MODULE4: FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD

“A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can
alter the course of histroy.”
- Mahatma Gandhi

OBJECTIVES. What will you learn from this module?

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. Discuss the Ferdinand Magellan’s voyage

2. Create a timeline that depicts the first voyage around the world
3. Assess the influence of Europe in the Philippines

INTRODUCTION.

When one ask about the history of the Philippines, the answer would mostly begin
with the landfall of Magellan in Visayas. However, in this lesson, historical events before
1521 is given equal importance.

ANALYSIS. Let Us See What You Already Know

Complete the maze by tracing the right path up to the finish point. Use the morse
code below as your guide to guess the three (3) hidden words.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M

N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

4
1

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 QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

I. Answer the following questions.

A. What are the four (4) hidden words?

1. ______________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________

B. Based on the four words, discuss one significant event in the history you remember.

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Good to know! I know that you are already familiar with these words because
you already taken this up during your Elementary and Junior High days. And you are
absolutely right! The first three words are so called “The 3Gs” or Gold, God and Glory,
these are the main objectives of the European Expedition. In which the Gold means
to get resources from the East; God means to spread Christianity; and Glory is to
acquire more territory.

“The achievement of one courageous man will awaken the courage of an entire
generation.”
- Stefan Zweig

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 LESSON4: FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD

ABSTRACTION

The Philippine islands in 1521 has been “REDISCOVERED” by the Spanish

commissioned authority, Ferdinand Magellan. He was a Portuguese explorer who
organized an expedition to East Indies. Along with this chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta a
Venetian scholar and Itialian Chronicler who serves as the lens through which the
voyage and circumnavigation of the world can be apprehended with certainty.

The narrative as it was written, commended with the description of the

preparation for the voyage, the captain and his men, the dates as to when it left Spain,
the time when oceans were crossed like the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Indian
Ocean.

In the late 1400s, European exploration began led by Portgues, Spanish, and
Italian sailors. They made great voyages to the unknown, full of danger, adventure, and
discovery. These pioneers were driven by Christian zeal and profit. In Europe, spices like
cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg which grew only in the Far East. Whoever control their
trade, was guaranteed immense wealth.

By 1518, the route to the so called Spice Islands was dominate by Portugal. Spain
wanted a route on its own to Moluccas because of 1949’s Treaty of Tordesillas, a decree
from Pope Alexander VI that had essentially divided the world in half between Spanish
and Portuguese.

A thrity-eight (38) year old sailor, Fernão de Magalhães or Ferdinand Magellan in

english, was a brilliant navigator who spent many years sailing the Indian Ocean but he
had fallen out on the king of Portugal and now offered a boat plan to his rival King
Charles I of Spain. Magellan belived it was possible to sail around the new world and
reach the Spice Islands from the East. Since contrary to popular myth, it have been
widely accepted for centuries that the Earth was round.

King Charles accepted Magellan’s proposal and helped him assemble an

expedition with two-hundred seventy (270) crews from several nations and five(5) ships
which are named as San Antonio under Juan de Cartagena; Concepcion under Gaspar
de Quesada; Santiago under Juan Rodriguez Serrano; Victoria under Louis de Mendoza;
and Trinidad (flagship) under Ferdinand Magellan as the captain general.

Spanish authorities were wary of Magellan. They almost prevented him from
sailing. They switched mostly Portuguese crew to mostly men of Spain included about
forty (40) Portuguese. The masters and captains of other ships of his company did not like
Ferdinand Magellan because of being Portuguese and they were Spaniards. Among
them Magellan's brother-in-law Duarte Barbosa, João Serrão, a relative of Francisco
Serrão, Estêvão Gomes and also Magellan's indentured servant Enrique of Malacca.

The fleet set sail on September 20,1519 and crossed the stormy atlantic to reach
the future site of Rio del Nero in modern Brazil. Here Ferdinand Magellan traded with

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local tribes and exchanging simple objects like metal fish hooks and playing cards for
fresh food and water.

Magellan continued South until winter storms forced him to camp at Puerto San
Julian. There Magellan faced a mutinty led by Spanish officers convinced he was leading
their doom. Magellan acted swiftly and ruthlessly. He sent loyal men to kill one of the
leaders while another one is captured and executed. Two others were moved and left
behind the fleet sail again in August.

