Biography

[b]Early Days[/b][br /]
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The great navigator and explorer, Magellan was born around 1480 in Sabrosa, northern Portugal. Rui de Magalhaes, his father was Mayor of the town and Alda de Mesquita was his mother. They belonged to the Portuguese nobility. Both his parents died when he was only 10. He became a page to Queen Leonor in Lisbon at an early age of 12.[br /]
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Educated in court, he was promoted as squire in 1496. Later he worked as a clerk in marine department where he helped in getting ships ready for trade along the West Coast of Africa.[br /]
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It was as a page that Magellan learnt about the famous voyages of Christopher Columbus. Later he also came to learn about the exploits of Vasco-da-Gama. These great men inspired Magellan who started missing the ambitions of a sailor. Unfortunately, the ruling king then was murdered and King Manuel ascended the throne.[br /]
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King Manuel was greedy and hungry for power. When Magellan proposed about his expedition and asked for consent, Manuel refused as he had intense dislike for sea voyages and for Magellan too. Magellan tried his best to convince King Manuel for his approval.[br /]
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King Manuel was after money and power. King Manuel’s perception of trade changed seeing the Arab traders who had become rich due to spices they brought to Europe from the East. For this he built 22 fighting ships to chase the Arab traders. This was a big chance for Magellan and he grabbed the opportunity to ask the king. Finally the king consented and in early 1505 he enlisted in the fleet of Francisco de Almeida, who was the first Portuguese viceroy in the East.[br /]
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King Manuel sent Magellan to check the Muslim’s sea power in Africa and India, in early 1505. He was wounded in the naval battle at Cannanore on the Malabar Coast of India. It is said that he had acquired considerable knowledge during his stay in India but it became evident only in November 1506, when the Portuguese built a Fort at Mozambique.[br /]
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The battle of Diu held on February 2-3, 1509 gave the Portuguese supremacy over the Indian Ocean. Thereafter he left for Malacca to warn the commander of an impending attack by the Malays This subsequent fighting courageously saved the life of a Portuguese explorer, Francisco Serrao who later sent helpful information about those islands to him. On October 10, a council was held at Cochin to decide plans for capturing Goa.[br /]
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Magellan was against the large ships, which were to be taken during that season. But the new viceroy, A Fonso de Albuquerque did so. Magellan’s name did not appear among those who fought. There does not exist any conclusive evidence for the theory, as to his attaining the rank of captain during his Indian Service.[br /]
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Muslim power in the Indian Ocean was broken by the Portuguese viceroys off the eastern coast of Africa and the western coast of India. The purpose of Almeida’s expedition was to wrest from the Arabs the key points of sea trade. It was almost fulfilled but their achievement was incomplete without the control of Malacca.[br /]
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Hence, at the end of June 1511, a fleet under Albuquerque left for Malacca. Magellan took part in the event of crowning Portuguese victory of the Orient. The Wealth of the East was transferred to the West through Strait of Malacca. Portuguese held the key to the seas and ports of Malaysia.[br /]
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Magellan was back in Lisbon in 1512. Next year he joined the forces sent against the Moroccan stronghold of Azamor. In a skirmish he was wounded and since then limped for the rest of his life. He returned to Lisbon in November 1514. Then he asked King Manuel for a token increase in his pension, signifying rise in rank.[br /]
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As unconfirmed reports of irregular conduct on his part after the siege of Azamor had reached the king, he therefore refused his request and ordered him back to Morocco. Magellan renewed his petition in 1516 but the king also refused this and told him that he could offer his services elsewhere if he did not.[br /]
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[b]Allegiance to Spain[/b][br /]
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The king’s refusal, prompted Magellan to visit Spain. He reached Seville on October 20, 1517. A Portuguese cosmographer Rui Faleiro joined him and together they journeyed to the court at Valladolid. They renounced their nationality and offered their services to King Charles I (later, Emperor Charles V). Thereafter, Magellan was known by his Spanish version of his name – Fernando de Magellanes.[br /]
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[b] Expedition to West[/b][br /]
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All new territories discovered or that were to be discovered in the east, a line of demarcation was drawn by Portugal, which lay to the west was to be ruled by Spain. Magellan and Faleiro proposed that by sailing westwards they can give practical proof of their claim that the wealth-giving Spice Islands lay west of the line of demarcation, which is within Spanish hemisphere and not the Portuguese. Finally on March 22, 1518 their proposal was accepted and they were granted royal assent. They were appointed joint captains general.[br /]
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An expedition was directed to seek all Spanish routes to the Moluccas. It was decided that the governing of any lands discovered should be vested in them and they their heirs were to receive a one-twentieth share of the net profits from the venture. Both were invested with the Order of Santiago.[br /]
