Magellan’s Deadly Voyage

24 key events in the global circumnavigation of our planet

Laurence Bergreen’s “Over the Edge of the World” efficiently presents the difficulties as Magellan and his crew bravely completed their 60,000 mile, 3-year journey.

1. August 10, 1519 (Seville, Spain) — Magellan embarks on his ambitious route with 256 men and 5 ships (Victoria, San Antonio, Santiago, Conception, Trinidad). The head-strong and mercurial Portuguese captain sails for Spain and King Charles I after his attempts to convince the Portuguese King Manuel to sponsor his trip voyage are rejected. (page 68)
2. December 20, 1519 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — Antonio Salamon is executed by strangulation after being caught sodomizing a cabin boy during the Atlantic crossing. (page 103)
3. December 27, 1519 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — Magellan’s pilot, Joao Lopes Cavalho is reunited with his young son Joaozito in Rio de Janeiro. Magellan approves of the boy. Joaozito joins the crew working as a servant. (page 105)
4. April 1, 1520 (Port Saint Julian, Argentina) — Easter, April 1, Magellan faces a mutiny. Magellan loyalist Gonzalo Gomez de Espinosa, the master-of-arms, helps kill mutiny leader Luis de Mendoza aboard the Victoria. The mutiny falters after Mendoza’s death. (page 140). Mendoza is quartered and left on display to warn against any future incursions. (page 144) Magellan offers clemency to the majority of the mutineers, with the exception of the main leader of the mutiny Gaspar de Quesada. A few weeks after the failed April 1 mutiny, Magellen forces Luis de Molino, Quesada’s servant, to behead Quesada. (page 152) As with Mendoza, Magellan quarters and displays Quesada’s dismembered body.
5. May 22, 1520 (Port Saint Julian, Argentina) — Broken by violent squalls, Santiago smashes on the rocky coast near Port Saint Julian. Miraculously all 37 men survive. They are stranded for 8 days before being rescued. (page 156)
6. July 28, 1520 (Patagonia) —Fascinated by the Patagonia giants, Magellan chains two giants that he has lured on his ships. His plan is to present these amazing natives to King Charles I. A battle ensues with the tribe once they realize Magellan’s plans. During the altercation, the Trinidad’s Diego Barrasa is killed. Magellan flees with two of the giants captured. Both these captives would die during the voyage. (page 167)
7. August 11, 1520 (Patagonia) — Magellan leaves behind two of the Easter mutineers stranded on a small island in Patagonia. The two castaways are Captain Juan de Cartagena and the priest Pero Sanchez de la Reina.
8. October 28, 1520 (Strait of Magellan) — Magellan has finally found the elusive strait. The ship San Antonio, lead by Captian Estevao Gomes and co-conspirator Geronimo Guerra desert. The San Antonio slips away from the armada back to Seville. 57 men would make the journey back across the Atlantic. The San Antonio arrives in Seville on May 6, 1521.
9. December 1520-April 1521 (Pacific Crossing) — During the 98-day, 7000 mile Pacific crossing, scores of men would die of scurvy and other maladies. Their first stop would be in Guam before continuing on to the Philippines.
10. April 10, 1521(Cebu, Philippines) — The exhausted crew lands in Cebu. Two sailors, Martin Darreta and Juan de Areche, die from the lingering effects of scurvy. (page 264)

11. April 27, 1521(Mactan Beach, Philippines) — Driven by arrogance, Christian fervor and unwisely involving himself in internecine Filipino warfare, Magellan meets his end. He and 48 men land on Mactan Beach. His men set fire to 20–30 houses of the islanders resistant to Magellan’s Christian conversion demands. This destruction enrages the Mactan and their King Lapu Lapu. 1500 warriors descend on Magellan and his men. Magellan and 8 of his men, including his illegitimate son Chritovao Rebelo, seaman Francisco Gomez, cabin boy Antonion Gallego, man-at-arms Juan de Torres, servant Rodrigo Nieto, and Anton de Escovar, are killed. (page 286)

12. May 1 & 2, 1521(Cebu, Philippines) — Magellan promised his slave Enrique, who coincidentally can speak the Filipino language, freedom on his death. Demanding his freedom, Enrique is rebuffed and abused by commander Duarte Barbosa or Serrano (reports differ). Enraged, Enrique advises the Cebu King Humabon that these foreigners are dangerous and he should take actions to rid himself of these men. King Humabon invites a large contingent of the armada to a banquet dinner. The dinner guests are massacred. All told 29 men would were killed or lost in the bloody banquet. Included in the missing or dead include Duarte Barbosa (co-commander), Serrano, Andres de San Martin (astrologer), Father Valderrama, Luis Alfonso de Gois (captain of Victoria), two clerks — Sancho de Heredia and Leon Expeleta, Francisco Martin (barrelmaker), Simon de la Rochela (provisioner), Francisco de Madrid (man-at-arms), Hernando de Aguilar, Gillermo Geneso (operator of lombardas), four sailors, 2 cabin boys, 3 ordinary seaman, a servant of Serrano and 4 servants of Magellan. (page 297). Facing a hostile king and his forces in Cebu, the remaining crew decides to burn the Conception and flee the island. (page 314)

