Name: Aliyaah Nicole B.

Gabuat
Course/Year/Block: BS Biology 1A
MAGELLAN'S VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD
Bachelor of Science in Biology (CNSC - Main Campus)

GUIDE QUESTIONS (Page 41)

1. Who is Antonio Pigafetta? 
Lapu-Lapu and Magellan are two prominent figures in Philippine history,
their association being well-known among Filipinos. They led the crucial Battle of
Mactan around 500 years ago in Cebu, a significant event in the nation's past.
However, the person responsible for documenting this momentous occasion,
Antonio Pigafetta, often goes unnoticed. Despite not sharing the same fame as
Lapu-Lapu and Magellan, Pigafetta's contributions to modern historical
comprehension hold great value and deserve exploration.

Antonio Pigafetta, an Italian scholar and navigator, delved into the study of
navigation. He began his maritime career on the galleys of the Knights of Rhodes
and later accompanied the papal nuncio, Monsignor Chieregati, to Spain. Pigafetta
subsequently joined Portuguese captain Ferdinand Magellan's expedition,
becoming a crew member. They embarked on a journey that took them across the
Maluku Islands. Pigafetta, also known as Antonio Lombardo or Francisco Antonio
Pigafetta, was born around 1490 into a prosperous family in Vicenza, Italy. He was
the eldest son of Giovanni Pigafetta and Angela Zoga. He hailed from an Italian
and Venetian background and passed away in 1532. Notably, he was among the
"sobresalientes" or supernumeraries – individuals from influential families who
joined the expedition for adventure and military advancement. Pigafetta endured
the expedition's challenges and disasters, including injuries sustained during the
Battle of Mactan. Finally, he was one of the 18 survivors who, along with Juan
Sebastian Elcano, returned to Spain on September 6, 1522, aboard the Victoria,
marking the completion of the historic voyage.

2. What is his role in the Magellan-Elcano expedition?

Throughout the expedition, Pigafetta served as Magellan's aide and
meticulously documented events in a journal, which later proved invaluable in
translating the Cebuano language, marking the earliest recorded instance of such
documentation. In the Philippines, Magellan met his demise, and Pigafetta
sustained injuries. Nonetheless, he was among the 18 individuals who made the
return journey to Spain in 1522. Under the leadership of Juan Sebastián Elcano,
they accomplished the historic feat of circumnavigating the globe. Pigafetta's
surviving journal remains a primary source of information regarding the voyage
undertaken by Magellan and Elcano.

“His biographers described him as a well-educated young man possessing an avid

curiosity of the world around him”. (Page 16)

“He studied astronomy, geography, and cartography and during his younger years
worked in the ships owned by the Knights of Rhodes”. (Page 16)

“On September 7, 1522, Elcano and 17 survivors arrived in Spain aboard the ship
Victoria. One of them was Antonio Pigafetta, the assistant of Magellan who kept a
journal that became the main source of what we know about the first encounter of
the Spaniards and the Filipinos”. (Page 16)

“Pigafetta’s travelogue contributed immensely to the enrichment of Philippine

historiography. His writing provided us a glimpse of the political, economic, and
social conditions of the islands in the Visayans region during the 16th century”.
(Page 19)

“Pigafetta’s chronicle contributed immensely to European historiography as it

preserved and popularized the achievements of the Magellan-Elcano expedition. If
Pigafetta did not survive the journey, we would have very little knowledge of
Magellan’s numerous contributions in fields of geography, navigation, history and
other related areas. (Page 39)

Given his passions, it's evident that Antonio Pigafetta was destined for
exploration. His keen interest in understanding his environment led him to dedicate
his life to studying astronomy, geography, and cartography, positioning him as a
crucial figure in Magellan's expedition. Pigafetta's meticulous firsthand narrative
also laid the groundwork for the pre-colonial history of the Philippines. This
account revealed insights into the political, economic, cultural, and traditional
aspects of the Visayas region and the Filipino people. As Magellan's assistant,
Pigafetta played a significant role in the expedition's success, offering historians,
explorers, and cartographers an invaluable resource through his personal
documentation of the Spanish crusade. His contributions are essential for
comprehending history comprehensively.

