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Everyone knows that Ferdinand Magellan was the
first person to circumnavigate the globe. But what
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if we told you you’ve been lied to your entire
life? Magellan died in the Philippines and never
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made it back to Spain. Out of the 270 men who
set sail on the expedition, only 18 completed
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the journey. But the unbelievable thing is that
one man may have circumnavigated the world 1 year
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and 4 months prior to the Magellan expedition
making it back to Europe. So, who was this
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mysterious and unknown explorer? And why was he
lost to the sands, or in this case, waves of time?
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In order to trace the path of Magellan’s voyage
and discover what actually happened during the
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first circumnavigation around the globe, we
must start at the beginning. Before Ferdinand
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Magellan betrayed his home country of Portugal
and set off under the flag of its biggest rival,
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Spain, he had already traveled to parts of the
world that most Europeans could only dream of.
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It is around 1480 when Magellan’s story begins
and where a series of events will lead to the
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first expedition to circle the world, once and for
all proving that the Earth is round and not flat.
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Magellan was born in Villa Real in Tras os Montes,
Portugal. Around the age of 12, he became a part
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of the Portuguese court as a page. This placement
would open up opportunities for him in the future.
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In 1510, Magellan was part of the Portuguese
undertaking to establish a colony on the west
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coast of India at Goa. In order to do this,
Portuguese vessels sail from their homeland,
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down the west coast of Africa, around
the southern tip of the continent,
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and across the Indian Ocean. This is
a perilous journey, but one that the
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Portuguese have become increasingly good
at completing. While on the expedition,
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Magellan witnesses Afonso de Albuquerque
claim Goa in the name of Portugal,
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and it is here that a new hub for the Eastern
spice trade is set up. Goa eventually becomes the
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capital of the Portuguese Empire east of the Cape
of Good Hope and will endure the next 450 years.
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In 1511, at the age of 31, Magellan
continued east with a Portuguese fleet,
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where they established Portuguese Malacca in what
will become Malaysia. Several ports are set up
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where spices and a much more sinister trade system
develop. It is from Malay that the Portuguese
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began to transport slaves back to Europe. They
will control this region of the world until 1641
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when it is captured by the Dutch, but there is
one individual from this part of the world that
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will play a particularly important role in the
story of the first circumnavigation of the globe.
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While serving in the Portuguese expeditionary
force that is colonizing the islands of Malaysia
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and Indonesia, Ferdinand Magellan purchases a
slave by the name of Enrique. It is not clear
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where the 14-year-old boy is originally from,
but he speaks Malay and a few other languages.
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The boy quickly picked up Portuguese
and will spend the next several years
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by Ferdinand Magellan’s side. Unknown
to anyone at the time and many today,
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Enrique de Malacca will become one of the
most important people in human history.
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Upon returning from the conquests
of the east, Magellan begins to fall
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out with the Portuguese Crown. Ferdinand
Magellan is accused of illegal trading,
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and when he proposes an ambitious plan to
sail West in order to reach India, Malaysia,
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and Indonesia, Manuel I, King of Portugal, turns
him down. Magellan is sure that he can reach the
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Far East by traveling westward, and he intends to
prove it. Many of the world’s greatest explorers,
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scholars, and philosophers have shown through
multiple forms of evidence that the Earth is
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spherical. Therefore, Magellan believes it
is not only possible but could be quicker
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to reach the Portuguese colonies in the East
by traveling around the southern tip of the
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Americas and proceeding across whatever
body of water lies on the other side.
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When Manuel I refuses to fund the expedition,
Magellan renounces his Portuguese citizenship
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and relocates to Seville, Spain, in 1517. He
presents Charles I of Spain with his plan to
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reach the spice-producing lands of the East
by traveling around the Americas. At first,
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Charles is skeptical. Magellan leverages
Spain’s desire to strengthen their empire
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and to gain a slice of the lucrative pie that
is the East Indies. After several meetings,
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Charles I agrees to fund the expedition. He grants
Magellan Spanish citizenship and 5 vessels. On top
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of this, Charles bestows upon the captain of the
expedition a decade-long monopoly on any route
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he might discover, a percentage of the profits,
and a noble title. Unfortunately for Magellan,
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he will not live long enough to
reap the benefits of these rewards.
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From the onset, the voyage is rife with conflict.
The Spanish crew is not afraid to voice their
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displeasure with having to follow the orders of
a Portuguese commander. Spain and Portugal have
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been bitter rivals for years. Charles is not just
the king of Spain but also the Holy Roman Emperor
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under the name of Charles V. Spain has conquered
vast amounts of territories in the Americas,
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while Portugal has a firm hold on the colonies in
the East Indies. Due to the religious upheaval led
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by Martin Luther at the time, along with
several political crises across Europe,
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only Spain and Portugal have been able to expand
their empires in any meaningful way thus far.
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On the 10th of August 1519, the 5 ships
of Magellan’s expedition, the Trinidad,
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Santiago, Victoria, Concepción, and San Antonio,
leave Seville and proceed down the Guadalquivir
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River to Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The fleet is
given the name Armada de Molucca and remains
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in the harbor at Sanlúcar de Barrameda for
just over 5 weeks in preparation for the
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perilous journey ahead. As we’ll see,
only one of these ships will complete
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the intended journey with a fraction of the
crew of 270 men who embark on the expedition.
