The First Earth's Circumnavigation by Antonio Pigafetta
The Account of the First Circumnavigation of the Earth by the Italian Traveler Antonio Pigafetta
One of the key figures in the great geographic discoveries of the 16th century was the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, the commander of the fleet that set sail from Spain in 1519 with the goal of reaching the Spice Islands.
However, without the invaluable contribution of the Italian Antonio Pigafetta (also known as Antonio Lombardo, Vicenza, 1491-1531), who documented all the events of the three years of this astonishing journey in his Account of the First Voyage Around the World, many details of the expedition—which was undoubtedly one of the most incredible, challenging, and dangerous of all time—would have been lost forever.
Ferdinand Magellan was born in Tras os Montes, Portugal, in 1480. He began sailing at an early age. At the age of twenty-five, under the command of Captain Francisco de Almeida, he traveled to India to the Portuguese outposts of Diu, Cochin, and Goa. He later accompanied Diego López de Sequeira on explorations through the Strait of Malacca. In 1506, he participated in a voyage directed toward the Spice Islands, the Moluccas, which are part of present-day Indonesia.
In 1511, under the orders of Alfonso de Albuquerque, he took part in the conquest of the city of Malacca. He returned to Europe in 1513 and distinguished himself in the defense of the fortress of Azamor in Morocco. Shortly afterward, he was accused of having engaged in illegal trade with some Muslims, leading to his dismissal by the king of Portugal and the denial of compensation for his previous years of service to the Crown.
Magellan then went to Spain, offering his expertise to navigate westward to the Spice Islands, thereby demonstrating that these islands fell under Spanish influence. He may have relied on a map drawn around the early 16th century that suggested the possibility of a shorter route through the South American continent to reach the South Sea. He was convinced that Asia could be reached without having to circumnavigate Africa.
After the Treaty of Tordesillas, which divided the world into two hemispheres, Spain felt excluded from the eastern hemisphere and thus from the spice trade. Since the Portuguese had already reached the Moluccas by sailing eastward and had begun trading there with great profit, a dispute arose over the actual area of Spanish influence. The Spanish believed that the Moluccas belonged to their sphere of influence, the western hemisphere, while the Portuguese, who had arrived first, thought otherwise.
Since the exact circumference of the Earth was not yet known, no one could definitively say whether the Moluccas fell within the Portuguese or Spanish territories. Thus, Magellan's offer to the King of Spain became particularly intriguing.
On March 22, 1518, Magellan signed a contract with Charles V, granting him five ships to reach the Spice Islands by sailing westward to determine their exact location. Equally important was the discovery of new lands to add to the already vast Spanish empire.
According to the agreement with the king, Magellan and his friend, the cosmographer Ruy Falero, were to receive one-fifth of the expedition's earnings, and their heirs would become governors of any newly discovered lands.
The expedition departed from Seville on August 10, 1519. The fleet consisted of five ships: the Trinidad, commanded by Magellan; the San Antonio, under Juan de Cartagena; the Concepción, under Gaspar de Quesada; the Victoria, under Luis de Mendoza; and the Santiago, under Juan Serrano.
In total, the fleet included 234 men, of whom 160 were Spanish, 40 Portuguese, 20 Italian (including Antonio Pigafetta), and four African and Asian interpreters.
The fleet was delayed for over a month at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River due to local authorities' refusal to allow a Spanish fleet to be commanded by a Portuguese leader. Finally, on September 20, 1519, they departed Spanish shores but were immediately pursued by Portuguese ships. Nevertheless, Magellan managed to reach the Canary Islands without being caught. There, he resupplied and set course for Brazil.
During the Atlantic crossing, Magellan faced a mutiny by the Spanish officers, which he quelled by imprisoning the first officer of the Trinidad, the leader of the mutiny.
The fleet arrived in Brazil on December 14, 1519, specifically in the Bay of Rio de Janeiro. They reached the estuary of the Río de la Plata, which Magellan explored, believing he had found the passage to the South Sea. However, within a few days, he realized it was merely the estuary of a large river and not the coveted route.
As the austral winter approached, the fleet decided to winter in Puerto San Julián, a bay in Patagonia, where they arrived on March 30, 1520. However, provisions quickly ran low, necessitating the first rationing of food, which led to another mutiny on three of the five ships.
Captains Luis de Mendoza and Gaspar de Quesada were executed, while Juan de Cartagena was abandoned on a desolate coast alongside a priest who had led the rebellion.
