Brief Summary of the First Voyage Around the World by Magellan by Antonio Pigafetta

 This book was taken from the chronicles of contemporary voyagers and navigators of the
16th century.
 Was published after Pigafetta returned to Italy.

 Antonio Pigafetta – an Italian nobleman who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan in his fateful
circumnavigation of the world. His work instantly became a classic that prominent literary
men in the west like William Shakespeare, Michel de Montaigne, and Giambattista Vico
referred to the book in their interpretation of the new world. His travelogue is one of the
most important primary sources in the study of precolonial Philippines.
 Ladrones Islands/Islands of the Thieves
- Presently known as Marianas Islands located south-southeast of Japan, west-southwest of
Hawaii, north of Guinea and east of Philippines.
- Three islands where people have no arms but use sticks, which have a fishbone at the
end. They are poor but ingenious, and great thieves.
 Isle of Zamal
- Now called Samar, which they reached 10 days after they reached the Ladrones Island.
 However, Magellan decided to land in another uninhabited island for greater
security where they could rest for a few days. After 2 days, March 18, nine (9) men
came to them and showed joy and eagerness in seeing them. Magellan realized that
the men were reasonable and welcomed them with food, drinks, and gifts. In turn,
the natives gave them fish, palm wine (uraca), figs and two cochos. The natives
also gave them rice (umai) cocos, and other food supplies.

 A palm tree produces a fruit named cocho, which is as large as the head: its first
husk is green and two fingers in thickness; in it they find certain threads with which
they make the cords for fastening their boats. Under its husk, there is another very
hard and thicker than that of a walnut. They burn this second rind and make with it
a powder which is useful to them. Under this rind is a white marrow of a fingers
thickness which they eat fresh meat and fish, as we do bread, and it has the taste of
an almond, and if anyone dried it he might make bread of it.

 Pigafetta characterized the people as “very familiar and friendly” and willingly
showed them different islands and the names of these islands.
 Humunu Island (Homonhon)
- The fleet found what Pigafetta referred to as “Watering Place of Good Signs”.
- It is in this place where Pigafetta wrote that they found the first signs of gold in the island.
- They named the island with the nearby islands as the archipelago of St. Lazarus.

 March 25th – Pigafetta recounted that they saw two ballanghai (balangay), a long
boat full of people in Mazzava/Mazaua. The leader (king of the
ballanghai/balangay) sent his men to the ship of Magellan. The Europeans
entertained these men and gave them gifts. When the king of balangay offered
Magellan a bar of gold and a chest of ginger, Magellan declined.

 Magellan exchange gifts of robes in Turkish fashion, red cap and gave the people
knives and mirrors when the king responded to Magellan’s request for money by
giving him the needed provisions of food in chinaware. They then expressed their
desire to become brothers.

 Raia Calambu – The king of Zuluan and Calagan (Butuan and Caragua), the king's
brother which Magellan was introduced. Pigafetta described him as the most
handsome of all men that he saw in the place. He was also adorned with silk and
gold accessories like a golden dagger which he carried with him in a wooden
polished sheath.

 Raia Siagu- the first king who offered Magellan and his men to pilot going to Cebu.

 March 31st- Easter Sunday, Magellan ordered the chaplain to preside a mass by
the shore. The king heard of this plan and sent two dead pigs and attended to the
mass with the other king. This mass would go down as the first mass in the
Philippines and the cross would be famed Magellan’s cross.

 After 7 days Magellan and his men decided to move and look around for islands
where they could acquire more supplies and provisions. They learned the islands
of Ceylon (Leyte), Bohol, and Zzubu (Cebu) and intended to go there.
  April 7th – Magellan and his men reached the port of Cebu. The king of Cebu demanded that
they pay tribute but Magellan refused as he was the captain of the king himself.

 April 14th – the people gathered with the king and other principal men of the islands. The
King was baptized and named Don Charles (Carlos), as the emperor of his sovereign was
named; the prince was named Don Fernand (Fernando), after the brother of the emperor
and the King of Mazzava, Jehan: to the Moor he gave the name Christopher.

 April 26th – Zula, a principal man from the island of Matan (Mactan) went to see Magellan
and asked him for a boat full of men so that he would be able to fight the chief named
Silapulapu (Lapulapu). According to Zula, such chief refused to obey the king and & was also
preventing him for doing so. Magellan offered 3 boats and go to Mactan himself to fight the
said chief. They arrived at daylight. They numbered 49 in total while the islanders of Mactan
were estimated to number 1500.

 Magellan was pierced with a poisoned arrow in his right leg. He was also hit with a lance in
the face. One native with a great sword delivered a blow in Magellan’s left leg, brought him
face down and the native ceaselessly attacked him with swords, lances and even with their
bare hands.

