Lesson 3: First Voyage Around the World (PDF)

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD BY MAGELLAN BY ANTONIO PIGAFETTA and ANALYSIS OF PIGAFETTA’S CHRONICLE FERDINAND MAGELLAN -February 3 1480- April 25, 1521 -Portuguese Explorer who organized the Spanish Expeditions to the East Indies f...

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD BY MAGELLAN BY ANTONIO PIGAFETTA and ANALYSIS OF PIGAFETTA’S CHRONICLE FERDINAND MAGELLAN -February 3 1480- April 25, 1521 -Portuguese Explorer who organized 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 Sebastian Elcano. -Nang mamatay ang mga parents niya noong 10 years old pa lamang siya. Since may connection ang kanyang ina sa mga namumuno sa Portugal, at siya ay kabilang sa noble class, siya at ang kanyang kapatid ay naging page boy (young attendant or tagapag-silbi ng mga noble people particularly hari at reyna). Siya ay naging page boy ni Reyna Leonor. -Habang nagsisilbi sa reyna, siya ay nag-aral ng Kartograpiya (Cartoghraphy), Astronomy, at Celestial Navigation. -Isinama sa mga iba’t-ibang ekspedisyon, napuntahan ang Spice Island sa unang pagkakataon. -Sa kanilang paglalayag at pagpunta sa iba’t-ibang lugar sa mundo ay nahuli niya at ginawang isang bihay si Enrique de Malacca (Henry of Moluccas). -Napagbintangan siya ng illegal trading kung saan ibinebenta niya raw ang kanyang mga nakuhang kayamanan sa mga local na tao, ngunit napatunayan na hindi ito totoo. - Hindi naging maganda ang relasyon ni Ferdinand Magellan sa hari ng Portugal na si Haring Manuel, kapatid ni Reyna Leonor, dahil bagamat hindi napatunayan ang mga inakusang kaso sa kanya, para sa hari ay mga mabigat ang mga kasong ipinaratang sa kanya. -Hindi pinasinayaan ng hari ang iba’t-ibang hiling ni Magellan, kabilang na ang plano nitong tumungo at makapaglayag sa Spice Islands (Moluccas) sag awing kanluran, na hindi pa nagagalugad ninuman kung kaya’t ito ay tinatawag na New World, bagamat pinayagan ng hari na maaari niyang ipagbigay-alam ang kanyang balak sa iba pang mga hari. -Napagpasiyahan niyang tumungo sa karibal ng Portugal, ang Espanya, at dito ay pinasinayaan ng hari ang kanyang mga plano. ANTONIO PIGAFETTA -1491-1531 -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 1 of Spain on their Voyage around the world. -His work became a classic that prominent literary men in the West like William Shakespeare, Michel de Montaigne and Giambattista Vico referred to the book in their interpretation of the New 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 Magellan’s arrival in the Philippines, his encounter with local leaders, his death in the hands of Lapulapu’s forces in the Battle of Mactan and in the depature of what was left of Magellan’s fleet from the islands. The First Voyage Around the World by Magellan -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. -Published after Pigafetta returned to Italy. -Antonio Pigafetta wrote his firsthand observation and general impression of the Far East including their Experiences in the Visayas. Antonio Pigafetta (Author) -Born sometime in the closing year of the 15th century (1491) -His parents are Giovanni Pigafetta at Angela Zoga, he is the eldest child in two chidren -He is from the town ng Vicenza, 100 km west of Venice, Italy -He studied Astronomy, Geography, and Cartography. -He went to an expedition world with Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastian Elcano to Moluccas, started from August 1519 to September 1522. -Pigafetta’s travelogue became an important primary source in studying pre-colonial Philippines. -His account was also a major referent to the events leading to Magellan’s arrival in the Philippines, his encounter with local leaders, his death in the hands of Lapu-Lapu’s forces in the battle of Mactan and in the denature of what Magellan’s fleet from the islands. -Ferdinand Magellan -King Charles of Spain granted the approval of Ferdinand Magellan’s proposal of a great sea expedition, the fleek of five (5) galleon ships were prepared for the voyage to look for the spice Islands. To fulfill his dream of a great sea adventure. -Started to sail on the west route of Europe. -Ferdinand Magellan boarded and headed the ship Trinidad. -Beside the Trinidad, there are four (4) other ships included in the expedition, namely; the San Antonio headed by ni Juan De Cartegana. Conception- Gaspar de Quesada. Victoria- Luis De Mendoza. Santiago- Juan Serrano. - The expedition started San Lucar De Barrameda, Spain. The ships sail around Sept. 1519 across the Atlantic Ocean. After a month they arrived at South America. -Their people and fellow explorers experienced food shortage leading to their hunger resulting to their low morale and discouragement during this