A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE

FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD

BY MAGELLAN BY ANTONIO
PIGAFETTA
This book was taken from the chronicles of
contemporary voyagers of the 16th century
Italian nobleman Antonio Pigafetta is one of
them.
Also one of the most important primary sources
in the study of the precolonial Philippines is the
Pigafetta’s travelogue.
 students of history need to realize that primary
sources used in the subsequent written histories
depart from certain perspectives.
The first voyage around the world by Magellan
was published after pigafetta returned to Italy.
In pigsfetta’s account , their fleet reached what
he called the Ladrones Islands or the “ Islands of
the Thieves.”
He recounted:

“ these people have no arms, but use sticks, which

have a fish bone at the end. They are poor, but
ingenious , and great thieves, and for the sake of what we
called these three islands the Landrone Islands.”
 The ladrone Islands is presently known as the Marianas Islands.
 It is located south-southeast of Hawaii, north of new Guinea, and
east of Philippines.

 March 18, nine men came to them and show joy and eagerness in
seeing them.
 Pigafetta characterized the people as “ Very familiar and friendly”
and willingly showed them different islands and the names of
these different islands.
 In Humunu island (homonhon) they found “ watering place of
good signs”.
 They left the island, then on March 25th,Pigafetta recounted that
they saw two Balangay, a long boat full of people in Mazzava/
Mazaua.
 The king was fascinated and remarked that men in
such armor could be worth one hundred of his
artilleries.
 After a few days, Magellan was introduced to King’s
brother who was also a king of another island.

 This king was named Raia Calambu, king Zuluan

and Callahan( Butuan and Caragua);
 And the first king was Raia Siagu.
 On march 31st which happened to be easter Sunday ,
Magellan ordered The chaplain to preside a mass by
the shore.
 After the mass, Magellan ordered that the cross be
brought with nails and crown in place.
 The king concurred and allowed for the cross to be
planted.
 This mass go down in history as the first Mass in the
Philippines.
 After seven days, Magellan and his men decided to
move and go for the island where they could acquire
more supplies and provisions.
 Islands of Ceylon(Leyte), Bohol, and Zsubu( Cebu)
 Pigafetta characterized the people as “very familiar and
friendly” and willingly showed them different islands
and the names of these islands.
 By April 7th of the same year, Magellan and his men
reached the port of Cebu.
 The following day, Magellan spoke before the people
of Cebu about peace and God.
 On the 14th of April , the people gathered with the
king and other principal men of the islands.
 After 8 days, Pigafetta counted that all of the Islands
inhabitant were already baptized.
 The mass was conducted by the shore everyday.
 On the 26th of April, Zula, a principal man from the
island of Matan (Mactan) went to see Magellan and
asked him for a boat full of men so that he would be
able to fight the chief named Silapulapu (Lapulapu).
 They numbered 49 in total and the Islanders of Mactan
were estimated to number 1,500. The battle Began.
 Magellan died in that battle.
 Magellan was pierced with poisoned arrow in his right
leg.
 Pigafetta also said that the king of Cebu could have sent
help but Magellan instructed not to join the battle.
They wanted to keep Magellan’s body as a memento of
their victory.
Magellan’s men elected Duarte Barbosa as the new captain.
Pigafetta also told how Magellan’s slave and
interpreter betrayed them.
And told the king that they intended to leave
as quickly as possible.
The king invited these men to a gathering
where he said he would present the jewels.
The fleet departed and abandoned Serrano.
They left Cebu and continued their journey
around the world.
ANALYSIS OF PIGAFETTA’S
CHRONICLE
 This is the most cited document by historians.
 Being the earliest detailed documentation, it was believed
that pigafetta’s writings account for the PUREST
precolonial society.
 In the case of pigafetta, the readers need to understand
that he was chronicle commissioned by the king of Spain
to accompany and document a voyage intend to expand
the Spanish empire.
 He was also a noble descent who came from a rich family
in Italy.
 Being a scholar of cartography and geography, Pigafetta
was able to give details on geography and climate of the
places that their voyage had reached.
 In reading pigafettas description of the people, one has to
keep in mind that he was coming from a sixteenth century
European perspective.
 It should be understood that such observations were
rooted from the context of pigafetta and of his era.
 The obsession with spices might be odd for Filipinos
because of its ordinariness in the Philippines, but
understanding the context would reveal that spices were
scare in Europe and hence were seen as prestige goods
 These contexts should be used and understood in order to
have a more qualified reading of Pigafetta’s account.
Internal Criticism

 Antonio Pigafetta was an venetian

scholar explorer.
 He joined the expedition to the spice
islands led by explorer Ferdinand
Magellan under the flag of the emperor
Charles V and after Magellan’s death in
the Philippine islands, the subsequent
voyage round the world.
 His work “Report on the first Voyage
around the world” includes the earliest
documents available on the language
and culture of the islands of samar and
Cebu.
External Criticism

 On 10 August 1519, five ships departed from

Seville for what was to become the first
circumnavigation of the globe.
 This volume is based on the critical edition by
Antonio Canova.
 The first voyage around the world is also
remarkably accurate ethnographic and
geographical account of the circumnavigation,
and one that has earned its reputation among
modern historiographers and students of the
early contacts between Europe and the east
Indies.