For as long as our lives, we all know that the Earth which we live in is round.

Great
travelers out there know about the West route to the Spice Island. We all know that the world
we live in is very big indeed. But do we know about the person who discovered all this? His name
is Ferdinand Magellan, one of the world’s greatest explorers of all time, and this is the story of
his journey.
-Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1480 into a noble Portuguese family. His parents died
when he was still a boy and he became a court page in Lisbon. He studied at Queen Leonora's
School of Pages in Lisbon and spent his days poring over texts on cartography, astronomy, and
celestial navigation—subjects that would serve him well in his later pursuits.
Magellan was interested in finding a new route to the Spice Island which everybody in the
world adores. The Spice Island, now known as Indonesia, produces the best spices anyone could
ever dream of. The only problem, though, is that Spice Island is very far away from Portugal,
where Magellan was. There were many routes that had been found by other explorers, and there
were even routes that can no longer be used. So it was Magellan’s mission to find a new route to
the majestic Spice Island.
So in 1517, Magellan went to the Portuguese king in and asked for his consent for the
journey he planned to go. Magellan wanted to go for an expedition to reach the Spice Island by
travelling West, which sounded really ridiculous at that time. Why? Because people back then
didn’t know the Earth is round. Even the Portuguese king himself laughed at Magellan for his plan.
Magellan didn’t give up and he went to Spain to try and enlist the Spanish king, Charles V’s
support for an expedition to reach the Moluccas by sailing westwards. Unlike the Portuguese king,
Charles V was supportive of him. In return of that, the Spanish wanted a share in the valuable
spice trade from the Spice Island, but the Portuguese controlled the eastwards route round
southern Africa. Magellan was successful and in September 1519 set out with a total of five ships
and 270. It was hard to find 270 people who weren’t scared to go to a journey as uncertain as
this one. They were going to travel west, not knowing what waits beyond. People were scared of
falling down the edge of the world, because in their mind, the Earth is indeed flat. Although
Magellan had to lie to the crew at first to boost up their confidence, eventually he told the truth
and his men followed him along the long and uncertain journey to the west. In spite of a mutinous
crew, rough weather, scurvy, a desperate lack of provisions and unknown waters, Magellan
managed to cross the Atlantic and navigate through the straits at the southern point of South
America which were later named after him.
The journey did quite the damage to Magellan’s ships and crews. Two of five ships were
wrecked, and now with only three ships, Magellan sailed on into the Pacific with rapidly
diminishing supplies. For 14 weeks Magellan and his crew sailed along the Pacific island, which
we know is very wide. They had limited food, water, and supplies. Many of Magellan’s crews died
because of this. Even for 14 weeks of travel, all Magellan saw was water, water, and water. There
was no land in sight and no signs of life anywhere. They were really desperate and probably were
preparing for their death.
 However, later in March 1521, after 14 weeks long on the ocean, Magellan’s team finally
found land. They were delighted by this fact, it felt like life had gone back to each of the remaining
crwes. They reached Homonhom Island on the edge of the Philippines with less than 150 of the
270 men who started the expedition. It was at this moment where one of Magellan’s greatest
achievement happened. In the island, Magellan saw and met many explorers that came from the
opposite direction of his. If the Earth was flat like they had imagined before, they wouldn’t have
been able to meet because they travelled the opposite direction. Magellan found out that the
Earth is indeed round, thus the reason he could meet other travelers.
In the island, Magellan befriended a local chief, Rajah Humabon. Magellan taught Rajah
Humabon and the Philippines about Christion, which was well received by the chief and people.
Magellan made it clear to the chief that he and his crew came in peace. They traded and a bond
was quickly formed between them. Magellan declared that the chief’s fried is also his friend and
that the chief’s enemies are also his enemies. Not long after, an unexpected event took place.
Thewe was a war involving Humabon and another rival leader. As Magellan has declared himself
as a friend to the Philippines, the Spanish crew soon became involved in the war. Magellan fought
alongside Humabon. Although that was the end of Magellan. On April 27, 1521 Magellan lost his
life in the war. Magellan’s last message to his crew was for them to go back to where their journey
first started, Spain, and go back with the amazing discovery they had made.
The remaining crew swore to fulfil Magellan’s final wish and escaped the Philippines. They
continued the journey without Magellan on towards the Spice Islands, arriving in November,
1521. They went there and bought spices for Spain. After that, they sailed back home to Spain.
Magellan’s journey started with five ships, Trinidad, San Antonia, Conception, Victoria, and
Santiago. Out of 270 crews that boarded the ships alongside Magellan, only eighteen people
survived to tell the tale. After a long journey of three years, one ship from the fleet eventually
reached Spain in September 1522, having completed the first ever circumnavigation of the globe.
The ship was Victoria, the only ship to complete the Voyage.
Now, Ferdinand Magellan’s name is well-known all over the world. He is known as one of
the world’s greatest explorers. Other than that, he is also known as the man who discovered that
the Earth is round. Although Magellan’s journey ended that day when he was involved in the war,
his legacy will continue to inspire people all over the world.
#