia. South America to the Spice Islands of
Indonesia, Magellan has also been tasked by
Due to a misunderstanding or the King of Spain to convert any people he
miscommunication while a group of Chamorros came in contact with to Christianity, along
are on board the trinidad, a small boat is with claiming any and all territory not yet
presumed to be stolen. This leads to the spoken for Spain.
Europeans taking up arms.
It is not clear how much converting had been
● The islanders flee the ship, but the next done at previous points of contact. But once
day, Magellan orders a raiding party Magellan reaches the Philippines, he
to go ashore. begins to take the CONVERSION part of his
job very seriously.
● These men end up SLAUGHTERING
the people of a nearby village and The fleet reaches Suluan Island and is
BURNING it to the ground. greeted by the Filipinos.

● The Europeans take whatever they want ● Magellan directs his ship to the coast of
from the decimated village, which gives the larger Homonhon Island just to the
them enough food and water to west, where the expedition trades with
continue their journey. the Filipino inhabitants and stays
docked for almost 2 weeks.
On March 9, 1521, the fleet left Guam and ● The crew rests while food and water are
continued in a southwesterly direction. secured and brought aboard the ships.

On March 27, 1521 the fleet continued its

ARRIVAL OF THE PHILIPPINES journey. The following morning, they
encountered more Filipino people in canoes
near the island of Limasawa.
One week after leaving Guam, Magellan's
expedition reaches the outlying islands of ● It is in these waters that the expedition
the Philippines. comes across 2 Balangay ships carrying
Filipinos from Mindanao.
It is here where a series of events will unfold
that will lead to betrayal, death, and revelation. It is this encounter between the Mindanao
people and the expedition that Enrique of
● When the fleet spots land on March 16, Malacca is first able to communicate with
1521, they adjust their course and head the local people the Europeans meet.
straight for the closest island. (Eastern
Samar) ● There are varying interpretations of this
○ This will be the first contact interaction, but the fact that Enrique
between Europeans and the can understand and speak the dialect
islands of the Philippines. that the Filipinos are communicating
in could mean he is close to where he
However, it is likely not the first time that was originally from before being sold
Europeans have encountered Filipinos, as into slavery and brought to Europe.
trade has been happening between the
Philippine Islands, Indonesia, and Malaysia for From accounts of this part of the journey, it is
centuries. clear that some of the Filipinos like Enrique
speak Malay. This is because it is the
● This means that some of the traders predominant trading language in the
that the Portuguese have been region.
dealing with in Malacca may have
been Filipinos, and the slaves being
purchased or taken in Malaysia might
Later that day, the Europeans are brought to During their time in Mindanao and Cebu,
the leaders of Mindanao called Rajah Kolambu Antonio Pigafetta records Enrique's
and Rajah Siawi. interactions with the local people.
● The Europeans note that the Filipino
leaders wore gold ornaments, and ● He writes that Enrique can easily
when asked if they had more gold, they understand the islanders, which
were informed that the precious metal suggests that the translator does not
is plentiful on their home islands of just speak Malay, but is well versed
Butuan and Calagan to the south. in the local Filipino dialect of
● The Filipinos are happy to trade their Cebuano or Bisaya as well.
GOLD FOR IRON, a lucrative venture ● Pigafetta also records around 150
for the Europeans, who hold gold in vocabulary words, most of which are
much higher regard. Cebuano and were likely translated by
Enrique.
On April 2nd, Magellan debates with the ● According to the first hand accounts we
other captains about the next course of have, it appears that Enrique is a true
action. POLYGLOT who is able to speak
Portuguese, Spanish, Malay, and
● Many want to head southwest Cebuano.
towards Malacca and the islands of
Malaysia and Indonesia. This has ● He learned Portuguese and
been their goal all along, and they are Spanish as a slave, and since
clearly very close. Enrique was sold into slavery in
Malacca, it comes as no surprise
However, Ferdinand Magellan decides to that he also speaks Malay, which
press further into the Philippines. is the dominant language in the
region.
● But the fact that he can
ARRIVAL IN CEBU communicate in Cebuano is
surprising.
● It is the knowledge of this dialect
The next day, the fleet sails towards Cebu, that suggests Enrique of
guided by Kolambu. On April 7, 1521, Malacca isn't originally from
Magellan's expedition made landfall on the Malacca at all but from the
islands. Philippines.
● If this is true, then Enrique has
● In order to impress the Cebuano ruler, just become the first person to
Magellan gives a demonstration of his circumnavigate the globe as his
weapons and cannons. starting point is not Europe like
● He discusses Christianity with the leader the rest of the crew or even
of the island, Raja Humabon. Malacca which lies almost a 1000
miles to the west, but somewhere
On April 14, 1521, Humabon and his entire much closer to where the
family were baptized and given a sculpture expedition is currently located.
of the baby Jesus, known as Santo Nino de
Cebu.