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On the morning of September 20, 1519,
Magellan’s fleet is ready to depart,
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and the voyage to circumnavigate the world
begins. The Trinidad is the flagship of the
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fleet. On board, Ferdinand Magellan looks to the
West as his final adventure officially begins.
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Also on board the Trinidad is Enrique, the slave
Magellan had purchased in Malacca. At this point,
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Enrique is no longer a slave but a servant of
Magellan. He has proven himself to be extremely
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talented when it comes to interpretation
and translation. On the fleet’s manifest,
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Enrique de Malacca is listed as a supernumerary
or interpreter and is being paid 1,500 maravedis
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per month. Interestingly, it seems that Enrique
has been deemed especially important as Antonio
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Pigafetta, the expedition’s chronicler, is
only being paid 1,000 maravedis per month.
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Along with being paid, Magellan gives Enrique
his word that if he dies during the voyage,
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Enrique will no longer be indentured
to anyone and will be a free man.
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After 16 days at sea, the ships lay anchor at
Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The vessels
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take on more supplies, such as vegetables
to eat and pitch to make repairs as needed,
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both of which are cheaper on the islands
than back in Spain. It is during this stop
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that Ferdinand Magellan learns from a secret
letter sent by his father-in-law, Diogo Barbosa,
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that the Captain of the San Antonio, Juan de
Cartagena, has been planning a mutiny with
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his Castilian crew. Magellan does not
have time to deal with this threat at
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the moment as a more immediate problem has
presented itself. King Manuel of Portugal
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has dispatched two fleets to arrest Magellan
and stop his voyage before it has even begun.
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The crew makes haste to load the ship with
supplies and get underway. On October 3, 1519,
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the circumnavigation fleet left the Canary
Islands. The five vessels sail south along
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the western coast of Africa. There is squabbling
between the captains as disagreement erupts over
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the best route to cross the Atlantic. Some want
to travel straight west, while Ferdinand Magellan
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argues the fleet needs to travel further south
along the African coast to evade the Portuguese
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ships pursuing them. Ultimately, Magellan, as
the commander of the voyage, makes the final
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decision and the fleet continues south. As they
reach the equator towards the end of October,
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the weather begins to deteriorate. A
series of storms batters the armada,
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and for several days, the ships must
lower their sails to prevent damage.
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The crews aboard the ships are explorers
but also highly religious. In fact,
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they have been tasked with bringing Christianity
to any non-believers they encounter along the
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way. During the trip south, the men witness St.
Elmo’s fire, a phenomenon that is seen as good
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luck on a voyage. St. Elmo’s fire occurs when
the air becomes electrically charged, and the
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molecules seek a way to release this charge
and return to equilibrium. When this happens,
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the particles discharge their energy in a
luminous plasma that looks like lightning
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via the grounding of a tall structure
such as the mast of a ship. St. Elmo is
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considered the patron saint of sailors;
hence the name the phenomenon is given.
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Antonio Pigafetta, a Venetian explorer,
joined Magellan’s expedition as the
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chronicler of the voyage. In his notes, he
recounts such religious events by saying:
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“During these storms, the body of St. Anselme
appeared to us several times; amongst others,
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one night that it was very dark on account of the
bad weather, the said saint appeared in the form
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of a fire lighted at the summit of the mainmast,
and remained there near two hours and a half,
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which comforted us greatly, for we were in
tears, only expecting the hour of perishing;
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and when that holy light was going away
from us it gave out so great a brilliancy
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in the eyes of each, that we were near a
quarter-of-an-hour like people blinded,
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and calling out for mercy. For without any
doubt, nobody hoped to escape from that storm.”
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Invigorated by this good omen, the fleet
maneuvers west and follows the South
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Equatorial Current and trade winds. However,
during the crossing, Juan de Cartagena voices
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his displeasure with Magellan’s decision and
claims he should be removed from command. This
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act of mutiny is enough for Magellan to have
Cartagena arrested. He is thrown in stocks,
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but rather than being executed as was
the traditional punishment for mutiny,
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Captains Quesada and Mendoza convince Magellan to
relieve Cartagena of command and confine him to
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the Victoria. Magellan agrees and promotes Antonio
de Coca as the new captain of the San Antonio
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On November 29th, the armada finished
its crossing of the Atlantic. It is now
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27 leagues or approximately 93 miles from the
coast of South America. Just over 2 weeks later,
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Magellan’s expedition reached Rio de
Janeiro on December 13th. The danger
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is that this is Portuguese territory, but no
enemy ships seem to be docked in the harbor,
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and therefore, it is decided that the fleet
can stop to resupply. The Magellan and his
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crew are greeted by the indigenous people of
the region. The fleet stays in the harbor for
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13 days while they make repairs and trade.
The Europeans stock up on foods such as yam,
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cassava, and tropical fruits,
along with gallons of fresh water.
