First Voyage

Around the
World by
Magellan
 ANTONIO PIGAFETTA

-Pigafetta was actually a

chronicler commissioned by
the King of Spain to
accompany and document a
voyage intended to expand
the Spanish empire.
-He was born in Vicenza in
1492, and he was an Italian
seafarer and geographer.
Ferdinand
Magellan
• Portuguese explorer who
sailed, under Spain, to reach
Moluccas without crossing
Portuguese territory.
• Proposed route to Moluccas by
sailing west and through an
Atlantic passage to the Pacific
could be found.
• Discovered Philippines (named
it Archipelago of St. Lazarus) •
Introduced Christianity in the
Philippines.
✣ Its must have seemed like a
dream come true for
Ferdinand Magellan when
on 29th of September 1519 he
at last set off from Spain to
begin his long awaited for
voyage.
 16th of March, 1521
• Arrived at daybreak in sight of a
high island, three hundred leagues
distant from the
before-mentioned Thieves’ island.
• The isle is named Zamal.
• The next day the captain-general
wished to land to land at another
uninhabited island near the first,
to be in greater security and to
take water, also to repose there a
 Monday, the 18th of March
• Saw a boat come towards them with nine
men in it: upon which the captain-general
ordered that no one should move or speak
without his permission.
• When those people came in to the Island
towards them, the principal one amongst
them went towards the captain-general
very joyous at their arrival.
• Magellan realized that the men were
reasonable and welcomed them with food,
drinks and gifts
• Pigafetta characterized the people as "very
familiar and friendly", they willingly
PALM TREE
Humunu Island (Watering
place of good signs)
 On the Monday of Passion
week, the 25th of March, 1521

✣ As the time they’re departing to the

island, Antonio Pigafetta went on the
other side of the ship to fish. But
unfortunately, he slipped and fell to the
sea. He caught the cloth of the sail by his
left hand and waited for him to be
rescued. They passed four small island
naming, Cenalo, Huinanghar, Ibusson,
and Abarien.
 Thursday, the 28th of
March

• They saw 2 ballanghai/balangay (a long

boat full of people in Mazzava/Mazzaua
• Magellan and the king of balangay
exchanged gifts and expressed their
desire to become brothers.
 ANALYSIS
✣ We can say that the accounts of
Antonio Pigafetta is reliable and
really happened in the past not only
because of detailed explanation of
how they encounter the people
from different regions but also how
he described the people, places,
attitudes, and environment involved
in his expedition with Magellan. We
can prove it by some of his claims.
✣ First, in the second paragraph, as
they encountered the group of
people he described that their
principal showed being very joyous
as they arrived in the island. As we
all know, We, Filipinos, have this
unique characteristic you called
hospitality. Wherein the friendly
and generous reception and
entertainment of guests, visitors, or
strangers. Just in that part you will
know that they are really driven into
the Philippines because they
✣ Second, in the last part of the first paragraph
up to fourth paragraph, they are given some
of those kind of foods. Philippines is located
in Southeast Asia in the Western Pacific, it is
tropical land with a “tropical rainforest
climate”. Rich with bio diversities and
mountainous terrains. Where most of the
palm tree grows. Philippine is the largest
producer of coconuts. “cocho” referred to as
we called coconut, the way Pigafetta
describes it, it is truly the fruit of the tree of
life. In his statement, “they find certain threads,
with which they make the cords for fastening their
boats” in that case, the resourcefulness of
Filipino men recognized by the travelers.
✣ Third, on the eight paragraph, it
was mentioned there the
“ballanghai”. Whereas, ballanghai
was known as the oldest
watercraft found in the
Philippines.
✣ Lastly, on the last paragraph, on his
statement “the king raised his hands to
the sky”, these are some practices
done by ancient people in the
Philippines before the Spanish
Colonization. These practices are
called Animism, the religious belief
that objects, places and creatures all
possess a distinct spiritual essence.