Sandra Schutte, age 10, of Sibley, Iowa, for her question;
Was Magellan the first to make a voyage around the world?
The court of Portugal was abuzz with exciting news. The tales were of ocean voyages. Ships had sailed to and from the New World, around the Cape of Good Hope, to India and the Spice Islands. Queen Leonorts young page was agog at all these fascinating adventures. For he planned to become a mariner and explore the world. His plans succeeded. For this young lad was Ferdinand Magellan, rated by some as the greatest mariner of them all.
Magellan went to sea at 15, in the service of Portugal. On one voyage he was sent to explore the Spice Islands, the Moluccas of Indonesia. He sailed eastward and reached Banda, a little island in that region. Banda is just west of New Guinea right on Longitude 130 degrees. Find Banda on the map and remember the Longitude.
Magellan dreamed of carrying out Columbus’ plan to reach the Indies by sailing west from Europe. But misfortune prevented him from making this voyage for Portugal. He was lamed in a battle and even worse, he displeased the king of Portugal. He went to Spain and so the first voyage to circle the globe flew the colors of Spain. Captain Magellan set sail on his flagship the Trinidad with a fleet of four more small sailing ships and full crews. The greatest of all voyages left Seville to sail down the river and out to sea on August 10, 1519. Three years later, only one ship was to return with but 18 men. This ship, the Vittoria, was the first vessel ever to sail clear around the world in one voyage. But Magellan was not among those who returned.
The voyage began with high hopes for finding a waterway through South America which would link the Atlantic with the Pacific. One ship had dcserted and there had been signs of mutiny before Magellan found the strait of water now named the Straits of Magellan in his honor. It took him 38 days to navigate the narrow, tricky waterway. Then the rocky shores and stormy seas gave way to a calm and beautiful ocean. It was Magellan, not Balboa who discovered it, who named it the Pacific. For months the expedition sailed westward with gentle breezes and calm seas. But they were weakened by hunger, thirst and disease.
The little ships came at last to Guam, where they rested and took on supplies. Then westward they sailed again and crossed that same Longitude 130 degrees, somewhat north of Banda. Magellan had already sailed from the east as far as this Longitude. So, in the two voyages, he had already sailed clear around the whole world. He was the first mariner every to encompass the globe.
Cebu, an island of the Philippines, was the next port of call. It was here that Magellan met his death by treachery, The savage king of the island also murdered the two men next in command of the voyage. The survivers escaped in two ships, the Trinidad and the Vittoria. But the brave little flagship soon sprung a leak and had to be left behind. Juan Sebastian del Carno was left in command of the Vittoria, the only ship remaining. Sebastian and his 18 men were the first to circumnavigate the globe in a single voyage. Sebastian was the first to give the full honor to the brave captain who had perished on the way: For it was Magellan who planned the voyage and guided it over the uncharted seas. From where he perished, the way home was well known to Sebastian.