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They had brought numerous items to trade with
when encountering indigenous populations along
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their route. Enrique de Malacca is tasked
with facilitating trade deals in the hopes
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that his multi-language skills will allow
him to communicate better with non-Spanish
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or Portuguese-speaking people. However, this
is not the region of the world he is from,
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and there are no commonalities between
the languages of his homelands and that
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of indigenous Americans. Still, Enrique does his
best to facilitate deals between the Europeans
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and Americans through gestures and drawings.
This will be a common practice for much of the
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voyage until the expedition reaches the western
Pacific, where something astonishing will happen.
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After departing Rio de Janeiro, the fleet
continues south along the coast. By February 1520,
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they were approaching the southern
terminus of the continent. Magellan
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is sure that there is a strait that will
allow him to circle around the tip of South
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America and reach the western portions of
the landmass. In fear of missing the strait,
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the ships are ordered to travel as close to
the coast as possible and only sail during
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the day. This is a dangerous proposition as
there are no reliable maps of the region,
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and running aground is a very real possibility.
Each day that passes, the temperature begins to
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drop. The expedition is in the southern hemisphere
so winter is not ending, but just about to begin.
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On March 21, 1520, Ferdinand Magellan gave
the order to anchor the ships and prepare
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for winter. The fleet has stopped in a bay which
is given the name Port St. Julian. No Europeans
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have ventured this far south in the Americas, so
Magellan's fleet are in uncharted territories.
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For the next 5 months, the men in Magellan's
expedition struggle to survive the brutal South
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American winter. Tensions run high, and there
will be discontent among the crew. However,
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as the frigid temperatures and harsh
weather will not allow for safe travel,
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there is no means of escape, and
a mutiny begins to take shape.
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At midnight on March 31, Easter Day, the
Spanish captains on the expedition launched
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a coup against their Portuguese commander. As the
day marking the resurrection of Christ begins,
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chaos aboard the ships erupts. Like
the disagreement in the Atlantic,
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the mutiny is led by the former captain of
the San Antonio, Juan de Cartagena. However,
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this time, due to the disgruntled men and
dissatisfaction among many of the Spaniards,
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Cartagena is supported by Gaspar de
Quesada, captain of the Concepción,
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and Luis Mendoza of the Victoria. They
claim that Magellan is unfit to continue
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leading the expedition and that his decisions have
endangered the fleet and the men aboard the ships.
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The mutineers covered their faces in charcoal and
boarded the San Antonio. As they board the ship,
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a sailor by the name of Juan de Elorriaga
desperately tries to warn the others that a
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mutiny has begun. In the blackness of night,
Elorriaga is stabbed several times by Gaspar
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de Quesada to silence his warnings. The mutineers
make their way through the vessel and take control
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of San Antonio. They now control 3 of the 5 ships
in Magellan’s fleet. Only Santiago, commanded by
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Juan Serrano, and the flagship Trinidad are
under Magellan’s authority. The mutineers
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fire the San Antonio’s cannons at Magellan’s
ship, but do not cause any significant damage.
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The sun rises. There is a standoff between
the two factions as both sides decide what
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their next course of action should be. On April
2, 1520, the mutineers decided to consolidate
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their forces. Unfortunately, the current in Port
St. Julian is strong, and one of the longboats
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is pushed into the vicinity of the Trinidad,
where it is captured. The mutineers are forced
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to divulge their comrades’ plans. Learning of
the next move by his adversaries, the Portuguese
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commander decides to launch a counteroffensive.
Magellan and several marines switch clothes
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with the captured mutineers and board their
longship. They row toward Victoria in disguise.
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Simultaneously, another group of
loyal marines circles around the
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opposite side of the Victoria. The leader
of this second party, Gonzalo de Espinosa,
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claims he has a message for Captain Luis Mendoza.
He is brought on board and shown to the Captain’s
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quarters. Mendoza waits patiently for Espinosa
to relay his message, but instead, Espinosa pulls
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out a knife and stabs the mutineering captain in
the neck. Moments later, Magellan and his marines
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disguised as mutineers board the Victoria
and attack the crew. Those loyal to Magellan
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successfully take the Victoria, shifting
the balance of power back in the Portuguese
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commander’s favor. Cartagena realizes that
he can no longer capture the entire fleet and
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tries to negotiate with Magellan. Quesada gave the
order to flee, but sailors loyal to Magellan had
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sabotaged San Antonio by cutting several ropes and
cables, rendering the sails of the ship useless.
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Magellan and his men capture the remaining two
vessels and force the mutineers to surrender.
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On April 7th, one week after the Easter
Mutiny, the trials of the traitors begin.
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Gaspar de Quesada is beheaded. The bodies
of both Quesada and Mendoza are strung up,
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and their bodies are displayed for 3 full
months as a reminder to everyone what will
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happen if they try to mutiny again. Juan
de Cartagena is sentenced to be marooned
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on a small island in the bay where his
options are to starve to death or to
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try and brave the frigid choppy waters, a
death sentence within itself. The remainder
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of the mutineers are forced to work in chains
and shackles aboard the ships of the fleet.