● This will later become a sacred relic for

the island. WAR IN MACTAN
● Following the example of their leader,
approximately 2,200 Filipinos from As Magellan makes his way through the
the area decide to convert to Philippines, he claims each island in the
Christianity as well. name of Spain. However, when he encounters
the Mactan people near Cebu, who are the
This is all possible thanks to the translation rivals of Humabon, a war breaks out that will
provided by Enrique. end Ferdinand Magellan's journey
prematurely.
 ● The leader of the Mactan people is a ● He continues to fight on, but the
man by the name of Lapu Lapu. wound is so severe that he can
● When Magellan demands that he and barely raise his sword. When the
his people convert to Christianity, warriors realize the Magellan is
Lapulapu refuses. wounded, they focus even more
● Magellan is enraged by the insolence of attention on their enemy's leader.
these Filipinos and gathers a force of
60 well armed men to subjugate the ● Pigafetta later writes that at this point,
Mactan. the captain of the expedition fell face
down in the sand:
On April 27, 1521, the European force set
out from Cebu to Mactan. “When immediately they rushed upon him with
iron and bamboo spears and with their
● Some of the already converted cutlasses until they killed our mirror, our light,
Cebuanos also joined the expedition. our comfort, and our true guide.”

Magellan sends a final envoy to Lapu Lapu ● Due to the sheer size of the Mactan
giving him one last chance to surrender and force, they secured a decisive victory
convert to the one true faith or face the over the Europeans, which culminated
consequences. When Lapulapu refuses, in the death of Ferdinand Magellan.
Magellan launches his attack. ● His body is left behind as the European
soldiers retreat back to their boats.
● 49 men jump out of the longboats,
they wade through water up to their With the death of Magellan, the expedition
thighs and approach the shore. needs a new leader.
● The remaining 11 men stay behind to
guard the boats. ● An election is held, which results in
○ They cannot be brought all the Duarte Barbosa, Magellan's brother-in-
way up to the beach due to the law, and Juan Serrano becoming co-
sharp rocks and coral commanders.
surrounding the shore.
● Once the Europeans make landfall, they Even though Magellan promised Enrique
are greeted by 1500 Mactan warriors freedom if he were to die, the new
led by Lapu Lapu. commanders believe that the interpreter is
○ The European armor and too important to be released.
weapons are far more advanced
than that of the Filipinos, but the ● They force Enrique to remain with the
islanders have numbers on their expedition and continue his duties. But
side. due to the fact that he can
communicate with Filipinos in either
● The Mactans race toward the Cebuano or Malay, Enrique has other
Europeans, releasing war cries that plans.
pierce the stillness before the battle.
● Magellan and his men release arrow
after arrow from their crossbows. AMBUSH ON THE EUROPEANS
● The musketeers fire into the oncoming
flood of warriors. A bloody struggle
commences on the beach. On May 1, 1521, 4 days after the battle with
● The Mactan recognize Magellan and the Mactan where Ferdinand Magellan was
focus their attack on the leader of the killed, Raja Humabon invited the Europeans
European force. for a great feast in their honor.

