February 12, 1908 the first in the world started in New York round the world motor rally- a very bold and risky event in the spirit of that era of great technical discoveries and achievements. But adventurers have always existed - they lived before 1908, they were after it, they feel great in our time. And today we will tell you about history of travel around the world from Magellan to the modern brave knights of the compass and map.

Magellan's circumnavigation (1519-1522)

Cycling around the world (1884-1886)

Yacht cruise around the world (1895-1898)

First round the world motor rally (1908)

Travel around the world by plane (1924, 1957)

Travel around the world on foot (1970-1974)

Non-stop hot air balloon round the world (1999)

Name: Fernand Magellan

State: Portugal, Spain

Field of activity: Navigator

Greatest achievement: He made the world's first trip around the world.

Fernand Magellan was born in 1480, February 3, in Portugal. Magellan was an explorer and navigator. He organized the first round the world trip in Europe. Magellan's expedition was the first conclusive proof that the earth is round.

early years

Fernand Magellan was born in Porto (Portugal) in 1480. His parents belonged to a noble family and young Magellan entered the service of the royal family at an early age. He was only 12 years old when he became the royal page of Leonora of Aviz. Magellan studied cartography, astronomy and star navigation from childhood.

Magellan joined the Portuguese navy in 1505. He sailed to East Africa, then took part in the battles of Diu, during which Portugal won and defeated the Egyptian fleet. Fernand twice traveled to Malacca (Malaysia) and took part in the seizure of the port by the Portuguese army.

Also, he participated in an expedition to the Moluccas, which at that time bore the name of the Spice Islands. The spice trade in Europe during Magellan's time was very profitable and created a lot of competition. The Maluku Islands have become a major source of valuable spices such as cloves and nutmeg.

In 1513 Magellan was wounded in a battle in North Africa, but the king took all his merits and helped him. In 1517, he traveled to Seville to enter the civil service in Spain.

Research for Spain

Spain and Portugal at the time of Magellan were major powers that were in great competition with each other. Both countries have recently applied for open regions North and South America and the east. In 1494, Portugal and Spain signed the Treaty of Tordesillas, defining the spheres of influence for each power. Portugal could count on all the territories from Brazil to the East Indies, and Spain on the western lands from Brazil to Cape Verde.

In essence, the treaty divided the globe into two halves between the two countries. The Spaniards had not yet had time to explore their half of the Earth, but they assumed that they would be able to find part of the Spice Islands there. Magellan proposed to test this assumption by equipping an expedition to the west.

For Magellan's grand expedition, other explorers have already paved the way. One of them was (1451-1506), who sailed westward from the European coast to Caribbean islands... Columbus misjudged the distance between Europe and the East Indies. He discovered America and the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean. After his voyage, many explorers were obsessed with the idea of ​​finding a way through America to the east to give Spain access to the Spice Islands. One of these researchers was Magellan.

Fernand Magellan's trip around the world

King Charles V of Spain (1500-1558) accepted Magellan's offer and on September 20, 1519, he was assigned to lead a flotilla of five ships. The flotilla was to head for the Atlantic.

Together with Magellan, his brother-in-law, Duarte Barbosa, set out on a voyage. Arriving in Brazil, the flotilla headed along the South American coast to the Bay of San Julian, in Patagonia.

The explorers stayed there from March to August 1520. During this time, there was an attempt on the ships to revolt against the captain, who was suppressed. Subsequently, however, the rebel ship Santiago was completely destroyed, and its crew was taken aboard by the rest of the ships.

Leaving San Julian, the flotilla headed south. On October 21, 1520, she entered the strait, which now bears the name of Magellan. On November 28, only three ships entered the Pacific Ocean. This was followed by a long voyage north across the Pacific Ocean. On March 6, 1521, the flotilla anchored in Guam.

Magellan headed east to Cebu, Philippines, where he tried to get help from the local government. Involuntarily, he was involved in hostilities and was killed in battle on April 27, 1521. Barbosa, too, was soon killed. The remaining crew was forced to destroy the Concepcion (ship), and the great voyage around the world was completed. Magellan's ship - Victoria was led by former rebel Juan Sebastian del Cano. He crossed the Indian Ocean and from the Cape of Good Hope finally returned to Seville on September 8, 1522. Meanwhile, Trinidad (the ship) attempted to return home across the Pacific. In the Moluccas, the crew were captured by the Portuguese and sent to prison. Only four of them were later able to return to Spain.

