UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHEASTERN PHILIPPINES

Inigo St., Obrero, Davao City, Davao Del Sur

“The First Voyage around the World”

By: Antonio Pigafetta

Readings in Philippines History

Submitted by: Joseven R. Francisco

Submitted to: Francis Sanico

September 23, 2019

“FIRST VOYAGE AS A WHOLE”

The first thing I found interesting in this documentary was how the expedition
began and how they travelled the world with such not so big of a team or has large
amount of crews. “On 20 September of 1519 , Ferdinand Magellan departed from
Spain with a fleet of five ships and a crew of less than 240 men, intending to reach
the Orient by sailing westward around or through South America and across the
largely uncharted expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Nearly three years later, on 6
September 1522, his successor, Juan Sebastian de Elcano, would return to Spain
with a single ship, the Victoria, and the remnants of the expedition: eighteen
Europeans and three East Indians. This first circumnavigation of the globe
epitomized the contention between Portugal (Magellan’s homeland, which
spurned his plan) and Spain (which accepted) for dominion of the East Indies , and
the difficulty of determining where lands such as the Moluccas lay in relation to the
ideal Line of Demarcation” (Cachey, 2007, p.1).

“AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND”

Antonio Pigafetta was born some time in the closing year of the 15th century
His Parents are Giovanni Pigafetta and Angela Zoga. The eldest child among his
siblings of 2, he was a native of Vicenza, a town about a hundred kilometers west of
Venice, Italy. Antonio Pigafetta Studied astronomy, geography, and cartography.
Served on board the ships of the Knights of Rhodes at the beginning of the 16th
century. Had an aunt, Elisabetta, who married Valerio Chiericati. Accompanied
Monsignor Chiericati to Spain in 1519. Accompanied Ferdinand Magellan, together
with Juan Sebatián Elcano in the famous expedition to Moluccas which began in
August 1519 and ended in September 1522 (Stanley 2010).
“Friday the 22nd of March 1521”

I found this date remarkable because in this documentary, as the Kings

promise to the general-captain to be back after 4 days bringing a lot of good stuffs,
they managed to be honest & true to their hearts because they marked their own
words and did not lie to Magellan’s crew. This just shows how we Filipinos, even in
the past are one of the honest race in the history maybe because we adapted
being hospitable to others through our ancestors.

“Thursday the 28th of March 1521”

On this day, this is where the captain tries to introduce his crew with no harm
to a king of an island where they anchored to, offering some goods like the red cap
to the king’s comrades, and letting the captain’s slave (Traprobana) communicate
to the King who can understand most of the language in many island (being a King
in the past means you know more language than a typical commoner in an
island). What I realized in to this scene is that the captain-general of Pigafetta’s
crew wanted to be friends to the King of the island they anchored to and after they
gain the trust of the island people of that place, they try have fun and set some
negotiation within there.

“Magellan’s Death 27th of April 1521”

According to Pigafetta, it was not Lapu-Lapu who slayed Ferdinand

Magellan, but many natives—probably battle-hardened, evidenced by their
proficiency with spears and very large bolos. This was something that Magellan and
his company did not expect.

“Recognizing the captain, so many turned upon him that they knocked his helmet
off his head twice, but he always stood firmly like a good knight, together with some
others. Thus did we fight for more than one hour, refusing to retire farther.”. “One of
them wounded him on the left leg with a large cutlass, which resembles a scimitar,
only being larger. That caused the captain to fall face downward, when
immediately they rushed upon him with iron and bamboo spears and with their
cutlasses, until they killed our mirror, our light, our comfort, and our true guide.”
(Limos, 2019).

My analysis on Magellan’s death was Magellan was very arrogant at that time , he
was a good navigator but not as good as a battle tactician. He didn’t ask for help
to his friends in Limasawa who are Raja Humabon and Datu Zula which leads to his
death because he only assigned 49 of his men in the battle and thought he could
win against a 1500 commoners in Mactan Island Led by Lapu-Lapu who are skilled
in handling bolos, spears , and bows and arrows. It was a tragic event for Magellan
and one of the greatest mistake in his life, nonetheless history had happened we
can’t change the fact Magellan is still one of the most known persona in the
Philippines even as of today.

“POST EVENTS AFTER MAGELLAN’S DEATH”

Although Magellan has died the voyage did not get cancelled but was
handled by Elcano after a long journey, on November 5, 1521. The 2 remaining ships
finally reached the Spice islands. In the end only the Victoria completed the
voyage around the world and there was eighteen men who was left alive on the
expedition who arrive back to Seville, Spain in September 1522 including Pigafetta.

The voyage was still successful even if there was many unfortunate events occurred
in the past as a Filipino, I’m happy and proud that not all the people in the
Philippines in the past was scared and was not oppressed down easily by invaders a
good example was Lapu-Lapu, and also in Magellan’s part I’m sad for what he
obtained during his circumnavigation because he died it’s not a happy ending for
him at all but a happy ending to the Spain because Magellan’s expedition was still
successful even though he died.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Pigafetta, A. (2010). First Voyage Round the World by Magellan: Translated from the
Accounts of Pigafetta and Other Contemporary Writers (Cambridge Library
Collection - Hakluyt First Series) (H. Stanley, Ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511708046

Alvario, L. M. (2019, April 25). Magellan’s Death: A Detailed Description by Antonio

Pigafetta. Retrieved September 22, 2019, from Esquire:
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/magellans-death-history-a00293-
20190425-lfrm2

Cachey, T. (2018, November 20). Cambridge University Press. Retrieved September

22, 2019, from Renaissance Society of America:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/renaissance-
quarterly/article/antonio-pigafetta-the-first-voyage-around-the-world-
15191522-an-account-of-magellans-expedition-ed-theodore-j-cacheyjr-
toronto-university-of-toronto-press-2007-lxiv-203-pp-index-illus-c