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Magellan decides that in late April, he needs a
plan for once the winter comes to an end and the
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expedition can resume. He orders Juan Serrano to
take the Santiago out of the bay and scout further
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south for the strait that will allow them to
pass around the tip of South America. On May 3rd,
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Santiago reaches the estuary of the Santa Cruz
River. Here, they find an abundance of fish and
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other natural resources, such as strong wood for
making repairs. After exploring a little further,
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Serrano decides to return to the rest
of the fleet. However, on May 22nd,
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Santiago encountered an intense winter
storm. The ship is slammed into a sandbar.
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The sailors abandon ship and make it to
shore moments before the Santiago capsizes.
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Serrano asks for volunteers to hike back
up the coast to inform Magellan of what
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has happened. It takes them 11 days to reach
Port Saint Julian, where the remaining 4 ships
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are harbored. Magellan sends 24 men back
over land to aid the stranded men at Santa
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Cruz. The shipwrecked crew of the Santiago have
built small huts to shelter themselves from the
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elements. The abundance of seafood in the area
ensures they do not starve while they wait for
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rescue. The rescue party reaches them, and the
entire group returns to Saint Julian safely.
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After the disaster of the Santiago, Magellan
decides to keep the fleet sheltered in the
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bay until the winter begins to subside.
By August, he determines that it is safe
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enough to relocate the ships to Santa Cruz,
where the Santiago had been shipwrecked.
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The survivors had informed Magellan of
the abundance of resources in the area,
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so moving the fleet is determined to be worth
the risk. The ships set sail around August 24th
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and arrive safely at the estuary of the Santa
Cruz River. They remain there for several more
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weeks to wait out the rest of winter before
resuming their search for the elusive strait.
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On October 18, 1520, Magellan ordered the
expedition to continue their mission. They
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reach Cape Virgenes at 52°S latitude,
where they find a large bay. Suddenly,
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the weather changes drastically. The winds pick
up, and a storm sweeps through the bay. Magellan
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orders the vessels to retreat back to open water
to reduce the risk of being wrecked on the jagged
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rocks jutting out of the bay. The Trinidad
and Victoria manage to make it out unharmed,
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but the Concepción and San Antonio are pushed
deeper and deeper into the unexplored inlet.
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For 3 days, the ships are separated, but once
the storm diminishes, the fleet is reunited. The
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captains of the Concepción and San Antonio inform
Magellan that the storm had pushed them further
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into the bay, where they stumbled upon a strait
that seemed to continue west well out of sight.
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Magellan and the captains decide this may be
the strait they have been searching for. The
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fleet travels back into the bay and towards the
coordinates of the strait. As the vessels enter
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the passageway, they test the water’s salinity.
Unlike in estuaries where the rivers flow from
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inland, the water’s salt content in this region
has remained the same. This is a good indication
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that the waterway the fleet is traveling
through is, in fact, a passageway around
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South America. At the time Magellan referred
to this stretch of water as the Estrecho de
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Todos los Santos or “All Saints’ Channel.” But
it will later be renamed the Strait of Magellan.
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Around October 28th, the expedition reaches
an island almost halfway through the strait.
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Magellan gives the order for the fleet to
split up to explore multiple paths around
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the island and ensure they don’t miss
the route through the channel. Trinidad,
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Victoria, and Concepción regroup on
the other side of the island. However,
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San Antonio is not there. Magellan orders
the fleet to wait for the missing ship,
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but with each day that passes, hope diminishes
that they will be reunited. Gonzalo de Espinosa
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is tasked with continuing onward to explore
whether the passage lets out into the body of
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water on the western side of South America.
He sails for 3 days and is greeted by open
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waters. Espinosa turns his ship around and
returns to Magellan with the good news he has
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been waiting for. They have found it. The strait
that connects the Atlantic to what lies beyond.
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It now seems that Magellan’s dream of sailing
west to reach East Asia will become a reality.
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Magellan sheds tears of joy upon news of the
discovery. He gives the order for the fleet
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to carry on. At this point, it is believed that
San Antonio has either been lost or deserted. It
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will turn out to be the latter, as San Antonio is
already on its way back to Spain. On November 28,
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1520, Trinidad, the Concepción, and the Victoria
pass through the Strait and are in what Magellan
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calls Mar Pacifico, or the Pacific Ocean due
to its calm waters. The ships proceed up the
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coast of South America until they reach
what will eventually become Santiago,
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Chile. After gathering whatever supplies
and food they can from the coast,
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Magellan orders the fleet to proceed northwest
into the open ocean on December 18, 1520,
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and explore a part of the world that
no European has encountered before.
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It is over a month before the men aboard the
Trinidad, the Concepción, and the Victoria see
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land again. On January 24, 1521, a series of
small islands were spotted. The main island is
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given the name Sharks’ Island, which is likely
what is known as the Pukapuka Atoll today. The
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island is uninhabited and has very little
resources of use. The expedition continues,
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and on February 13th the ships cross the equator.
