Mark Jomarie B.

Pascual

BSBA-1C

First voyage around the world

Antonio Pigafetta was a key player of one of the most amazing world exploration trips.He was born in
Vicenza in 1492, and he was an Italian seafarer and geographer.The relevance of his own venture,
fundamentally lies in the fact that he took part to the first globe circumnavigation, between 1519 and
1522, and he was able to accomplish it after the murder of Ferdinand Magellan, leaving a detailed
description of the journey in the Report of the first trip around the world, a lost manuscript that was
rescued later, in 1797, and today is considered one of the most important documentary evidence
relating the geographical discoveries of the Sixteenth Century.Antonio Pigafetta, fascinating and fleeing
personality, for scholars he still represents a partial mystery. About him too little is known to define a
satisfactory profile on the biographical side. Documents and the testimony of contemporaneous are
scarces, and his own character primarily appears from what he wrote in his own report.His own
narration about the first world circumnavigation was one of the greatest achievements in the history of
navy exploration and discovery.In this narration can be found descriptions of peoples, countries, goods
and even the languages that were spoken, of which the seafarer was trying to assemble some brief
glossaries.Pigafetta tells how, being in Barcelona in 1519, he heard about Magellan’s expedition, and
being wishful to learn about the world, he asked for and obtained the permission to join in the voyage.

Magellan’s fleet weighed anchor from Seville on August 10th of the same year with five smaller vessels,
heading towards Canary Islands and down along the African coast, and across the Equator. From there
they sailed towards Brazil coast , where they stayed for some time, making supplies and weaving
friendly contacts with the cannibalistic natives who dwelled there.Moving on, then they arrived in
Patagonia, where they spent winter months in a desolate solitude. They met local people, who looked
like giants in their eyes full of wonder, because of their robust body types.They survived the mutiny of
one of the captains and some disgruntled sailors, and continued the exploration of the coast. One of the
vessels was drowned, but the whole crew managed to be saved.They proceeded until the discovery of
the strait, named after, Magellan himself, on October 21st 1520, and went through, although one of the
ships deserted, sailing back to Spain.Finally, they arrived in the Philippines, where they became
acquainted with the natives who proved hospitable and welcomed them as guests in the king’s palace.
The indigenous people, affected by the celebration of Mass and the crucifix planted in the island,
promised to convert to Christianity.Quickly they developed commerce and trade, and the king, the
queen and other notables of Cebu were converted, until the entire population rapidly followed them in
the new religion.Shortly after, happened the disastrous episode that changed the course of the
expedition. Magellan took part in a conflict between some local tribes and was killed. The rest of the
expedition managed to escape and retired, preparing to leave, but a trap set by Magellan’s interpreter
and the king of Cebu, led to another massacre of the Europeans.The surviving ships continued toward
Borneo and to the city of Brunei, where they managed to stock up, then from there, traveling
southbound, they came to the Moluccas, 27 months after the departure from Spain, finding a warm
welcome by an astrologer king who had predicted their arrival.But at this point, despite the perspective
of good business and the rich exchanges that would lie ahead, their desire to return to Spain urged them
and pushed them to a quick return