In May, the Santiago was sent on a reconnaissance mission but wrecked on a shoal not far from the coast. Some sailors managed to return to Puerto San Julián by land, while others were killed by furious indigenous groups. Given the circumstances, Magellan decided to wait out the winter in the bay of San Julián.
The expedition resumed its course in the early days of October 1520, once winter had ended. All river mouths were examined, and the bays were explored. Finally, the Concepción and the San Antonio, which had been sent ahead, discovered the long-sought route to the west.
This is an excerpt from The Account of the First Voyage Around the World, written by the Italian Antonio Pigafetta, describing the moment they sighted the mythical strait:
"Then, sailing to fifty-two degrees toward the same pole, we found, on the day of the Eleven Thousand Virgins, a strait, which we named the Cape of the Eleven Thousand Virgins, as it was a great miracle.This strait is 110 leagues long, which is 440 miles, and about half a league wide, leading to another sea called the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by extremely high mountains covered in snow.
The only way to find the bottom was by taking soundings near the shore, which measured 25 to 30 fathoms. If it were not for the captain general, we would never have found this strait because we all thought and said that everything around was completely closed. But the captain general, who knew he would navigate through a rather hidden channel, as he had seen in the treasury of the King of Portugal on a map made by the most excellent man, Martin of Bohemia, ordered two ships, the San Antonio and the Concepción, to inspect what lay at the beginning of the bay.
Meanwhile, we, on the other two ships—the flagship called Trinidad and the other, Victoria—remained waiting in the bay. That night, a great storm struck, lasting until midday the next day, forcing us to weigh anchor and be driven here and there around the bay.
The other two ships were sailing and could not round a cape near the end of the bay to return to us; as a result, they were forced aground on a shoal. But while leaning against the end of the bay, thinking themselves lost, they saw a small inlet, which did not appear to be an inlet but a deserted and desolate spot. Feeling abandoned, they entered and thereby discovered the strait by force.
Realizing that it was not a dead end but a land strait, they continued further and found a bay. Then, further ahead, they found another strait and another bay larger than the first two. Overjoyed, they immediately turned back to report to the captain general.
We thought they were lost, first because of the great storm, and then because two days had passed without their return, despite the smoke signals they sent from the shore to notify us. While we were waiting, we saw two ships with their sails open and flags flying heading toward us.
As they neared, they fired their cannons and shouted; then, all together, we gave thanks to God and the Virgin and prepared to explore further ahead."
At this point, Magellan, confident of being able to continue sailing westward, offered the captains the choice to follow him or return home. The only ship that did not continue was the San Antonio, which, after another mutiny, abandoned the fleet and returned to Spain under the command of Sebastián Gómez.
On October 21, 1520, only three ships passed through the strait, later named after the Portuguese explorer. These were the Trinidad, the Victoria, and the Concepción.
The fleet entered the calm waters of the South Sea, discovered by Vasco Núñez de Balboa, on December 18, 1520. Magellan renamed it the Pacific Ocean due to the light breezes encountered during their three-month journey across it.
The voyage seemed endless. Throughout the journey, they only sighted two uninhabited islets. Nearly the entire crew fell ill with scurvy, a terrible disease caused by a lack of vitamin C. Its symptoms included severe swelling of the gums, leading to tooth loss, and a complete inability to eat.
The provisions were nearly depleted, leaving only a little bread soaked in saltwater and a few pieces of dried fish. The crew began fighting over the remaining food; some resorted to eating rats, while others even ate the soles of their shoes. Twenty-one men died during this crossing. Below is an excerpt from The Account of the First Voyage Around the World, in which Pigafetta narrates the harrowing oceanic journey:
"On Wednesday, November 28, 1520, we exited the strait and entered the Pacific Ocean. We spent three months and twenty days without any kind of provisions. We ate biscuits, but they were no longer biscuits, rather biscuit dust infested with worms that had devoured the best part. They reeked of mouse urine. We drank yellow, putrid water that had been spoiled for many days, and we ate pieces of oxhide (placed on the mainmast to protect the rigging), hardened by the sun, rain, and wind.We soaked them in the sea for four or five days, then placed them on embers to soften before eating them. We even tried eating sawdust from planks on many occasions. Rats were sold for half a ducat each.
But above all, the worst affliction was this: some men's gums swelled so severely, both on the upper and lower teeth, that they could not eat and eventually died as a result.