Several days later, another island is spotted,
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which is given the name San Pablo, but this
piece of land is also uninhabited and devoid
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of anything of use for the malnourished
sailors. The expedition leaders had no
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way of knowing how large the Pacific Ocean
would be. Magellan assumed that Asia would
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be relatively close to the western shores
of the Americas or, at the very least,
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there would be inhabited islands along the
way. Neither of these things end up being true.
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The ships were not stocked with enough food or
water when they left South America. What little
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meat they had spoiled in the intense equatorial
heat. Antonio Pigafetta records the horrors of
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this stretch of the voyage, recounting that there
were only old biscuits full of maggots to eat. To
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make matters worse, the rats aboard the ship had
gotten into the food stores and defecated on much
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of the supply. The crew even resorts to eating
sawdust and any rats that they can catch. The men
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begin to suffer from scurvy, and the crew looks
more like skeletons than able-bodied sailors.
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On March 6, 1521, when hope was all but lost, the
fleet spotted the island of Guam. This island is
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different from the previous ones as there are
people living on it. The sailors shout with
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joy as there must be food and water on the
islands. Enrique de Malacca is tasked with
00:23:35
translating Magellan’s questions and desires to
the indigenous peoples they encounter, but there
00:23:40
is no common language between them. The people
on the island belong to the Chamorro culture,
00:23:45
which has very little contact with East Asia. Due
to a misunderstanding or miscommunication while a
00:23:51
group of Chamorros are on board the Trinidad,
a small boat is presumed to be stolen. This
00:23:56
leads to the Europeans taking up arms. The
islanders flee the ship, but the next day,
00:24:02
Magellan orders a raiding party to go ashore.
These men end up slaughtering the people of a
00:24:07
nearby village and burning it to the ground.
The Europeans take whatever they want from
00:24:12
the decimated village which gives them enough
food and water to continue their expedition.
00:24:17
On March 9th, the fleet leaves Guam and
continues in a southwesterly direction.
00:24:22
One week after leaving Guam, Magellan’s expedition
reaches the outlying islands of the Philippines.
00:24:29
It is here where a series of events will
unfold that will lead to betrayal, death,
00:24:35
and revelation. When the fleet spots land on
March 16, 1521, they adjust their course and
00:24:42
head straight for the closest island. This
will be the first contact between Europeans
00:24:48
and the islands of the Philippines. However, it
is likely not the first time that Europeans have
00:24:53
encountered Filipinos, as trade has been
happening between the Philippine Islands,
00:24:57
Indonesia, and Malaysia for centuries.
This means some of the traders that the
00:25:02
Portuguese have been dealing with in Malacca
may have been Filipinos, and the slaves being
00:25:07
purchased or taken in Malaysia might have
originally been from the Philippine Islands.
00:25:12
Other than finding a western route around South
America to the Spice Islands of Indonesia,
00:25:17
Magellan has also been tasked by the King
of Spain to convert any peoples he came
00:25:22
in contact with to Christianity, along with
claiming any and all territory not yet spoken
00:25:27
for Spain. It is not clear how much converting
had been done at previous points of contact,
00:25:32
but once Magellan reaches the Philippines,
he begins to take the conversion part of
00:25:36
his job very seriously. The fleet reaches
Suluan Island and is greeted by Filipinos.
00:25:43
Magellan directs his ships to the coast of
the larger Homonhon Island just to the west,
00:25:47
where the expedition trades with the Filipino
inhabitants and stays docked for almost 2 weeks.
00:25:53
The crew rests while food and water are secured
and brought aboard the ships. On March 27th,
00:25:59
the fleet continued its journey. The following
morning, they encounter more Filipino people in
00:26:04
canoes near the island of Limasawa. It is in these
waters that the expedition comes across 2 balangay
00:26:10
ships carrying Filipinos from Mindanao. It is
this encounter between the Mindanao peoples and
00:26:16
the expedition that Enrique of Malacca is first
able to communicate with the local people the
00:26:22
Europeans meet. There are varying interpretations
of this interaction, but the fact that Enrique can
00:26:28
understand and speak the dialect that the
Filipinos are communicating in could mean he
00:26:32
is close to where he was originally from before
being sold into slavery and brought to Europe.
00:26:38
From accounts of this part of the journey, it is
clear that some of the Filipinos, like Enrique,
00:26:43
speak Malay. This is because it is the predominant
trading language in the region. Later that day the
00:26:49
Europeans are brought to the leaders of Mindanao
called Rajah Kolambu and Rajah Siawi. The
00:26:54
Europeans note that the Filipino leaders wore gold
ornaments and when asked if they had more gold,
00:27:00
they were informed that the precious metal
is plentiful on their home islands of Butuan
00:27:04
and Calagan to the south. The Filipinos
are happy to trade their gold for iron,
00:27:08
a lucrative venture for the Europeans
who hold gold in much higher regard.
00:27:13
On April 2nd, Magellan debates with the other
captains about the next course of action.
00:27:18
Many want to head southwest towards Malacca
and the islands of Malaysia and Indonesia.