13. June 21, 1521(Palawan, Philippines) — Still seeking their ultimate destination of the Spice Islands, the crew captures 3 local pilots who turn out to be of little help in navigating to the Spice Islands. (page 320)

14. July 28–29, 1521(Brunei) — Five men on shore-leave in Brunei, including 2 Greek sailors and Carvalho’s son, are missing. Days after expecting their return to the ships, the Spanish and newly appointed leader Carvalho suspect treachery. A battle ensues between the Brunei and the Spanish where many Brunei sailors are killed. After negotiating a cease fire and having two men returned to the Spanish, hostilities are calmed. Carvalho decides to keep 16 captured prisoners and 3 beautiful women. He uses these captured women as his personal harem. (pages 327, 329)

15. Sept 27, 1521(Bajau) — Still seeking the Spice Islands, the crew kills 7 of 18 men of a small water craft called a proa. They keep one man hostage who insists he knows how to get to the Spice Islands. (page 337)

16. Oct 26, 1521(Cavit Island) — Still not able to locate the Spice Islands, the crew captures 2 more local pilots. (page 338)

17. Nov 2–4, 1521(Cavit Island) — Two men die in weapons and gunpowder accidents. The victims are Pedro Sanchez (gunner) and Juan Bautista (gunner). On the same day as Bautista’s death, three captives escape by swimming to shore. One of the escapees, a boy, dies while trying to hold onto his father’s shoulders.

18. Nov 13, 1521(Molucas — The Spice Islands) — The ships finally reach the Spice Islands. They are surprised to find a Portuguese sailor named Pedro Alfonso on the islands. Some of the men know Alfonso. Unbeknownst to the Spanish, the Portuguese have discovered the Spice Islands years before. Homesick, Pedro Alfonso agrees to join the Spanish crew. (page 353)

19. Dec 21, 1521(Tidore) — The Victoria carrying 60 men including 16 Indians, leave behind the damaged Trinidad. They set sail for Spain with valuable spices procured during their Spice Islands visit. (page 366)

20. Apr 6, 1522(Tidore) — Four men from the remaining crew of the Trinidad agree to stay behind on Tidore to setup a Spanish trading post. Juan de Campos, Luis de Molino, a Genoese, and Guillermo Corco. These men are captured by the Portuguese. (page 377)

21. Apr 6, 1522(Tidore) — The repaired Trinidad with 49 men travel eastward towards Spain. Having trouble in retracing their steps, a leaky Trinidad and her starving crew are forced to seek assistance from a hostile Portuguese fleet. Many men die from scurvy. The Trinidad surrenders to the Portuguese, lead by Captain Brito on May 15th. The surviving men are put to hard labor and would never set foot in Spain again. Of the victims, Pedro Alfonso is beheaded upon capture. (page 380)

22. May 22, 1522(Near the Cape of Good Hope) — The Victoria is suffering its own travails. The Victoria crosses the equator on May 22. Dozens of men have succumbed to scurvy since leaving the Spice Islands. (page 385)

23. May 22, 1522(Santiago Island) — The Victoria is docked and taking on much needed stores for their final journey home. Unfortunately for the Spanish, Santiago Island is controlled by the Portuguese. 4 Indians, Martin Mendez (the fleet’s accountant), Ricarte de Normandia (carpenter), Roland de Argot (gunner), four sailors, Vasquito Gallego (apprentice seaman) and two passengers are imprisoned by the Portuguese. The Victoria has no choice but to leave these men behind and try and avoid capture by the Portuguese. 18 men and 4 captives set sail for Spain.(page 389)

24. Sept 7, 1522 (Seville, Spain) — Having traveled nearly 60,000 miles (15 times Columbus’ first voyage), 18 crew members make it back to Seville. The eighteen men include: Juan Sebastian Elcano (Captain), Francisco Albo (Pilot), Miguel de Rodas (Master), Juan de Acurio (Boatswain), Martin de Judicibus (Sailor), Hernando Bustamente (Barber), Hand of Aachen (Gunner), Diego Carmona (Sailor), Nicholas the Greek, of Naples (Sailor), Miguel Sanchez, of Rodas (Sailor), Francisco Rodrigues (Sailor), Juan Rodriguez de Huelva (Sailor), Antonio Hernandez Colmenero (Sailor), Juan de Arratia (Sailor), Juan de Santandres (Ordinary seaman), Vasco Gomes Gallego (Ordinary seaman), Juan de Zubileta (Page), and Antonio Pigafetta (Passenger). (page 393)

Epitaph

The Victoria continues sailing through 1570 when she is finally lost in the Atlantic en route to Seville from the Antilles. She disappears without a trace. It would not be till 1580 before Sir Francis Drake would successfully complete the second circumnavigation of the world despite numerous unsuccessful attempts following Magellan’s voyage.