Nineteen men perished, including the giant from Patagonia and an Indian from Verzin. Twenty-five to thirty men fell ill, some with ailments in their arms, legs, or other body parts, leaving only a few in good health.
Thanks to God, I did not suffer from any illness."
When the situation had become almost unbearable, and fights and conspiracies broke out on board, the fleet managed to reach the Mariana Islands, an archipelago west of the Philippines, on March 6, 1521.
Twenty-nine years had passed since Christopher Columbus's first voyage. Finally, Europeans had reached the Asian region via a westward route. However, the Portuguese routes through Africa and India were already well-known and thus safer.
These islands were called the "Islands of Thieves" because some indigenous people attempted to steal one of the fleet's boats. Magellan executed the culprits and burned their huts. After replenishing their supplies, the ships continued westward.
On March 16, 1521, the expedition arrived at Homonhon in the Philippines. Here is Pigafetta's description:
"On Saturday, March 16, 1521, we landed on a high island called Zamal, 300 leagues from the Islands of Thieves. The captain general, the next day, ordered us to disembark on the nearby uninhabited island to ensure greater safety and to replenish water supplies.He set up two tents on land for the sick and had a pig slaughtered. On Monday, March 18, we saw a boat with nine men approaching us from afar. The captain general ordered that no one move or speak without his permission.
When they reached the shore, their leader immediately approached ours, showing joy at our arrival.
The captain general, seeing that these men were reasonable, offered them food and gave them gifts, including red caps, mirrors, combs, bells, ivory, slippers, and other items.
When they saw the captain's kindness, they offered him fish, a jar of palm wine called vraca, figs larger than a handspan and others smaller but sweeter, and two coconuts. At that moment, they had nothing more to offer.
Through gestures, they told us they would bring umany—rice—coconuts, and many other foods in four days.
These people, who are Cafres or Gentiles, go naked except for garments made of tree bark that cover their private parts.
They are of tawny complexion, stout, and painted, and they rub themselves with coconut and sesame oil to protect against the sun and wind.
They have very black hair that reaches down to their waists and possess gold daggers, knives, spears, shields, harpoons, fishing hooks, and nets. Their boats are like ours."
Magellan's Malay interpreter, Enrique, who had traveled with him for several years, was fluent in the language and introduced the Portuguese to the court of the local sovereign, Rajah Kolambu, king of Limasawa.
Magellan continued his journey to the port of Cebu on the island of the same name. Below is an account of the arrival at the busy port, as narrated in the chronicle by Pigafetta:
"On Sunday, April 7, 1521, at midday, we entered the port of Zubu. Passing by numerous villages, we saw many houses built in the trees. As we approached the city, the captain general ordered the ships to be decorated with flags; the sails were lowered and positioned for battle; then all the artillery was fired, greatly frightening the people in these villages. The captain sent one of his disciples, along with the interpreter, as an ambassador to the King of Zubu.When they arrived in the city, they found many men gathered around the king, all terrified by the cannon fire. The interpreter explained that this was our custom, to fire cannons upon entering such places as a sign of peace and friendship and to honor the local king. The king and his people calmed down, and the king, through his governor, asked what we wanted.
The interpreter replied that his lord was the captain of the greatest king and prince in the world, who was exploring the Moluccas. He had come to visit him and obtain provisions in exchange for goods, as he had heard of the king’s good reputation from the ruler of Mazana."
In Cebu, Magellan and his fleet succeeded in converting the king to Christianity. Cebu submitted to the Spanish Crown. However, a rebellion broke out on the neighboring island of Mactan, where the inhabitants refused to convert to Christianity. Magellan decided to use force to subdue them, landing on the island on April 27, 1521. In a fierce confrontation, Magellan was killed by the island's inhabitants.
At this point, the King of Cebu renounced Christianity and decided to attack the Europeans, resulting in the deaths of thirty crew members. The surviving Spaniards elected Juan Sebastián Elcano as commander of the Victoria. He decided to scuttle the Concepción because the remaining crew was too small to manage all three ships.
The fleet then stopped at the island of Borneo with the Victoria and the Trinidad, where they stayed for thirty-five days, specifically in the village of Brunei. They decided to explore other islands to the east, known as the Spice Islands, or the Moluccas. The Portuguese had reached these islands years earlier via India and claimed them as their own territories.