In conclusion, Antonio Pigafetta's significance in Magellan's expedition was

crucial, with his journals greatly contributing to making the first circumnavigation
voyage widely known. Regrettably, only limited information exists about him, and
his substantial contributions to geography, history, and navigation remain
relatively unrecognized. Despite this, his absence could have jeopardized the
expedition's success, potentially leaving circumnavigation as an unrealized
aspiration for navigators.

3. Based on Pigafetta’s account, how did the battle of Mactan start?

The Battle of Mactan stands as a pivotal moment in Philippine history,
signifying a turning point. This event is renowned for casting Lapu-Lapu as the
hero and Magellan as the antagonist. However, Pigafetta's firsthand narrative offers
an alternative viewpoint, shedding light on the battle that marked the demise of the
navigator who spearheaded the Earth's first circumnavigation.

The events unfolded when Magellan conveyed a message to the natives,

urging recognition of the Spanish King. Lapu-Lapu, however, resisted
acknowledging the Spanish authority, recognizing the invaders in their midst. This
led to a battle. Lapu-Lapu prepared his men and initiated an assault against
Magellan's forces. Choosing Saturday, a sacred day, for the fight was important to
Lapu-Lapu. In the clash, eight Spanish crew members lost their lives at the hands
of the natives. Faced with adversity, Magellan resorted to a strategy of distracting
the natives by setting fire to their homes. During the confrontation, Magellan was
struck by a poisoned arrow and sustained injuries from a bamboo lance and a large
javelin. His wounds resulted in him falling into the water. Ultimately, the
Spaniards were defeated by the natives, and the battle concluded. Pigafetta, a
supernumerary on the voyage who later returned to Seville, Spain, documented that
Lapu-Lapu commanded a force of around 1,500 native warriors during the battle.

“On Friday, April twenty-six, Zula, chief of the island of Matan, sent one of his
sons to present two goats to the captain-general, and to say that he would send him
all that he had promised, but that he had not been able to send it to him because of
the other chief, Cilapulapu, who refused to obey the king of Spagna, He requested
the captain to send him only one boatload of men on the next night, so that they
might help him and fight against the other chief. The captain-general decided to go
through with three boatloads. We begged him repeatedly not to go, but he, like a
good shepherd, refused to abandon his flock”. (Page 36)

“When morning came, forty-nine of us leaped into the water up to our thighs, and
walked through water for more than two crossbow thighs before we could reach
the shore… When they saw us, they charged down upon us with exceeding loud
cries, two divisions on our flanks and the other two on our front. When the captain
saw that, he formed us into two divisions, and thus we began to fight. The
musketeers and crossbowmen shot from a distance for half an hour, but uselessly
for the shots only passed through the shields which were made of thin wood and
the arms [of the bearers]. The captain cried to them, "Cease firing! cease firing!"
but his order was not all heeded…They shot so many arrows at us and hurled so
many bamboo spears [some of them tipped with iron] at the captain-general,
besides pointed stakes hardened with fire, stones, and mud, that we could scarcely
defend ourselves. Seeing that, the captain- general sent some men to burn their
houses in order to terrify them. When they saw their houses burning, they were
roused to greater fury. Two of our men were killed near the houses, while we
burned twenty or thirty houses. So many of them charged down upon us that they
shot the captain through the right leg with a poisoned arrow”. (Page 37)

Pigafetta's firsthand account of the Battle of Mactan highlights that the

conflict arose due to Lapu-Lapu's refusal to submit to Spanish authority. Magellan
aimed to subdue Lapu-Lapu by attacking Mactan, intending to burn the community
and eliminate his adversary. However, this plan was thwarted, as Lapu-Lapu's
forces were well-prepared for battle, as documented by Pigafetta. Lapu-Lapu's
strategic measures included placing stones in the water to impede the approach of
Spanish boats and using loud noises to signal their attack and disorient the enemy.
The use of shields by Lapu-Lapu's army also effectively countered the Spanish
lances, resulting in significant casualties among the Spanish fleet and ultimately
leading to their defeat and the loss of their captain-general.

Hence, it can be inferred that Lapu-Lapu held the upper hand from the outset
of the conflict against Magellan's forces. The war commenced with Lapu-Lapu
enjoying an advantageous position, thwarting Magellan's intended strategy. The
Battle of Mactan highlighted the formidable strength of the Filipino army,
underscoring their prowess in combat.