● They knock his helmet off, ● Around 30 men, consisting of mostly

leaving Magellan vulnerable to officers, including the newly elected
deadly blows. co commanders and Enrique, make
● A bamboo spear flies through their way to Cebu.
the air and impales Ferdinand ● The Filipinos bring fresh fruits and
Magellan. seafood for the Europeans to enjoy.
 ● Enrique probably was not originally
● They laugh and indulge themselves. from Cebu. However, it is highly
However, towards the end of the plausible that he was Filipino or at
meal, the welcoming atmosphere that least from somewhere in the region.
the Cebuanos have portrayed during
the feast suddenly disappears. Pigafetta wrote in his notes that “Enrique was
originally from Sumatra”. But this seems
● Filipino warriors flew into the room, unlikely if he understood and spoke
murdering any European they can get Visayan or Cebuano, as Filipino languages
their hands on. would not have been spoken in Sumatra.
○ 27 of the 30 men who were at
the feast are killed. ● Perhaps he was born in the Philippines
● Juan Serrano is dragged out of the and then sold into slavery in Sumatra,
hall and forced to his knees facing where he eventually ended up in
the Spanish ships anchored off the Malacca.
coast. ● The linguistic connection could suggest
that Enrique de Malacca was actually
● He is being held for ransom. Enrique of the Philippines.
Serrano pleads with his men to
pay whatever the Cebuanos Regardless of where exactly Enrique was
ask for in exchange for his life. from, at this point, he is much closer to
But the newly elected where his life began and his home than any
commander has very few sailors of the Europeans are.
loyal to him as the ships weigh
anchor and sail away. ● After the Spanish left, it would have
made sense for Enrique to return to
It is at this point that all firsthand accounts of his people, whether that be on a
what happens in this part of the Philippines different island in the Philippines or in
end, due to Pigafetta and the rest of the Indonesia or Malaysia.
Europeans leaving the region for the Spice
Islands. It seems that the slaughter of the Europeans
on May 1, 1521 was set out by Enrique to
● It is presumed that Juan Serrano is regain his freedom, possibly in exchange for
killed when the ransom isn't paid and whatever could be stolen or ransom from the
the ships leave. Europeans.

● Upon the departure of the 3 remaining

THEORIES OF ENRIQUE'S Spanish ships, it will be another year
and 4 months before anyone in the
STATE AFTER THE AMBUSH expedition makes it back to Spain to
complete their circumnavigation of the
However what happens to Enrique is a globe.
different story.
● It is probable that Enrique would have
The May 1, 1521 massacre had likely been returned to his home or at least traveled
orchestrated by Enrique and the Cebuano along the trade routes in the region long
leadership. before the Europeans made it back to
Spain.
● The fact that the Europeans had no idea ● This means that AN ENSLAVED MAN
what Enrique was saying to the Filipinos FROM THE ISLANDS OF MALAYSIA,
at any given time meant that he could INDONESIA OR THE PHILIPPINES
put a plan into motion to secure his WAS LIKELY THE FIRST PERSON TO
freedom which had first been stripped CIRCUMNAVIGATE THE GLOBE
away when he was purchased as a OVER A YEAR before any Europeans
slave and then again when he had not from the Magellan expedition completed
been released upon Magellan's death. the same feat.
 JOURNEY BACK TO SPAIN However, the captains of Trinidad decide to
go a different route. A fatal decision that will
result in Trinidad never returning to Spain.
On May 2, 1521, less than half of the 227
men who started the journey were still
● By December 29, 1521, Victoria
alive.
reached Ambon Island.

