Magellan’s First Voyage Around the World

by
Antonio Pigafetta

Prepared by: Marlon Kevin G. Reyes

THE EARLY FILIPINOS

 The earliest Filipinos of whom we have historical record are the little black
men whom the Spaniards called negrillos or negrito.
 They go naked except their privities, which they cover with the bark of
trees, by them called bahaques, the women with a clout woven on the
fibres of trees, called tapissed.
 They have no laws, letters or government but that which kindred makes,
they all obey the head of the family.
 Kinship groups were called barangays
 The people have always had chiefs called datos who ruled them and led
them in war, and whom they obeyed and respected.
 Datu was the beginning of the patriarchal head of a family and its
dependents, and passed his headship on his descendants.

Three estates:
 The gentlemen – are called maharlikas
 The commoners – are called aliping namamahay
 The slaves – are called aliping saguiguilir

MAGELLAN’S EXPEDITION

Five Ships that Accompanied Magellan on His Voyage:

 Trinidad ( Ferdinand Magellan)
 San Antonio ( Juan de Cartagena)
 Concepcion (Gaspar de Quesada)
 Santiago (Juan Serrano)
 Victoria (Luis Mendoza)

March 16, 1521 – Magellan reached the Ladrone Islands

In Pigafetta’s account, their fleet reached what he called the Ladrone
Island. He recounted:
“ These people have no arms, but use sticks, which have a fishbone at the
end. They are poor , but ingenious , and great thieves, and for the sake of
that we called these three islands the Ladrone Islands.”

March 18, 1521 – They saw a boat come towards them with 9 men. The
men welcomed them with foods, drinks, and gifts such as fish, uraca (palm
wine), figs, two cochos, umai (rice), cocos and other food supplies. The
island where they dwelt is called Zuluam (Suluan).
The island they were at was named Humunu/Homonhon (Watering Place
of Good Signs)
They named the nearby island as the archipelago of St. Lazarus.

March 25, 1521 (Monday of Passion Week) – Pigafetta recounted that they
saw two Ballanghai (balangay), a longboat full of people in
Mazzava/Mazaua. The leader (Raia Siagu), whom Pigafetta reffered to as
the king of Ballanghai, sent his men to the ship of Magellan.

After few days, Magellan was introduced to the king’s brother (Raia
Calambu), king of Zuluan and Calagan (Butuan and Caragua).

March 31, 1521 (Easter Sunday) – Magellan sent the chaplain ashore early
to say Mass. The king hearing that sent two dead pigs. The two kings
attended the Mass. Pigafetta wrote:
…when the offeratory of the mass came, the two kings, went to kiss the
cross like us, but they offered nothing, and at the elevation of the body of
our Lord they were kneeling like us, and adored our Lord with joined
hands.
After the Mass, Magellan ordered that the cross to be brought, with the
nails and crown, to which the kings made reverence, and he had them told
that these things which he showed them were the sign of emperor his lord
and master, from whom he had charge and commandment to place it in all
places where he might go or pass by. He told them that this cross should be
placed on the summit of the highest mountain in their country , so that
seeing it every day they might adore it, and if they did thus, neither
thunder, lightning, nor the tempest could do them hurt.
April 7, 1521 – about midday, Magellan and his men reached Zubu. The
king of Zubu (Raia Humabun) , through Magellan’s interpreter , demanded
that they pay tribute as it was customary, but Magellan refused. The next
day, Magellan’s men and king of Zubu, together with other principal men of
Zubu, met in an open space. The king offered a bit of his blood and
demanded that Magellan do the same.

April 14, 1521 – the people gathered with the king and other principal men
of the islands. Magellan encouraged the king to be good Christian by
burning all of the idols and worship the cross instead. The king of Zubu was
then baptized as a Christian. Pigafetta wrote:
“To that the king and all his people answered that they would obey the
commands of the captain and do all that he told them. The captain took
the king by the hand, and they walked about on the scaffolding , and
when he was baptized he said that he would name him Don Carlos, as the
emperor his sovereign was named; and he named the prince Don
Fernando Fernando, after the brother of the emperor, and the king of
Mazavva, Jehan: to the Moor he gave the name of Christopher, and to the
others each name of his fancy.”

The mass started to be conducted by the shore everyday. When the queen
(Hara Humamay/Juana) came to the Mass one day, Magellan gave her an
image of the infant Jesus (Sto. Niño) Pigafetta carved himself.

April 26, 1521 – Zula went to see Magellan and asked him for a boat full of
men so that he could fight the chief named Cilapulapu (Lapulapu).
Cilapulapu was vassal of Raia Humabun but not an obedient one. Magellan
thought he would do Humabun a favor at the same time impress him with
a brilliant feat of arms. He decided to teach Cilapulapu a lesson.
Magellan and his forces arrived in Matan in daylight. They numbered 49 in
total, and the islanders of Matan were estimated to 1500.

Magellan died in that battle. He was pierced with a poisoned arrow in his
right leg. An Indian hurled a bamboo spear into his face, but the latter
immediately killed him with his lance, which he left in the Indian’s body.
Then, trying to lay hand on sword, he could draw it but half-way, because
he had been wounded in the arm with a bamboo spear. When the natives
saw that they all hurled themselves upon him. One of them wounded him
on the left leg with a large cutlass which resembles scimitar only being
larger. That caused the captain to fall face downward, when immediately
they rushed upon him with iron and bamboo spears and with their
cutlasses until they killed him.