part of expedition. -Afterwards, they reached Port of St. Julian (a town in Southern Argentina), because of the unpleasant experience, Mendoza (Victoria), Quesada (Conception) and Cartegana (San Antonio) have a misunderstanding with Magellan that led to rebellion or opposition towards him -He considered only the ships Santiago and Trinidad to be loyal to him. -As they leave Port of St. Julian, a strong typhoon damaged the ship Santiago and other people had to be transferred to other ships - October 21, 1520, he entered a strait, which he named it as Strait of Magellan. After 1 month, the commander and crews of the ship of San Antonio (Cartegana), they decided to return to Spain. Victoria, Conceptyion and Trinidad remained, reaching the Pacific Ocean. - They reached the Pacific Ocean in November 1520, the ocean was peaceful and calm so he (Magellan) named it Mar Pacifico, or now known as, Pacific Ocean. LADRONES ISLANDS - They arrived in Guam (March 6, 1521) in the Island of Ladrones (currently known as Marianas Islands" which he called the Island of Thieves, they obtained food rations here. Pigafetta wrote that -their fleet reached what he called the Ladrones Islands or the “Island of Thieve” -In Pigafetta’s account, their fleet reached what he called 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”. LADRONAS/LADRONES ISLANDS -Presently known as Marianas Islands.--It is located south-southeast of Japan, west-southwest of Hawaii, north of New Guinea, and east of Philippines 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. After two days, March 18, nine men came to them and show joy and eagerness in seeing them and welcomed them with food, drinks, and gifts. The natives gave them: -Fish, Palm, wine (uraca), figs, 2 cochos or cocos, Rice (umai), - Pigafetta described what seemed like a coconut “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 a powder which is useful to them. 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” Willingly showed them different islands and the names of this islands. 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 St. Lazarus March 25, they saw two ballangai (balangay). BALANGAII (Balangay) -A long boat full of people in Mazzava/ Mazaua. -The leader (king) (Raia Siagu) sent his men to the ship of Magellan. -The king offered to give Magellan a bar of gold and chest of ginger, Magellan declined. Instead Magellan asked for money for the needs of his ships. The king responded by giving them the needed provisions and food in chinaware. -Magellan exchanged gifts of robes in Turkish fashions, red cap, knives and mirrors. -The two men expressed their desire to become brothers. -Magellan also boasted of his men in an armor who could not struck with swords and daggers. The king was fascinated and remarked that men in such armor could be worth one hundred of his men. -Magellan showed other weapons, helmets and artilleries. He also shared his charts and maps and how they found the islands. -Magellan was introduced to the king’s brother who was also king of another island. -They went to this island and they saw mines of gold. -The gold was abundant that the parts of the ship and the house of the second king were made of gold. RAIA CALUMBA -King of Zuluan and Calagan ( Butuan and Caragua) -Pigafetta described him as the most handsome of all men that he saw in this place. -He was adorned with sick and golden accecories like golden dagger, which he carried with him in a wooden polished sheath. MARCH 31, 1521 (Easter Sunday) -Magellan ordered the chaplain to preside a Mass by the shore. -The king sent two dead pigs and attended the Mass with the other king. “…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.” -After the Mass, Magellan ordered that the cross be brought with nails and crowned in place. -Magellan explained that the cross, the nail, and the crown were the signs of his emperor and that he was ordered to plant it in the places that he would reach and the cross would be beneficial for their people because once the Spaniards saw this cross, then they would know that they had been in this land and would not cause them troubles, and any person who might be held captives by them would be released. APRIL 7, 1521 -Magellan and his men reached the port of Cebu, the largest and the richest of the islands with the helped of Raia Calambu. -The king of Cebu (Rajah Humabon) demanded that they pay tribute as it was customary but Magellan refused. -Magellan said that he was the captain himself and thus would not pay tribute to the other king. -Magellan’s interpreter explained to the king of Cebu that Magellan’s king was the emperor of the great empire and that it would do them better to make friends with them than to forge enmity. -The