FIRST VOYAGE

AROUND THE WORLD

Antonio Pigafetta
Learning outcomes
◈ Analyze context of some sources and its
contribution to understanding Philippine
History as a whole
◈ Develop an understanding of the great
contribution of the accounts of Antonio
Pigafetta and Juan de Plasencia in the grand
narrative of Philippine History.
The Author: Antonio Pigafetta (1491-1531)

◈Vecezian citizen (Italian)

◈Studied Astronomy, Geography and
Cartography
◈Served in the ship as Knight of Rhodes
◈Accompanied the Papal Nuncio,
Monsignor Cheregato to Spain
◈ The First Voyage Around The
World by Antonio Pigafetta gave us
an account of the experiences of
around 270 people who joined the
expedition.
◈ It contains an accurate and detailed
description of everything they saw
in their travels.
◈ The book was written by Antonio
Pigafetta on board in one of the 5 ships
that was first to circumnavigate the
world during a Spanish expedition that
was led by the Portuguese explorer,
Ferdinand Magellan.
◈ Antonio Pigafetta, the author of the
book, was on board the Victoria; this
was the only ship that was able to return
to Spain.
Who were the Pre-colonial Filipinos ?
- Filipinos who were living in the Philippines
before or upon the arrival of the Spaniards.
They may also be referred to as “natives” or the
“early Filipinos”.
- Pigafetta wrote that throughout the expedition, had the
service of a translator named Enrique who was from
Sumatra (present day Indonesia) and was a slave of
Ferdinand Magellan .
◈ They arrived in Zamal (Samar at present).The
island was called Humunu (now Homonhon)
Magellan and his men called it Acquada da li
buoni Segnialli (“the Watering-place of Good
Signs”).
◈ There are many islands in that district, and
therefore they called them the archipelago of
San Lazaro, as they were seen on the Sunday of
St. Lazarus
◈ On April 1, 1521, according to
Pigafetta,the first mass in the
Philippines was held in Mazaua
(Limasawa)
◈ It was attended by Magellan, Raia
Colambu (Rajah Kolambu), Raia Siaui
(Rajah Siagu), Spanish voyagers, and
the local islanders
◈ On April 15,1521 a mass was held in
Zubu with Raja Humabon and 800 natives
were baptized into Christianity.
◈ Pigafetta showed the queen an image of
our Lady, a very beautiful wooden child
Jesus, and a cross. She asked for the little
child Jesus to keep in place of her idols
and this image of child Jesus is now
known as the Sto. Niño found in Cebu.
◈ Pigafetta wrote:
At midnight, on April 28, sixty of Magellan’s men set out
armed with corselets and helmets, Christian king,
prince, some of the chief men, 20 or 30 balanghais to
attack Mactan. He said, the local islanders had lances of
bamboo and stakes hardened with fire. They shot the
captain through the right leg with a poisoned arrow,
knocked his helmet off his head twice. That was the end
of Ferdinand Magellan.
Contribution of the document in the grand
narrative of Philippine history
◈ This document, The First voyage Around the
World, elaborated the lifestyle back then and it
described what the local islanders wore, what
they ate, how they communicated, and how they
lived
Blood compact - an ancient ritual to
validate an agreement or friendship.
>>was described by Antonio Pigafetta
during their stopover in Palawan (after
the death of Magellan). It was made
between the crew of the expedition and a
datu of Palawan as a symbol of peaceful
intentions.
The datu then dipped a
finger on the blood and
touched it to the tip of his
tongue and on his forehead.
The crew of the expedition
did the same to seal the
compact.
LapuLapu - the first defender of our
sovereignty.
>> Pigafetta's journal is the only known
document about him.
>>It is one of the best source today of the
customs and usages of the Filipinos in the early
16th century due to the daily notes Pigafetta took
and details about the expedition that he wrote
about.
The book contains
the first vocabulary
of Visayan words
ever penned by a
European.
Relevance of the Document : First Voyage
Around The World
◈ The book served as an evidence that the world is round and not flat.
◈ Magellan proved that there was a way to the east by continuously
sailing west.
◈ In this voyage, Magellan discovered the vastness of a body of water
which he later on named Pacific Ocean.
◈ We also find out how the first Filipinos fought against an invader and
delayed the Spanish occupation by about 40 years.
◈ Lapulapu did not personally kill
Magellan
◈ Magellan did not discover the
Philippines.
◈ The Battle of Mactan delayed the
Spanish occupation by 40 years.
Secondary source
 Spanish Era:
Coming of the Spaniards

Magellan’s Expedition
 Magellan and his journey
◈ On September 20, 1519, Magellan set sail from Spain in an effort to
find a western sea route to the rich Spice Islands of Indonesia or
Maluku.
◈ On Aug. 10, 1519, Magellan set sail with 270 men and five ships:
1. the Trinidad (commanded by Magellan),
2. the San Antonio,
3. the Victoria,
4. the Conception,
5. and the Santiago
 At the end of
Magellan sailed to March 1520, the