● Joaozito Lopez Carvalho is elected the

● On January 25, 1522, the ship
newest leader of the expedition.
(Victoria) docks at Timor, its final
● The crews decide that there are not
recorded stop before venturing West
enough of them to continue operating 3
across the Indian Ocean.
ships, so the food and goods aboard
the Concepcion are transferred to the
● Trinidad, however, stayed in the Spice
Victoria and Trinidad and the vessel
Islands until April 6, 1522.
is set on fire.
○ Commanded by Gonzalo Gomez
● The remaining 2 ships proceed through
de Espinosa, the ship heads
the southern Philippine Islands stopping
east instead of west like the
along Mindanao before reaching Brunei
Victoria.
in July of 1521.
○ Espinosa believes that the
○ Along the way, the Europeans
flagship of the Magellan
engage in acts of piracy and
expedition can make it back
looting to try and salvage the
across the Pacific and reach
disaster of an expedition their
New Spain or what is now
voyage has become.
Mexico.
○ On April 16th, Trinidad arrived in
If Magellan had survived to reach this
Guam and the Mariana Islands.
stretch of the journey, he would have
○ Espinosa has already lost the
become the first person to circumnavigate
faith of some in his crew. And at
the world.
least 3 men desert in the Mariana
Islands.
Unfortunately, he died less than 1,000 miles
○ Trinidad proceeds northeast as
from completing his goal.
they desperately try to locate the
westerlies that will carry them
On September 21, 1521, Joaozito Lopez
across the Pacific ocean but the
Carvalho was forced to step down from his
vital winds cannot be located.
role as commander due to the growing
○ The Trinidad drifts in the vast
discontent of the crew.
waters of the Pacific where
scurvy begins to take hold and as
● Martin Mendez and Gonzalo de
many as 30 men die as a result.
Espinosa become the captains of
Trinidad and Juan Sebastian Elcano
At some point in September, the eastward
is elected captain of Victoria.
expedition is deemed a total failure and
● As the ships continue through the
Trinidad proceeds back to Indonesia.
waters of Indonesia, they are attacked
by a germane fleet.
● It arrives 2 months later with a crew
that looks like skeletons and a weather
It isn't until November 8, 1521 that the
battered vessel.
remaining 2 ships of Magellan's expedition
● A Portuguese fleet with orders to arrest
finally reach one of the spice islands
Magellan comes across Trinidad near
they've been searching for called Tidore.
Tidore, where it is easily captured as the
crew are too weak to put up a fight.
On December 21, 1521, the Victoria,
● The Trinidad is brought back to
captained by Elcano, began its journey
Portuguese held Ternate where it is
towards the Indian Ocean to start its trip
caught in the storm, smashed to pieces
back to Spain.
and sinks to the bottom of the ocean.

On May 6, 1522, the Victoria rounded the

Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of
Africa. The crew is severely low on food THE MAGELLAN EXPEDITION, ONCE AND
and need to either make port or they will FOR ALL, PROVED THAT THE EARTH WAS
perish. ROUND.

● Elcano decided to dock at Cape Verde,

a Portuguese controlled port on July CONCLUSION OF THE
10, 1522.
● He and the crew come up with a
EXPEDITION
backstory that they're a Spanish
vessel returning from the Americas. The expedition provided Spain with the
As they are aware, the Portuguese have ability to establish commercial and
been looking to arrest anyone in the economic routes between its colonies in
Magellan expedition since its onset. the Americas and territories acclaimed in
● Unfortunately, when the Portuguese Asia, such as the Philippines.
examine the cargo aboard the
Victoria, they find 26 tons of cloves ● Magellan's voyage also ushered in the
and cinnamon spices from the East first age of globalization in history.
Indies.
● The crew of the Victoria spring into ● Ferdinand Magellan himself did not
action and prepare to depart before their circumnavigate the globe as he died
ship can be captured. in the Philippines on an island further
east than he had ever been previously.
● Thirteen men are arrested but Elcano
and the remaining sailors of the ● His former slave and translator on the
Magellan expedition manage to expedition, Enrique of Malacca, on
escape with the Portuguese in the other hand, seemed to speak the
pursuit. The Victoria races up the coast Visayan Filipino language and therefore
of Africa and; could have either been Filipino
himself or had once lived close to the
On September 6, 1522 reached Sanlucar de Philippine Islands before being sold
Barrameda in Spain. Almost 3 years to the into slavery.
day after the original expedition left Europe,
1 ship and 18 men managed to complete ● Therefore, the first person to
the circumnavigation of the entire globe. circumnavigate the world was definitely
not Ferdinand Magellan and likely not
● The Victoria carries spices from the one of the 18 Europeans aboard the
East Indies and several severely Victoria when it returned to Spain.
malnourished Malaccan slaves as
well. Instead, IT WAS A MAN BORN
SOMEWHERE IN THE ISLANDS OFF THE
● On September 8, 1522 the Victoria EAST COAST OF ASIA.
proceeded upriver to Seville.

● The Magellan expedition traveled

approximately 60,000 miles, where the
first Europeans to cross the Pacific
Ocean and open new trade routes for
Spain.

● Over 80% of the crew lost their lives

during the voyage. When Elcano meets
with the emperor Charles of Spain, he is
given a glow with the inscription, primus
circundedisteme. You were the first to
encircle me.