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Magellan was confident, as he would lead his ships from the Atlantic to the ‘Sea of the South’, by discovering a strait through Terra Firma. This idea struck not only to him, but also others who found a route through which vessels can sail continuously towards westward and reach the East. This would enable them to avoid the Cape of Good Hope, which was controlled by the Portuguese.[br /]
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According to royal agreement, Magellan and Faleiro were directed to find ‘the’ strait. The officials with East Indian affairs were instructed to furnish five ships for their expedition. The Portuguese agents made an unsuccessful attempt to wreck the project at Seville. Magellan’s flagship, Trinidad was accompanied by the ships, San Antonio, Conception, Victoria and Santiago. Unfortunately Faleiro was prevented from sailing due to a bout of insanity. [br /]
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In 1517, Magellan married Beatriz Barbosa, daughter of an important official in Seville. They had a son named Rodrigo.[br /]
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On September 20, 1519 he bid farewell to his wife and infant son and left Sanlucar de Barrameda with the ships. He took with him 270 men of different ethnic, racial and national origins. As he got outside, he steered southwest and reached island of Tenerife on September 29, St. Michael’s Day. From there he took his course to locate the Cape Verde islands. They passed the islands and the Cape without sighting each other. After getting into this neighborhood, he set out to reach Brazil. Immediately as they saw the coast of Brazil, he steered to the southeast along the coast of Cabo-frio, which is on 23º south latitude. From here he steered westwards to reach Rio de Janeiro, a matter of only 30 leagues (former measure of distance by land usually about three miles), in the same latitude as Cabo-frio. Ultimately, they entered Rio on December 13, the day of St. Lucy. They stayed there till the first octane of Christmas that is till December 26 of the same year.[br /]
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On December 26, they sailed from Rio de Janeiro. They further set for navigation to reach Cape of St. Mary. As soon as they found it they decided to make their course west-northwest, with the intention to find a route for their voyage. They soon realized that they had got into a great river of fresh water. They named it St. Christopher. It was in 34º degrees and stayed there till February 2, 1520. [br /]
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In February on the same day he sailed from the St. Christopher river. As they went further on to the south, they discovered a point, which was in the same river more to the south. They named this point St. Antony at 36º. Thence they navigated towards southwest, a matter of 25 leagues, made another cape, which was named as Cape St. Apelonia at 36º. Thereafter they navigated to west-southwest to some shoals at 39º and gave the name ‘Shoals of the[br /]
Currents’. Then in the sea they lost the sight of land for three days. Soon they entered the land, which was a bay. Thinking that there was an outlet for Maluco, they ran within it for the whole day. On the same night they set out by the same route that they had entered. This bay was at 44º and was named as the island of St. Mathew. They continued to navigate further until they reached another bay to which they gave the name ‘Bay of Labors’.[br /]
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Here they caught many sea-wolves and birds. They were about to lose the flagship in the storm but fortunately they were saved. On March 31, 1520 they reached the Port of St. Julian that was on 49 and 1/3º. Here they halted during the day approximately for seven hours. [br /]
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In this port three of the ships rose up against the Captain-major. This was because their captains thought he was taking them all to destruction, therefore they wanted to take him to Castile for arrest. [br /]
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However, with assistance from foreigners who accompanied him, the Major was able to control the mutiny and even get Luis de Mendoza, who was one of the captains and also the treasurer of the fleet killed. Five days later Fernando de Maglheas ordered Grasper de Queixada, another captain, who had mutinied to be decapitated. Here they refitted their ship. Captain-major made a Portuguese, Alvaro ne Mesquita captain of the ship whose captain was killed. The smallest of the ship was lost because of heavy weather.[br /]
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Though weather had been heavy, all its crew merchandise, artillery as well as the fittings of the ship were recovered. They waited at this port till winter, lasting five months and 24 days. Their position at the time was 70º less than to the southward.[br /]
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On August 24th they left this port and sailed further to the port of St. Julian, a matter of 20 leagues along the coast. Later they entered a river called Santa Cruz, which was at 50º. There they took in the goods as much as they could manage to have. The crew of the lost ship had returned by the land to where Ferdinand Magellan was. These crew were distributed among other ships. They continued collecting remaining goods all the way until September including water, and fish which they had caught from the river.[br /]
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In the port where the ships were wintering, people were strange like savages. They only moved from one place to another with their flock. They ate almost raw meat and were all archers.[br /]
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They sailed from the river of Santa Cruz on October 18. They continued to navigate till they found a cape on October 21, and gave it the name ‘Cape of the Virgins’. They gave this name because it was the day when 11,000 virgins were sought. It was at 52º and approximately two or three leagues from this cape they found themselves at the mouth of a strait. They sailed along that coast and entered it little and anchored.[br /]
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Ferdinand Magellan was sent to discover further and found two more channels. One in a southerly direction and the other traversing the country in the direction of Maluco (the Straits of Magellan) but at this time only three mouths were seen. The boats were anchored at these mouths of the channels. Magellan sent two other ships to find out what was within. [br /]