The two remaining ships arrived on November 6, 1521, anchoring in the bay of Tidore, in the present-day Moluccas, islands rich in cloves, nutmeg, and other spices. The local population, already in contact with the Portuguese, was peaceful, and they easily reached an agreement for the trade of spices. Below is Pigafetta’s description of their landing in Tidore and the Spice Islands:
"On Friday, November 8, 1521, three hours before sunset, we entered the harbor of an island called Tadore. We anchored near the shore, in twenty fathoms of water, and fired all our artillery.The next day, the king came to the ships in a canoe, circling them. We immediately approached him to honor him. He invited us into his canoe, and we sat beside him.
The king said we were welcome, as he had long dreamed that ships from distant lands would come to Maluco.
We offered him gifts: yellow damask cloth, Indian textiles woven with gold and silk, a piece of white berania, twelve knives, six large mirrors, six pairs of scissors, six combs, some gilded goblets, and other items.
This king, a Moro, is about forty-five years old, well-built, majestic in appearance, and an excellent astrologer. His name is Rajah Sultan Manzor.
For your lordship’s information, the islands where cloves grow are five: Terenate, Tadore, Mutir, Machian, and Bachian. Terenate is the principal island, whose king once governed almost all the others. We were in Tadore, which has its own king. Mutir and Machian have no kings; they are ruled by their people, and when the kings of Terenate and Tadore go to war, these two islands serve as their armies. Bachian is the last island and has its own king.
In this region, where cloves grow, the entire province is called Maluco. These kings can have as many wives as they wish, but one is the primary wife, whom the others obey.
Opposite this island is a large one called Giailolo, inhabited by Moros and Gentiles.
On Tuesday, November 12, we began trading as follows: for ten fathoms of red cloth or thirty-five glass cups, they gave us a bahar of cloves, equivalent to 406 pounds."
After completing negotiations, Commander Juan Sebastián Elcano decided to head west. However, the Trinidad began taking on water, and all efforts to locate the leak proved futile. Below is a description of the event:
"Early on Friday, our king of Tadore came with three men and ordered them to dive into the water with their hair loose to find the leak. They stayed underwater for a long time but never found it.When the king saw there was no solution, he asked tearfully, 'Who will go to Spain to inform my lord about me?'
We responded that the Victoria would go, to avoid missing the easterly winds that had just begun. The Trinidad would wait for repairs and then set sail westward toward Darién (9), on the other side of the world, in the land of Yucatán (10)."
At this point, the two crews parted ways. The Trinidad resumed its journey after several months of continuously crossing the Pacific eastward.
Of the fifty-five men who were part of the crew, only four survived to return to Spain in 1525. By contrast, the Victoria, commanded by Juan Sebastián Elcano, set sail westward with a total of 50 men. In the early days of navigation, the Victoria sailed through the current Indonesian Sea, coasting past numerous islands. They stopped for several days on an island called Buru, located 75 leagues from the Moluccas and situated 3.5 degrees south of the equator. Below is Pigafetta’s account:
"Departing from the island of Buru, heading west-southwest at approximately 8 degrees longitude, we arrived at three islands: Zolot, Nocemamor, and Galian. While navigating between them, we were struck by a great storm, prompting us to make a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guidance. Battling the storm, we reached a high island, though before arriving, we were greatly fatigued by the gusts coming from its mountains and the strong currents of water.The inhabitants of this island are wild and barbaric; they eat human flesh and have no king…
We stayed there for fifteen days repairing our ship's sides. On this island, we found chickens, goats, coconuts, wax (for which they gave us fifteen pounds in exchange for a single pound of scrap iron), and long and round peppers.
Here, we took a man to guide us to an island with provisions. This island lies at 8.5 degrees latitude south of the Antarctic Pole and 169 and two-thirds longitude from the dividing line. It is called Malua.
On Saturday, January 25, 1522, we departed from Malua, and on Sunday, the 26th, we arrived at a large island five leagues away. At noon, I went ashore to speak with the chief of a city called Amaban to request provisions. He offered us buffalo, pigs, and goats, but we couldn’t agree on terms because he demanded too much for a single buffalo.
Desperate and starving, we detained a chief from another city, Balibo, along with his son. Fearing we might kill them, they immediately gave us six buffaloes, five goats, and two pigs. To fulfill our demand for ten pigs and ten goats, they also gave us an additional buffalo. We returned the chief to shore very pleased, as he left with silk and cotton cloth, Indian textiles, axes, Indian knives, scissors, mirrors, and other items."
