Chapter 2

Lesson 1:
First Voyage
Around the
World
Ferdinand
Magellan
February 3, 1480 - April 25,
1521
Who is Ferdinand Magellan ?
Portuguese Explorer who organised
the Spanish Expeditions to the East
Indies from 1519-1522 to search for
western
route to the Maluku Islands ( the
Spice Island) resulting in the first
circumnavigation of the Earth,
completed by Juan
Antonio
Pigafetta
1480 -
1531
Who is Antonio
Pigafetta?
-Italian scholar and explorer from the
republic of Venice

-He traveled with the portuguese

explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his
crew by order of the King Charles I of
Spain on
their Voyage around the world.
-His travelogue is one of the most important
primary sources in the study of precolonial
Philippines.

-His account was also a major referent to the

events leading to Magellans arrival in the
Philippines, his encounter with
local leaders, his death in the hands of
Lapulapu’s forces in the Battle of Mactan
and the depature of what was left of
Magellan’s fleet from the islands.
 The first
Voyage
Around the
World
About the book
The document reveals several
insights not just in the character of
the Philippines during pre colonial
period, but also on how the fresh
eyes of the European regard a
deeply unfamiliar terrain,
environment, people and culture.
-In Pigafetta’s account,
their fleet reached what he
called the Ladrones
Islands or the “Islands of
the Thieves”
The Ladrones Islands or the “Islands
of the Thieves”

“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
Ladrones Islands”.
 March 16, 1521
Pigafetta reported that they reach the isle
of Zamal, now Samar, but Magellan
decided to land in another uninhabited
island for greater security where they
could rest for a few days.
March 18, 1521
“This palm produces a fruit names cocho, which is large
as the head, or thereabouts: its first husk is green, and
two
fingers in thickness, in it they find certain threads, with
which they make the cords for fastening their boats.
Under this
husks there is another very hard, and thicker than that of
a walnut. They burned this second rind, and make with it
March 18, 1521
Under this rind there is a white marrow of a fingers thickness, which
they eat fresh with
meat and fish, as we do bread, and it has the taste of almond, and if
anyone dried it he might make bread of it.”

"very familiar and friendly”

They went to Humunu Island (Homonhon) (Watering Place of Good

Signs) where they found the first signs of gold in the
island.
They named the island with the nearby islands as the Archipelago of
March 25th
-Pigafetti recalled that he saw a balanghai, a long boat full of people

-a Leader (Raja Siagu) whom he reffered to the king became closely

bonded to Magellan.

-After a few days, Magellan was introduced to the King’s Brother

who was also a king of another island The King’s name was Raja
Calambu, king of Zuluan and Calagan. (Butuan and Caragua)
March 31 (Easter Sunday)
-The first mass in the Philippines

-”When the offertory 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.”

-Magellan’s Cross
April 7, 1521
⚬Reached the port of Cebu

⚬ Blood Compact or Brotherhood with King of Cebu (Raja

Humabon)
April 14,
1521
⚬The King of Cebu was Baptized as Christian

⚬After 8 days all of the Islands inhabitants were

baptized

⚬Burned the idols and worship the Cross instead

 April 26, 1521
-Zula, a principal man from the island of Matan (Mactan) went to see
Magellan and ask him a boat full of men so that he could fight the
chief name Silalapulapu (Lapulapu).

-Magellan offered three boats and went to Mactan himself to fight

Lapulapu they numbered 49 in total while the islanders of mactan
estimated 1500.

-Magellan died in the battle. He was pierced a poison arrow in his

right leg.
-The king offered the people of mactan gift of any value in
exchange of Magellan’s body, but the chief declined.

-Duarte Barbosa is elected as the new captain.

-Henry, Magellan’s slave and interpreter betrayed them

and told the king of Cebu that they intended to leave as
quickly
as possible.
-The two conspired and betrayed on what was left on
Magellan’s men.

-The king invited the men to a Gathering and slain the 24

men

-The natives has slain all the men except the interpreter
and Juan Serrano who was already wounded.

-They left Cebu and continued their journey around the

-From the original five ships set to sail( San Antonio,
Concepcion, Victoria, Trinidad and Santiago) only
Victoria returned to Spain.

-And from the original 237 men only 18 men

survived.