As Magellan searched for a passage West, one ship, the Santiago was wrecked
though the crew was saved. Another ship, San Antonio deserted and sailed home. But
Magellan did discover a three hundred fifty strait which now bares his name, Magellan
Strait. Through the far ocean, a sea that so calm he named it Mar Pacifico, the peaceful
sea or Pacific Ocean. But the Pacific Ocean was fa bigger than they estimated. As the
months passed, their supplies run out and their food spoiled, the men forced to biscuits
crawling with worms, eat rats, sawdust, leather, and drink yellow water. Many sailors died
of hunger and nineteen (19) died of scurvy, a sickness caused by not getting enough
Vitamin C which is found in fruits and vegetable. Dead sailors were tossed in the ocean
and sharks followed the ships.

Then, after ninety-nine (99) days at sea, the look out spied the land. They land on
Guam in the Mariana Islands, but when the islanders stole one of their boats fighting
broke out. Magellan had to leave without fresh provisions. The island was then called as
Ladrones Island or also lnown as the “Island of Thieves”.

“These people have no arms, but use sticks, which have a fish bone at the end.
They are poor, but ingenious, and great thieves, and for the sake of what we called
these three islands the Ladrones Islands” – Antonio Pigafetta’s firsthand observation

On March 17, 1521, they sighted Samar, Magellan and his men became the first
European to reach the Philippines where they able to feast on bananas and coconuts.
Philippines was first named Archipelago de San Lazarus (Archipelago of St. Lazarus)
because it was the feast of St. Lazarus. On March 31, 1521 (Easter Sunday), the first
catholic mass held in Limasawa, a little island South of Leyte.

They sailed on through the Philippines to Zzubu (Cebu). On April 1, 1521, they
arrived in Cebu. With Magellan’s Malay slave acting as translator, Magellan spoke
before the people of Cebu about peace and God. He maid cordial relations with Raja
Humabon the local ruler along with his wife, daughter and eight hundred (800) natives
who agreed to be baptised to Christian by mass baptism. He encouraged them by
burning all of the idols and worship the cross instead. The cross was planted at the
highest hill.

On April 26, 1521, Zula, a principal man from the island of Mactan went to see
Magellan and asked for a boat full of men to fight the chief named Silapulapu (Lapu-
lapu and Magellan agreed.

On the next day, he crossed Mactan with sixty (60) men in boats. Although the
Europeans had superior weapons and armor, they were massively outnumbered. After
burning the enemy village, Magellan’s men would driven back into the shallow water

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where Magellan himself was cut down as they tried to reach the boats. He died in the
battle since he was pierced with a poisoned arrow in his right leg thus causing his men to
retreat.

Now, their former allies on Cebu turned on Magellan’s crew butchering thirty (30)
of them in an ambush. The survivors fled with only half men left to crew ships, they burned
the Concepcion and continued their search for the Spice Island. They traveled to the
muslim court of Brunei on Borneo and were amazed by its splendor.

Finally, with the help of local guides and more than two (2) years after sailing from
Spain they reached their destination, the Spice Island or Maluku Islands, today part of
Indonesia. They traded everything they had for over cloves their two ships could carry.
But as they prepared for their long voyage home, the Trinidad sprung a leak and had to
stay behind for repairs. Its crew later try to return to Spain across the Pacific but most of
the men became sick or died. The survivors have to return to the Malukus Islands where
they and the Trinidad captured by the Portuguese. The Victoria, the last and smallest
Magellan’s fleet sailed West for home captain by Juan Sebastián Elcano. Crossing the
Indian Ocean, tehy took nine (9) weeks battling headwinds or thye could round the
cape of good hope. The men began to starve and once more. Twenty-one (21) died
before they found fresh provisions of Cape Verde.

On the eighth of September 1522, or for exactly three (3) years after the
departure. The famished and exhausted crew of the Victoria cast anchor at civil Spain.
Just eighteen (18) of the original crew two hundred and seventy (270) that made it
home.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MAGELLAN EXPEDITION

The main significance of his voyage was that he showed it was possible to sail
around the world, and left a record of how to do it.

Magellan’s voyage vastly increased the geographical knowledge of mankind

and proved once and for all that the earth is round.

Considering the inadequacy of marine instruments at the time, Magellan’s

voyage can be considered as the greatest single trip ever undertaken. In terms of the
hardships the men endured and the courage they displayed, Magellan’s maritime
exploit has perhaps never been surpassed. The route he took to reach the Philippines
was entirely new, and the Venetian monopoly of the trade route to the east was thus
broken. Spain became the supreme power in the building of a colonial empire.

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 APPLICATION
I. Create a timeline that would depict or summarize the first voyage around the
world.

II. How did Magellan’s circumnavigation around the world affected the Philippines?

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III. Assess the influence of the Europe in our country.

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