 Duarte Barbosa- the new elected captain of Magellan’s men.

 Henry- Magellan’s slave and interpreter who betrayed and told the king of Cebu that they
intended to leave as quickly as possible.
 The natives had slain all men except the interpreter and Juan Serrano in the gathering.
Serrano was presented and shouted in the ship asking them to pay ransom to spare his life
but they refused, departed and abandoned Serrano. They left Cebu and continued their
journey around the world.

ANALYSIS OF PIGAFETTA'S CHRONICLE

- The chronicle of Pigafetta was one of the most cited documents by historians. Pigafetta, as
one of the earliest written accounts, was seen as a credible source for a period. It was
believed that Pigafetta's writings account for the “purest” precolonial society.
 - It was not surprising that Pigafetta always mention the abundance of Gold in the island as
an empire like Spain would indeed search for new lands where they could acquire more
gold and wealth to be on top of all European nations. The obsession of spices would
reveal that spices were scarce in Europe.

KKK and the KARTILYA NG KATIPUNAN

 Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK) or Katipunan – is
arguably the most important organization formed in the Philippine history. It was only this
organization that envisioned (1) united Filipino nation that would revolt against Spaniards
for (2) total independence of the country from Spain.
 Diego Silang – An Ilocano who took up his arms and led one of the longest running revolts
in the country. He was mainly concerned about his locality and referred to himself as El
Rey de Ilocos (The King of Ilocos).
 Propaganda Movement – led by Ilustrados like Marcelo H. del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena
and Jose Rizal, they only demanded equal rights, representation, and protection from the
abuses of the friars but did not envisioned a total separation of the Philippines from Spain.
 Kartilya ng Katipunan
– the original title was “Manga (sic) Aral Nang (Sic) Katipunan ng mga A.N.B.” or “Lessons
of the Organization of the Sons of the Country”.
- the document was written by Emilio Jacinto in the 1896.
 Emilio Jacinto- was only 18 years old when he joined the movement. He was also a law
student at the Universidad de Santo Tomas. He became the secretary of the organization
and took charge of the short-lived printing press of the Katipunan. (Wrote the Kartilya)
 Andres Bonifacio- recognized the value and intellect of Jacinto. He willingly favored that
the Kartilya be distributed to their fellow Katipuneros. (Wrote the Decalogue)
 April 15, 1897- Bonifacio appointed Jacinto as a commander of the Katipunan in Northern
Luzon. Jacinto was 22 years old. He died of Malaria at a young age of 24 in the town of
Magdalena, Laguna.
 Kartilya- treated as the Katipunan's Code of Conduct. It contains fourteen rules that instruct
the way a Katipunero should behave and which specific values should uphold.
(First group: contains the rules that will make a member an upright individual)
(Second Group: rules that will guide the way he treats his fellowmen)
1. The life that is not consecrated to a lofty and reasonable purpose is a tree without a
shade, if not a poisonous weed.
2. To do good for personal gain and not for its own sake is not virtue.
3. It is rational to be charitable and love ones fellow creature, and to adjust ones conduct,
acts and words to what is in itself reasonable.
4. Whether our skin be black or white, we are all born equal: superiority in knowledge,
wealth and beauty are to be understood, but not superiority by nature.
5. The honorable men prefers honor to personal gain; the scoundrel, gain to honor.
6. To the honorable man, his word is sacred.
7. Do not waste thy time: wealth can be recovered but not time lost.
8. Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor before the law or in the field.
9. The prudent man is sparing in words and faithful in keeping secrets.
10. On the thorny path of life, man is the guide of woman and the children, and if the guide
leads to the precipice, those whom he guides will also go there.
11. Thou must not look upon a woman as a mere plaything, but as a faithful companion
who will share with thee the penalties of life; her (physical) weakness will increase thy
interest in her and she will remind thee of the mother who bore thee and reared thee.
12. What thou dost not desire done unto thy wife, children, brothers and sisters, that do not
unto the wife, children, brothers and sisters of thy neighbor.
13. Man is not worth more because he is a king, because his nose is aquiline, and his color
white, not because he is a priest, a servant of God, nor because of the high prerogative that
he enjoys upon earth, but he is worth most who is a man of proven and real value, who
does good, keeps his words, is worthy and honest; he who does not oppress nor consent to
being oppressed, he who loves and cherishes his fatherland, though he be born in the
wilderness and know no tongue but his own.
14. when this rules of conduct shall be known to all, the longed for sun of Liberty shall rise
brilliant over this most unhappy portion of the globe and its rays shall diffuse everlasting
joy among the confederated brethren of the same rays, the lives of those who have gone
before, the fatigues and the well-paid sufferings will remain. If he be who desires to enter
has informed himself of all this and believes he will be able to perform what will be his
duties, he may fill out the application for admission.