Fernando de Magellan (Benjo):

I was born in Sabrosa, Portugal, some time in the year 1480. My name is Fernando de
Magellan. The winds of discovery and the attraction of far-off places molded my early years. I
was raised in a noble household and had extensive training in seamanship and navigation.

As I got older, I was fascinated by the waters and all of its potential. Many of my ambitions were
sparked by the stories of famous explorers like Christopher Columbus, and I had dreams of
finding new paths to far-off places. Unfortunately, not everyone in the Portuguese court shared
my goals, and some of them were doubtful of me. So I abandoned my Portuguese loyalty and
headed to Spain, where I gained both citizenship and Charles the V's blessing for a five-ship
journey westward.

During the year 1519, I was finally able to explore the western sea along with my crew which
consisted of 270 men, mostly Spaniards.

At the time I was convinced that by sailing west instead of east and going through a rumored
strait through South America, I could map a new route to Indonesia and India.

As the captain of Trinidad during the 16th-century, we voyaged across the Strait of Magellan. I
led my men across the Atlantic Ocean and encountered unexpected challenges. The weather
was unpredictable and the tiny strait was challenging to navigate in strong winds. Every day, we
were threatened with isolation and shipwreck. The crew were ill and hungry as a result of the
difficult circumstances, which included the cold, rain, and running out of supplies.

We continued on despite the difficulties, thinking that the Pacific Ocean would bring us to our
destination. Relief arrived upon the strait's opening, but the fleet's decline and many of its
members' deaths showed the cost. Even so, we continued to be adventurous despite the
challenges we still had to overcome.

After this voyage, we sailed on for 3 months and 20 days at sea before reaching Guam, and
then the Philippines. On November 28, 1520, we started to sail north, following the coast of
Chile and eventually changed course to north-west. We sailed across the globe, but we faced
many challenges and lost many lives. My crew continued on to Spain, circumnavigating the
world. I died on April 27, 1521, Mactan, in the Philippines. The rest of my crew eventually
reached Spain again, but only 1 ship containing 18 men remained from our voyage.