00:27:23
This has been their goal all along, and
they are clearly very close. However,
00:27:28
Ferdinand Magellan decides to press further
into the Philippines. The next day, the fleet
00:27:33
sails towards Cebu guided by Kolambu. On April
7th, Magellan’s expedition made landfall on the
00:27:39
island. In order to impress the Cebuano ruler,
Magellan gives a demonstration of his weapons
00:27:45
and cannons. He discusses Christianity with the
leader of the island, Rajah Humabon. On April 14,
00:27:51
Humabon and his entire family were baptized
and given a sculpture of the baby Jesus known
00:27:57
as Santo Niño de Cebu. This will later
become a sacred relic for the island.
00:28:03
Following the example of their leader,
approximately 2,200 Filipinos from the
00:28:08
area decide to convert to Christianity
as well. This is all possible thanks
00:28:13
to the translation provided by Enrique.
During their time in Mindanao and Cebu,
00:28:18
Antonio Pigafetta records Enrqiue's interactions
with the local people. He writes that Enrique can
00:28:23
easily understand the islanders, which suggests
that the translator does not just speak Malay but
00:28:28
is well-versed in the local Filipino dialect
of Cebuano or Bisaya as well. Pigafetta also
00:28:35
records around 150 vocabulary words, most of
which are Cebuano and were likely translated
00:28:41
by Enrique. According to the first-hand
accounts we have, it appears that Enrique
00:28:45
is a true polyglot who is able to speak
Portuguese, Spanish, Malay, and Cebuano.
00:28:51
He learned Portuguese and Spanish as a slave, and
since Enrique was sold into slavery in Malacca,
00:28:57
it comes as no surprise that he also speaks Malay,
which is the dominant language in the region. But
00:29:02
the fact that he can communicate in Cebuano is
surprising. It is the knowledge of this dialect
00:29:09
that suggests Enrique of Malacca isn’t originally
from Malacca at all but from the Philippines. If
00:29:15
this is true, then Enrique has just become the
first person to circumnavigate the globe as his
00:29:22
starting point is not Europe like the rest of the
crew, or even Malacca, which lies almost 1,000
00:29:27
miles to the west, but somewhere much closer
to where the expedition is currently located.
00:29:33
As Magellan makes his way through the
Philippines, he claims each island in
00:29:37
the name of Spain. However, when he encounters
the Mactan people near Cebu, who are the rivals
00:29:43
of Humabon, a war breaks out that will end
Ferdinand Magellan’s journey prematurely.
00:29:49
The leader of the Mactan is a man by the name of
Lapu-Lapu. When Magellan demands that he and his
00:29:55
people convert to Christianity, Lapu-Lapu refuses.
Magellan is enraged by the insolence of these
00:30:02
Filipinos and gathers a force of 60 well-armed
men to subjugate the Mactan. On April 27,
00:30:08
1521 the European force set out from Cebu to
Mactan. Some of the already converted Cebuanos
00:30:15
joined the expedition. Magellan sends a final
envoy to Lapu-Lapu, giving him one last chance
00:30:21
to surrender and convert to the one true faith
or face the consequences. When Lapu-Lapu refuses,
00:30:28
Magellan launches his attack.
00:30:31
49 men jump out of the longboats. They
wade through water up to their thighs
00:30:36
and approach the shore. The remaining 11 men
stay behind to guard the boats. They can not
00:30:41
be brought all the way to the beach due to
the sharp rocks and coral surrounding the
00:30:45
shore. Once the Europeans make landfall, they
are greeted by 1,500 Mactan warriors led by
00:30:52
Lapu-Lapu. The European armor and weapons are
far more advanced than that of the Filipinos,
00:30:58
but the islanders have numbers on their side. The
Mactan’s race towards the Europeans, releasing
00:31:04
war cries that pierce the stillness before the
battle. Magellan and his men release arrow after
00:31:09
arrow from their crossbows. The musketeers
fire into the oncoming flood of warriors.
00:31:14
A bloody struggle commences on the beach. The
Mactan recognize Magellan and focus their attack
00:31:19
on the leader of the European force. They knock
his helmet off, leaving Magellan vulnerable to
00:31:24
deadly blows. A bamboo spear flies through
the air and impales Ferdinand Magellan. He
00:31:30
continues to fight on, but the wound is so severe
he can barely raise his sword. When the warriors
00:31:36
realize that Magellan is wounded, they focus even
more attention on their enemy’s leader. Pigafetta
00:31:42
later writes that at this point the captain
of the expedition fell face down in the sand
00:31:46
“when immediately they rushed upon him with iron
and bamboo spears and with their cutlasses until
00:31:52
they killed our mirror, our light, our comfort,
and our true guide.” Due to the sheer size of
00:32:00
the Mactan force, they secured a decisive victory
over the Europeans which culminated in the death
00:32:06
of Ferdinand Magellan. His body is left behind as
the European soldiers retreat back to their boats.
00:32:13
With the death of Magellan, the expedition
needs a new leader. An election is held,
00:32:19
which results in Duarte Barbosa, Magellan's
brother-in-law, and Juan Serrano becoming
00:32:24
co-commanders. Even though Magellan
promised Enrique freedom if he were to die,
00:32:28
the new commanders believe the interpreter is too
important to be released. They force Enrique to
00:32:34
remain with the expedition and continue
his duties. But due to the fact that he
00:32:39
can communicate with the Filipinos in either
Cebuano or Malay, Enrique has other plans.