West Africa
expedition set up
winter quarters at
Port St. Julian.
On Easter day at
midnight, the

Brazilwhere he searched the South American coast for a strait

Spanish captains
mutinied against
their Portuguese
that would take him to the Pacific
captain, but
Magellan crushed
the revolt,
Only three ships executing one of
The Straight of Magellan entered the the captains and
leaving another
passage; one had
(near the tip of South America) ashore when his
been wrecked and
another deserted. ship left St. Julian
in August.
◈ He was the first European explorer to reach
the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic.
◈ His fleet accomplished the westward crossing
of the ocean in 99 days, crossing waters so
strangely calm that the ocean was named
“Pacific,” from the Latin word pacificus,
meaning “tranquil.”
◈ By the end, the men were out of food and
chewed the leather parts of their gear to keep
themselves alive.
◈ On March 6, 1521, the expedition landed at
the island of Guam.
◈ Ten days later, they dropped anchor at the
Philippine island of Cebu–they were only
about 400 miles from the Spice Islands.
◈ Magellan met with the chief of Cebú, who
after converting to Christianity persuaded
the Europeans to assist him in conquering a
rival tribe on the neighboring island of
Mactan.
◈ In subsequent fighting on April 27,
Magellan was hit by a poisoned arrow and
left to die by his retreating comrades.
◈ After Magellan’s death, the survivors, in two ships, sailed on to the Moluccas and loaded
the hulls with spice.
◈ One ship attempted, unsuccessfully, to return across the Pacific.
◈ The other ship, the Victoria, continued west under the command of Juan Sebastian de
Elcano. The vessel sailed across the Indian Ocean, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and
arrived at the Spanish port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda on September 6, 1522, becoming the
first ship to circumnavigate the globe.
◈ Elcano was later appointed
to lead a fleet of seven
ships on another voyage to
Moluccas on behalf of
Emperor Charles V. He
died of scurvy en route.
 Miguel López de Legazpi’s Expedition

◈ The expedition composed of four ships and 380 men, including

Fr. Andres de Urdaneta (a priest who had survived the Loaisa
mission) as well as five Augustine priests.
◈ The Viceroy of Mexico had one important task for Legazpi to
which he was given an envelope which he will only open when
the ships are already at sea.
◈ The Legazpi expedition left in the port of Navidad, Mexico on
November 21, 1564. After four days at sea, Legazpi opened the
envelop to which he learns the purpose of his expedition, that is
– to invade the whole Philippine Archipelago.
◈ They arrived in Cebu but was not permitted by the natives to land
because of their previous experience.
◈ This prompted Legazpi’s fleet to go to Samar and Leyte in which the
Filipinos gladly accepted them. The Filipinos in Leyte and Samar was
headed by Prince Kamutahon.
◈ The prince helped Legazpi to find the island of Limasawa which they
were accepted and was given food and drinks headed by Datu Bankaw.
◈ They went to Bohol but was not welcomed because Legazpi
captured a Filipino boat captain who was going to trade in another
country. (Which was mistakenly pointed Legazpi’s fleet to be that
of the Portugese)
◈ Legazpi explained that they were not Portugese and that they were
accepted by their leader, Rajah Sikatuna. In this time, Sikatuna
and Legazpi had made the Blood Compact in the shores of Bohol.
◈ On April 27, 1565, Legaspi returned to Cebu; destroyed the town
of Raja Tupas and establish a settlement.
◈ Hearing of the riches of Manila, an
expedition of 300 men headed by Martin
de Goiti left Cebu for Manila.
◈ As the locals sensed the true objectives of
the Spaniards, a battle between the troops
of Suliman and the Spaniards erupted.
◈ Because the Spaniards are more heavily
armed, the Spaniards were able to conquer
Manila. Soon after Miguel Lopez de
Legazpi arrived to join Goiti in Manila.
◈ Legaspi built alliances and made peace
with Rajahs Suliman, Lakandula and
Matanda. In 1571, Legaspi ordered the
construction of the walled city of
Intramuros and proclaimed it as the seat of
government of the colony and the capital of
the islands.
◈ In 1572, Legaspi died and was buried at the
San Agustin Church in Intramuros.
 ◈ Only believe in a story with reliable source.
M ◈ Do not believe strangers so easily. They might
deceive us with ulterior motives.
O ◈ The world is vast and we should not let an
R opportunity gone waste. Magellan didn't stop and
asked for King of Spain to make his expedition
A possible. If there's a will, there's a way.
L ◈ Traitors are everywhere. Be cautious, they might be
S one of your so called friends or comrades.
◈ https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/magellan
s-expedition-circumnavigates-globe
◈ https://travelandculture.expertscolumn.com/legazpi-
expedition-philippines