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One ship returned to Captain-major and the other of Captain Alvaro de Mesquita went towards the bay. As the ship, which entered one of the bays to south did not return, next day Magellan decided to go south. But he ignored the bay and took another route that ran southwest and southeast and a quarter west and east. Magellan left letters for the lost ship so in case it returns, can follow the new course he prescribed.[br /]
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Finally they entered into the channel, which at some places had a width of three leagues and two and one and even half a league at some places. He went through it till there was daylight and anchored the ship at night. Then he sent some boats and also some ships after them, which brought the news, that there was an outlet, as they saw the great sea on the other side. Hence Magellan ordered much artillery to be fired for rejoicing. They found two islands before they went from this strait.[br /]
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One island out of these was larger and the other was smaller and nearer towards the outlet. They went between these islands and coast on the southern side, because it was deeper than on the other side. That strait was 100 leagues in length to the outlet. That outlet and the entrance were at 52º latitude. They stayed there for 36 days (from October 21 to November 26, 1520).[br /]
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As they went out from the strait to sea, they made their course, for the most part towards west-northwest. Later they found that their needles varied to the north west almost two-fourths, they navigated for many days. Afterward they found an island, which was a little more or less than 18º or 19º in south altitude. They ran on until Magellan announced that they were then in the neighborhood of Maluco. [br /]
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Magellan had the information about Maluco not having any provision, therefore he decided to go in a northerly direction as far as 10 or 12 degrees but they reached 13º north. They navigated in this latitude to the west and on March 6, 1521 they were in southwest, a matter of 100 leagues and fetched two islands inhabited by many people.[br /]
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They anchored at one of the islands, which was in 12º north. The inhabitants were the people of little truth. They took precautions only when they saw those people taking away the skiff of the flagship. They immediately cut the rope and could make it faster and took it ashore without their being able to prevent it. They named this island as ‘Thieves’ islands (dos ladroes).[br /]
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Magellan realized that the skiff was lost, it was already night and he waited for the next day. It was morning when they anchored at the place where they had seen the skiff carried off to. Soon he ordered two boats to get ready with 50 or 60 men. He went ashore in person. They burnt the whole village and killed seven to eight persons (including both men and women) and got back the skiff and thus returned to the ships. Soon they saw around 50 Paraos (locals), from the same land coming with some refreshments.[br /]
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Ferdinand Magellan did not stay any longer and set sail. He ordered to proceed towards west and a quarter southwest. This brought them to land that were in the Philippines, which was in barely 11º. That land was an island but he did not touch it and went further. He sent a boat ashore to observe the nature of the island. [br /]
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They called back their boats because when their boat reached the land, they saw two Paraos following them. As the Paraos saw that boat returning to the ships, they also turned back. Magellan’s ships again set sail for another island, which was in 10º. Island of Good Signs was the names given to this island as they found some gold in it.[br /]
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While they were anchored at this island, the Paraos came to them and brought fowls and coconuts. Thereafter they started sailing further amongst many islands. They named one such island as ‘Valley without Pearl’ and the other St. Lazarus. They went further to another island, 20 leagues from which they had sailed. Then they anchored to another island, which was at 10º.[br /]
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Another island was placed at nine degrees and they gave the name Macangore. Here they were well received, hence they placed a cross in it. [br /]
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The king was pleased with them and gave them another island (thirty matter of leagues) called Cabo, which was again at 10º. Magellan was free to do whatever he wanted. With the king’s consent he convinced people to become Christians. Around 800 people converted to Christianity. This made Magellan more enthusiastic and desirous. His desire was that other neighboring kings should also become Christians and become subjects.[br /]
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But this did not work. As a result on one night, Magellan got ready with all his boats to set on fire the villages who did not obey. Approximately after 10 to 12 days he sent his people to a village, which was about half a league from the place that he had burnt. He had ordered them to send at once three goats, three pigs, three loads of rice and three loads of millet as provisions for the ships.[br /]
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To this order they replied that they would give only two articles instead of three. If Magellan was satisfied, they would comply immediately; but they would not fulfil the demand. Magellan was quite furious at hearing this. He immediately equipped his boats with 60 men and left for the place on April 28, 1521. But his calculations went wrong. There were 3,000 to 4,000 people, who fought with Magellan and his men courageously. Unfortunately, Magellan and six of his men were killed in this fight.[br /]
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