00:32:45
On May 1st, 4 days after the battle with the
Mactan where Ferdinand Magellan was killed,
00:32:50
Rajah Humabon invites the Europeans for
a great feast in their honor. Around 30
00:32:55
men consisting of mostly officers, including
the newly elected co-commanders and Enrique,
00:33:00
make their way to Cebu. The Filipinos bring
fresh fruits and seafood for the Europeans to
00:33:05
enjoy. They laugh and indulge themselves.
However, towards the end of the meal,
00:33:10
the welcoming atmosphere that the Cebuanos have
portrayed during the feast suddenly disappears.
00:33:16
Filipino warriors flow into the room murdering
any European they can get their hands on.
00:33:21
27 of the 30 men who are at the feast are killed.
Juan Serrano is dragged out of the hall and forced
00:33:27
to his knees, facing the Spanish ships anchored
off the coast. He is being held for ransom.
00:33:34
Serrano pleads with his men to pay whatever the
Cebanos ask for in exchange for his life. But the
00:33:40
newly elected commander has very few sailors loyal
to him as the ships weigh anchor and sail away. It
00:33:46
is at this point that all first-hand accounts of
what happens in this part of the Philippines end
00:33:52
due to Pigafetta and the rest of the Europeans
leaving the region for the Spice Islands.
00:33:58
It is presumed that Juan Serrano is
killed when the ransom isn’t paid,
00:34:02
and the ships leave. However, what happens
to Enrique is a different story. The May 1st
00:34:09
massacre had likely been orchestrated
by Enrique and the Cebuano leadership.
00:34:13
The fact that the Europeans had no idea
what Enrique was saying to the Filipinos
00:34:18
at any given time meant he could put a
plan into motion to secure his freedom,
00:34:22
which had first been stripped away when he was
purchased as a slave and then again when he had
00:34:27
not been released upon Magellan’s death. Enrique
probably was not originally from Cebu; however,
00:34:34
it is highly plausible that he was Filipino
or at least from somewhere in the region.
00:34:38
Pigafetta wrote in his notes that Enrique was
originally from Sumatra, but this seems unlikely
00:34:44
if he understood and spoke Visayan or Cebuano, as
Filipino languages would not have been spoken in
00:34:49
Sumatra. Perhaps he was born in the Philippines
and then sold into slavery in Sumatra, where he
00:34:55
eventually ended up in Malacca. The linguistic
connection could suggest that Enrique de Malacca
00:35:00
was actually Enrique of the Philippines.
Regardless of where exactly Enrique was from,
00:35:06
at this point, he is much closer to where his life
began, and his home than any of the Europeans are.
00:35:12
After the Spanish left, it would have made sense
for Enrique to return to his people, whether that
00:35:17
be on a different island in the Philippines,
or in Indonesia, or Malaysia. It seems that the
00:35:23
slaughter of the Europeans on the first of May was
set up by Enrique to gain his freedom, possibly in
00:35:28
exchange for whatever could be stolen or ransomed
from the Europeans. Upon the departure of the 3
00:35:34
remaining Spanish ships, it will be another year
and 4 months before anyone in the expedition
00:35:40
makes it back to Spain to complete their
circumnavigation of the globe. It is probable
00:35:46
that Enrique would have returned to his home or,
at least, traveled along the trade routes in the
00:35:50
region long before the Europeans made it back to
Spain. This means that an enslaved man from the
00:35:56
islands of Malaysia, Indonesia, or the Philippines
was likely the first person to circumnavigate the
00:36:02
globe over a year before any Europeans from the
Magellan expedition completed the same feat.
00:36:09
On May 2nd, 1521, less than half of the 227 men
who started the journey were still alive. João
00:36:17
Lopes Carvalho is elected the newest leader of the
expedition. The crews decide that there are not
00:36:23
enough of them to continue operating 3 ships,
so the food and goods aboard the Concepción
00:36:27
are transferred to the Victoria and Trinidad
and the vessel is set on fire. The remaining
00:36:32
2 ships proceed through the southern Philippine
islands stopping along Mindanao before reaching
00:36:37
Brunei in July of 1521. Along the way,
the Europeans engage in acts of piracy
00:36:42
and looting to try and salvage the disaster
of an expedition their voyage has become. If
00:36:48
Magellan had survived to reach this stretch of the
journey, he would have become the first person to
00:36:53
circumnavigate the world. Unfortunately, he died
less than 1,000 miles from completing this goal.
00:37:01
On September 21st, João Lopes Carvalho is forced
to step down from his role as commander due to
00:37:07
the growing discontent of the crew. Martin
Mendez and Gonzalo de Espinosa become the
00:37:13
captains of Trinidad, and Juan Sebastián
Elcano is elected captain of Victoria. As
00:37:19
the ships continue through the waters of
Indonesia, they are attacked by a Bruneian
00:37:23
fleet. It isn’t until the 8th of November that
the remaining 2 ships of Magellan’s expedition
00:37:28
finally reach one of the spice islands they have
been searching for called Tidore. On December 21,
00:37:35
1521 the Victoria, captained by Elcano, began
its journey towards the Indian Ocean to start
00:37:42
its trip back to Spain. However, the captains
of the Trinidad decide to go a different route,
00:37:47
a fatal decision that will result in
the Trinidad never returning to Spain.
