Yesterday we left Magellan on the Brazilian coast after putting down a would-be mutiny by one of his five ships' captains while out at sea.
FYI: Pigafetta, one of Magellan's sailors, left a meticulous account of this voyage. He noted that the Brazilian natives made a boat out of one tree and called it a 'canoo.'
A timeline so far: the expedition left Spain in September, 1519, and reached Brazil on December 13, 1519. After Christmas, they set out and headed south down the eastern coast of South America, going ashore only for provisions of wood and water.
The storms at sea were so fierce that they had to spent the winter anchored in a protected bay before they reached the strait around the extreme southern tip of the continent. They survived on "strange geese" (penguins) and "sea wolves" (seals). Far more threatening that the winter storms were the attitudes of the tired seamen. With three of the captains joining them, they urged Magellan to turn around and return home where the men could envision the ripening grapes and olives. This turned into a worse, more widespread mutiny against Magellan than the previous one. Yet Magellan had no intention of turning around. He out-thought, out-maneuvered, and out-fought the three captains and their followers. The chief instigator was executed. A second instigator was beheaded by his own servant. And the third mutineer had to be executed because he tried to stir up another mutiny. "At no time, amid all the perils and hardships of the rest of the voyage, was Magellan's authority again questioned in the slightest degree," (p. 721).
When the weather appeared to improve, one of the ships was sent out to scout the shore. Another storm appeared and sunk the ship but the none of the sailors lost their lives. They made it to land, gathered the ship's timbers but were too exhausted to make a raft. Magellan sent another ship to find them and brought them back. This served to consolidate Magellan's authority even more; the four ships continued south.
"Magellan seized the first signs of the Southern Hemisphere's spring, mid-October (1520), to press on. This time he especially counseled the ships to watch the shores for a possible opening. Three days of scrubby pines and chalk cliffs; then the lookout sighted a low-lying sand headland, covered with more stunted and matted growths, but beyond that, "an opening like unto a bay." The date was October 21, St. Ursula's Day; so Magellan named the point Cape of Eleven Thousand Virgins. Posterity called the "bay" for Magellan's name, for he had found his long-sought strait!" (p. 723).
Mr. Hildebrand continues, "There was little time for rejoicing. The tide rose 40 feet, flooding the sandy beach, and the ships were only four miles off the shoals when darkness came and a storm broke," (p. 723). One of the captains suggested that since they definitely had found the strait they sought, they should return to Spain and come back with more ships. Magellan forcefully replied, "We will go on, even if we have to eat the leather on the ships' yards," (p. 723).
Two of the ships were sent to explore the many openings in the strait. One never returned. Was it lost? Or had it turned back to Spain? Magellan waited four days with no sight of the ship, left signs on shore, then pressed onward. This was a very bitter blow after such a triumph of finding the strait because the lost ship was the largest with the most supplies.
"With a great show of confidence the three little ships sailed back through the strait and out into the broad Pacific - the first Europeans to sail into the Pacific from the east. The date was November 28, 1520," (p. 729). For three months the ships sailed north and west. The sailors were bored but the warm, calm ocean was heaven compared to the stormy Atlantic Ocean. Magellan called the ocean: The Pacific.
They sighted land on January 24, 1521 but had to sail past many islands with no water. Their provisions were nearly used up. Magellan's words came true: they ended up by boiling the leather and eating the delicacy of rats when possible. "In this pitiable state the ships sailed on and on, day after day, week after week, hoping each morning . . . for a sight of land, seeing each day only "a sea so vast that the human mind can scarcely grasp it," " (p. 729).
Finally they reached an inhabited island, went ashore and feasted on bananas and coconut milk. "Already the explorers were elated. They were in the east. They were finding islands, islands that promised rich traffic, in which trade they were to share, and now the near attainment of their goal was further emphasized," (p. 731).
Magellan made treaties with various kings of the natives that Spain would have the exclusive trading rights. He also converted them to Christianity, beginning on Easter Day, 1521. In these islands, however, Magellan traded for the natives' gold, not for spices. They were amazed "that the natives had accurate measures of weights and quantities," (p. 733).
Magellan insisted that all the kings of the islands pay homage to the first king that had welcomed Magellan, the King of Cebu. All but one complied. Against the advice of the King and his own ships' captains, Magellan insisted on attacking the renegade leader. The King advised Magellan to allow his men, who knew the lands, to initiated the attack. Magellan had to lead the attack himself. The entire armada was overwhelmed by the rebel upstart and surrounded. Magellan was wounded by a poison arrow in the leg then later savagely attacked and killed. His ships' captains were unable to recover his body; the natives considered it a trophy. Later, the remaining two captains were also killed.
In a few days, the 115 remaining men sailed in two ships with new leaders from the site of their victory and their tragedy. "They cruised along the coast of Borneo (in the East Indies) . . . and early in November, 1521, they anchored off Tidore Island, in the Moluccas. The expedition had reached its goal, the Spice Islands, lure of the three greatest voyages in history, for they were the objectives of Columbus and Vasco da Gama, had been attained. And the victor had perished, "his life wasted in a miserable skirmish with savages," " (p. 738).
Those who were left continued home in one ship, laden with spices. By the time they rounded the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, and returned home to Seville, Spain, 18 Europeans and 4 natives had survived. The date of their return was September 8, 1522, a few days short of three years since they had left for their high adventure!
"Ferdinand Magellan's rang through the Peninsula and echoed through Europe. His wife was dead, his child was dead, and he was dead, but his name was to be immortal. . . as a nautical feat it is generally conceded that Magellan's voyage stands supreme in the history of the seas. He crossed two oceans, delimited a continent, proved the world was round, and first showed the true relation of the great land and water bodies of the hemispheres," (p. 739).
This really long article read just like a mystery novel, full of excitement!
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