king consulted his council and the next day, together with the other principal men of Cebu, they met in an open space and the king offered a bit of his blood demanded that Magellan do the same. “Then the king said that he was content, and as a greater sign of affection he sent him a little of his blood from his right arm, and wish he should do the like. Our people answered that he would do it. Besides that, he said that all the captains who came to his country had been accustomed to make a present to him, and he to them, and therefore they should ask their captain if he would observe the custom. Our people answered that he would: but as the king wished to keep up the custom, let him begin and make a present, and then the captain would do his duty.” -Magellan spoke about peace and God. People took pleasure in his speech. -Magellan asked the people who would succeed the king after his reign and the people responded that the eldest child of the king, who happened to be a daughter, would be the next in line. -Parents were no longer taken into account and has to follow the orders of their children as the new leaders of the land. -People wished to become Christians through their free will and not because they were forced or intimidated. APRIL 14, 1521 -The people gathered with the king and other principal men of the island. -Magellan spoke and encouraged the king to be a good Christian by burning all the idols and worship the cross instead. -The king of Cebu was baptized as Christians. “To that the king and all his people answered that thy would obey the commands of the captain and do all that he told them. The captain took the king by the hand, and they walk about on the scaffolding, and when he was baptized he said that he would name him Don Charles (Carlos), as the emperor his sovereign was named: and he named the Prince Don Fernand (Fernando), after the brother of the emperor, and the king of Mazavva Jehan: to the Moor he gave the name of Christopher, and to the others each a name of his fancy.” -After eight days, all of the islands inhabitant were already baptized. -Pigafetta admitted that they burned a village down for obeying neither the king nor Magellan. -The Mass was conducted by the shore everyday. When the queen (Hara Amihan) came to the Mass one day, Magellan gave her an Image of the Infant Jesus made by Pigafetta himself. 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). -According to Zula, Lapulapu refused to obey the king and was also preventing him from doing so. -Magellan offered three boats and went to Mactan himself to fight Lapulapu. “ When we reached land we found the islanders fifteen hundred in number, drawn up in three squadrons; they came down upon us with terrible shouts, two squadrons attacking us on the flanks, and the third in front. The captain then divided his men in two bands. Our musketeers and crossbow-men fired for half an hour from a distance, but did nothing, since the bullets and arrows, though they passed through their shields made of thin wood, and perhaps wounded their arms, yet did not stop them. They arrived in Mactan in daylight with 49 in numbers while the islanders of Mactan were estimated to number 1500. The captain shouted not to fire, but he was not listened to. The islanders seeing that the shots of our guns did them little or no harm would not retire, but shouted more loudly, and springing from one side to the other to avoid our shots, they at the same time drew nearer to us, throwing arrows, javelins, spears hardened in fire, stones and even mud, so that we could hardly defend ourselves. Some of them cast lances pointed with iron at the captain-general.” -Magellan died in the battle. -The natives perceiving that the bodies of the enemies were protected with armors, aimed for their legs instead. -Magellan was pierced with a poisoned arrow in his right leg. -A few of their men charges at the natives and tried to intimidate them by burning an entire village but this only enraged the natives further. -Magellan was specifically targeted because the native knew he was the captain general. -Magellan was hit with a lance in the face. Magellan retaliated and pierced the same native with his lance in the breast and tried to draw his sword but could not lift it because of his wounded arms. One native with a great sword delivered a blow in Magellan’s left leg, brought him face down and the natives ceaselessly attacked Magellan with lances, swords and even their bare hands. “Whilst the Indians were thus overpowering him, several times he turned round towards us to see if we were all in safety, as though his obstinate fight had no other object than to give an opportunity for the retreat of his men.” -The king of Cebu who was baptized