00:37:52
By December 29th, the Victoria reaches Ambon
Island. On January 25, 1522 the ship docks at
00:38:00
Timor, its final recorded stop before venturing
west across the Indian Ocean. Trinidad, however,
00:38:06
stayed in the Spice Islands until April 6,
1522. Commanded by Gonzalo Gomez de Espinosa,
00:38:14
the ship heads east instead of west like
the Victoria. Espinosa believes that the
00:38:18
flagship of the Magellan Expedition can make
it back across the Pacific and reach New Spain,
00:38:24
or what is now Mexico. On April 16th, Trinidad
arrived in Guam and the Mariana Islands.
00:38:31
Espinosa has already lost the faith of some in
his crew as at least 3 men desert in the Mariana
00:38:37
Islands. Trinidad proceeds northeast as they
desperately try to locate the Westerlies that
00:38:42
will carry them across the Pacific Ocean,
but the vital winds cannot be located. The
00:38:47
Trinidad drifts in the vast waters of the
Pacific where scurvy begins to take hold,
00:38:52
and as many as 30 men die as a
result. At some point in September,
00:38:57
the eastward expedition is deemed a total failure
and Trinidad proceeds back to Indonesia. It
00:39:03
arrives 2 months later with a crew that looks
like skeletons and a weather-battered vessel.
00:39:10
A Portuguese fleet with orders to arrest
Magellan comes across Trinidad near Tidore,
00:39:15
where it is easily captured as the crew are
too weak to put up a fight. The Trinidad
00:39:20
is brought back to Portuguese-held
Ternate where it is caught in a storm,
00:39:24
smashed to pieces, and sinks
to the bottom of the ocean.
00:39:28
On May 6, 1522, the Victoria rounded the Cape
of Good Hope at the southern tip of. The crew
00:39:35
is severely low on food and need to either make
port or they will perish. Elcano decided to dock
00:39:42
at Cape Verde, a Portuguese-controlled port, on
July 10, 1522. He and the crew come up with a
00:39:48
backstory that they are a Spanish vessel
returning from the Americas, as they are
00:39:52
aware the Portuguese have been looking to arrest
anyone in the Magellan expedition since its onset.
00:39:58
Unfortunately, when the Portuguese examine the
cargo onboard the Victoria they find 26 tons
00:40:04
of cloves and cinnamon spices from the East
Indies. The crew of the Victoria spring into
00:40:09
action and prepare to depart before their
ship can be captured. 13 men are arrested,
00:40:14
but Elcano and the remaining sailors of the
Magellan expedition manage to escape with the
00:40:19
Portuguese in pursuit. The Victoria races up
the coast of Africa and, on September 6, 1522,
00:40:26
reaches Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Spain. Almost
3 years to the day after the original expedition
00:40:33
left Europe, 1 ship and 18 men managed to
complete the circumnavigation of the entire
00:40:40
globe. The Victoria carries spices from the
East Indies and several severely malnourished
00:40:45
Moluccan slaves as well. On September 8th,
the Victoria proceeds upriver to Seville.
00:40:52
The Magellan expedition traveled approximately
60,000 miles, were the first Europeans to cross
00:40:59
the Pacific Ocean, and opened new trade routes
for Spain. Over 80% of the crew lost their lives
00:41:05
during the voyage. When Elcano meets with the
Emperor Charles of Spain, he is given a globe
00:41:11
with the inscription Primus circumdedisti
me: “You were the first to encircle me.”
00:41:17
The Magellan Expedition once and for all proved
that the Earth was round. It also provided Spain
00:41:23
with the ability to establish commercial
and economic routes between its colonies
00:41:27
in the Americas and territories it claimed
in Asia, such as the Philippines. Magellan’s
00:41:32
voyage also ushered in the first
age of globalization in history.
00:41:36
Ferdinand Magellan himself did not
circumnavigate the globe as he died
00:41:40
in the Philippines on an island further east
than he had ever been previously. His former
00:41:45
slave and translator on the expedition,
Enrique of Malacca, on the other hand,
00:41:50
seemed to speak the Visayan Filipino language
and, therefore, could have either been Filipino
00:41:55
himself or had once lived close to the Philippine
Islands before being sold into slavery. Therefore,
00:42:01
the first person to circumnavigate the world
was definitely not Ferdinand Magellan and
00:42:06
likely not one of the 18 Europeans aboard the
Victoria when it returned to Spain. Instead,
00:42:12
it was a man born somewhere in the
islands off the East Coast of Asia.
00:42:18
Now watch “Real Reason Ships Don't
Pass Under South America (It's Not
00:42:25
the Distance).” Or check out “What Is the
Most Difficult Place to Reach in the World?”