After navigating along many other islands, including the large island of Java, the Victoria headed west toward the Cape of Good Hope.
"On the night of Tuesday, February 11, 1522, almost Wednesday, we departed from Timor Island, entered the ocean called Lant Chidot, and, traveling west-southwest, we kept Sumatra, formerly called Trapobana, to our right, fearing the King of Portugal.In nine weeks, we struggled to round the Cape of Good Hope due to the strong westerly and mistral winds that brought terrible storms. This cape, at 34.5 degrees latitude and 1,600 leagues from the Cape of Malacca, is the largest and most dangerous cape in the world.
Finally, with God’s help, we rounded the cape on May 6, staying five leagues away from it.
We then sailed northwest for two months without obtaining any provisions. During this time, 21 men died. When we buried them at sea, Christians sank face-up, while Indians sank face-down. If God hadn’t granted us favorable weather, we would all have starved to death. Desperate, we headed for the Cape Verde Islands."
Crossing the Indian Ocean was extremely difficult as the sailors once again faced hunger and disease. Twenty of them died before rounding the Cape of Good Hope on May 6, 1522. Another thirteen were left as hostages on the Cape Verde Islands by Commander Elcano to save the ship’s cargo of 26 tons of spices. Only 18 survivors, out of the original 234 crew, managed to return to Spain on September 6, 1522, three years and 27 days after their departure. Among them were two Italians: the sailor Martín de Judicibus from Savona and Antonio Pigafetta. Below is Pigafetta’s account of their arrival in Spain and his subsequent journey to Italy:
"On Saturday, September 6, 1522, we entered the bay of Sanlúcar.From the day we left this bay until today, we traveled over 14,400 leagues and circumnavigated the world from east to west. On Monday, September 8, we anchored by the docks of Seville and unloaded all our artillery.
On Tuesday, we all went barefoot and in shirts with torches in hand to visit the shrines of Santa María de la Victoria and Santa María de la Antigua.
Leaving Seville, I traveled to Valladolid, where I presented to His Sacred Majesty, Don Carlos, not gold or silver, but items a lord such as he would greatly appreciate. Among these was a book, written by my hand, detailing all the events of our journey day by day. I then departed as best I could, traveling to Portugal, where I spoke to King Don Giovanni about the things I had seen. Passing through Spain, I went to France and offered items from the other hemisphere to the mother of the Most Christian King Don Francis, Lady Regent. Finally, I returned to Italy, where I entrusted myself and my modest efforts to the illustrious Lord Philippe de Villiers L’Isle-Adam, Grand Master of Rhodes."
From an economic standpoint, this voyage was a total failure. However, from a geographical and astronomical perspective, it was of immense importance. Thanks to Pigafetta, the customs and practices of newly discovered peoples and the geography of the explored regions were documented. Additionally, new constellations were observed and cataloged for the first time, later named the Magellanic Clouds.
Furthermore, with the first circumnavigation of the Earth, the effects of time and date changes became evident. Upon arriving at the Cape Verde Islands, the calendar on board indicated Wednesday, July 4, whereas the local calendar showed Thursday, July 10. This curious discovery highlighted the need to divide the Earth's circumference into time zones and prompted the initial concept of an international date line, which was officially adopted in later years.
In 1525, Emperor Charles V decided to send another expedition to the Moluccas with the intention of definitively conquering them. The endeavor, led by García Jofre de Loaísa, faced terrible disasters, and the few survivors, upon reaching the Spice Islands, were attacked and defeated by Portuguese soldiers. Eventually, control of the Moluccas was granted to Portugal, while Spain maintained governance over the Philippines for a long time.
YURI LEVERATTO
Copyright 2010
Glossary:
- Legua = approximately 5 kilometers
- Verzin = Brazil
- Cafres = dark-skinned people
- Gentiles = animists, pagans
- Prao = canoe
- Moro = Islamic
- Girofle = cloves
- Isla de Giailolo = Halmahera Island (eastern Indonesia)
- Darién = lands south of the Isthmus of Panama (currently Colombian territories)
- Diucatán = Yucatán
- Garbino = southwest wind
- Línea divisoria = According to maps based on information from Ptolemy’s Geography, longitude (spanning only 180 degrees) was calculated starting from the Canary Islands.
- Bambaso = cotton