could have sent help but Magellan instructed him not to join the battle and stay in the balangay so that he would see how they fought. -The king offered the people of Mactan’s gifts of any value and amount in exchange of Magellan’s body but the chief refused. They wanted to keep Magellan’s body as a momento of their victory. -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 slave allegedly told the king that if he followed his advice, the king would acquire the ships and the goods of Magellan’s fleet. -The two conspired and betrayed what was left of Magellan’s men. -The king invited these men to a gathering where he said he would present the jewels that he would send for the King of Spain. -Twenty-four men attended while Pigafetta was not able to joined because he was nursing his battle wounds. -The natives had slain all the men except the interpreter and Juan Serrano who was already wounded. -The fleet departed and abandoned Serrano. -They left Cebu and continued their journey around the world. -From the original five ships set to sail ( San Antonio, Concepcion, Victoria, Trinidad and Santiago) only Victoria returned to Spain. -Nakarating ng Spice Islands ang mga barkong Victoria, kinailangang maiwan ng barkong Trinidad dahil kinakailangan itong kumpuhihin, nang lumayag ay nahuli ito ng mga Portuguese. Nakarating ang Barkong Victoria noong Setyembre 1522. -And from the original 237 men only 18 men survived. ANALYSIS OF PIGAFETTA’S CHRONICLE “The best storyteller is the one who not only knows the story but saw it.” -One of the most cited documents by historians who wished to study the pre-colonial Philippines. -One of the earliest written accounts. -Pigaffetta was seen as a credible source for a period, which was prior unchronicled and undocumented. -Earliest detailed documentation. -It was believed that Pigafetta’s writings account for the “purest” precolonial society. -Pigafetta’s work is a great importance in study and writing of Philippine history. -We should recognized certain biases accompanying the author and his identity, loyalties, and the circumstances that he was in; and how it affected the text that he produced. -We need to understand that he was a chronicler commissioned by the King of Spain to accompany and document a voyage intended to expand the Spanish empire. A noble descent who came from a rich family in Italy. -These attributes influenced his narrative, his selection of details to be included in the text, his characterization of the people and of the species that he encountered, and his interpretation and retelling of the events. -Being a scholar of cartography and geography, Pigafetta was able to give details on geography and climate of the places that their voyage has reached. -Pigafetta’s description to people was coming from sixteenth century European perspective. -Pigaffetta regarded the indigenous belief systems and way of life as inferior to Christianity and of the Europeans. -He always remarks on the nakedness of the natives or how he was fascinated by their exotic culture. -He emphasized the native’s amazement and illiteracy to the European artillery, merchandise and other goods. -He repeatedly mentioned the abundance of spices like ginger, and of precious metals like gold. -When they saw the indigenous attires of the natives, Pigafetta saw them as being naked because from the European standpoint, they were wearing fewer clothes. -Pigafetta’s perspective was too narrow to realize that such attire was only appropriate to the tropical climate of the islands. -The same for the materials that the native used for their houses like palm and bamboo that would let more air come through the house and compensate for the hot climate in the islands. -We should understand that such observations were rooted from the context of Pigafetta and his era. EUROPE -Dominated by the Holy Roman Empire. Loyalty and purpose was the domination of the Catholic Church all over the world. -Other belief systems different from that of Christianity were perceived to be blasphemous and barbaric, even demonic. -Sixteen century European economy was mercantilist (system measures the wealth of kingdom based on their accumulation of bullions or precious metals like gold and silver. -That’s why Pigafetta always mention the abundance of gold in the islands as shown in his description of leaders wearing gold rings and golden daggers, and of the gold mines. -An empire like Spain would indeed search for new lands where they could acquire more gold and wealth to be on top of all the European nations. -The obsession with spices might be odd for Filipinos because of its ordinariness in the Philippines, but understanding the context would reveal that spices were scarce in Europe.