Magellan's legacy

Economically, Magellan's project was a failure for Spain. Portugal, as a result of the division of the world, got a more profitable part of the world in terms of resources. Spain, however, miscalculated and did not gain access to the Moluccas. Magellan lost his fleet, people and his own life. Despite this, his voyage was the most important historical event, because it was the first proof that the Earth is a ball. Magellan's voyage is considered one of the most important studies in the entire history of mankind.

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Almost 450 years ago, on September 6, 1522, a battered ship docked in the Spanish harbor of San Lucar de Barrameda. On board were 18 exhausted, hungry people. Many were found asleep, in a fever, too exhausted to rejoice at the return to their homeland. So the vessel "Victoria" returned from an unprecedented travel around the world which has become historical. After the completion of the last expedition of Fernand Magellan, the world became as we see it today. On this journey, the Pacific Ocean was discovered and the real size of our planet was determined. This event became a triumph of the spirit, a saga of courage and courage, exploits and defeats. For Magellan, it brought the laurels of the greatest navigator of those times. True, the world might never have learned about this, if not for one young and ambitious Spaniard - Captain Juan Sebastian Elcano.

Path into the unknown

Captain General Magellan's dream, which he had been striving for for five years, came true on September 21, 1519. In fact, on this day he recovered into obscurity. The expedition chronicler Antonio Pigafetta described this event as follows:

“A fleet equipped with everything necessary for sea ​​travel and having on board 241 different people, he was preparing to leave the port of Seville. Having fired a volley from many guns, we went out to sea. "

It was the stubborn Portuguese's biggest adventure. However, if he was successful, he counted on wealth and fame. Magellan's goal was purely economic: to find a trade route for Spain to the most valuable commodity - spices, which in the 16th century were valued more than gold. But the way to them for the Spaniards was closed. In 1494, the Pope divided the world between the two great maritime powers. Spain received the western half, and Portugal the eastern, where the only known route to the Spice Islands ran through the Moluccas. Magellan's goal was to find a western route there - through Spanish waters. This would help to prove that the Spice Islands are closer to the New World and not to Asia, which means that the source of spice wealth is located in the sphere of influence of Spain, not Portugal.

A crazy plan, in fact. But if such a path is found, Spain could become the richest power, and Magellan could get his share of the profits.

The expedition consisted of five merchant caravel ships, adapted for long voyages on the high seas. Few believed in the success of this trip, because Magellan went to places not mapped (Columbus and his followers previously designated only the coast of Brazil and some islands Caribbean, and further on the maps of that time there was a big white spot: what is south of the cape Good Hope was unknown to cartographers at that time).

Many believed that the South American continent would block the way for travelers. However, from some sources of that time, it is known that Magellan knew: you can get to the Spice Islands by circling America from the south. Perhaps he really had some information (the sailors kept such information secret), but did not disclose their source.

“Having decided to make such a long voyage on the ocean, where violent winds and violent storms rage everywhere, and at the same time not wanting any of his crew to know about his intentions in this enterprise, so that they could not be confused by the thought of accomplishing such a great and extraordinary deed, which he was preparing to carry out with the help of the Lord God ", - wrote Antonio Pigafetta.

Determination and "divine" help

The decision to keep the crew in the dark was dangerous and could ruin the entire enterprise. For the first time Magellan commanded not only the fleet, but also the ship. What made such a determined general take such a risk? Little is known about Magellan's personality - the man was overshadowed by his deeds. According to some reports, he took part in the seizure of East African lands, built a city in Mozambique, fought in India and reached Indonesia. All this time he served the Portuguese king honestly, fought bravely and in a fairly short time gained authority, enjoyed the confidence of the viceroy and the commanders of large squadrons. During one of the operations, as a result of which a large group of Portuguese sailors were left without a ship, and lifeboats it was enough for only half of the unfortunate, he was the only nobleman who agreed to wait with the commoners for a second voyage, which prevented a riot of sailors. But at home he was not greeted as a hero. When he returned to Portugal, he was of no use to anyone. The royal treasurer gave Magellan a pension, the smallest, which is awarded to nobles for military merit.

Probably, then he decided to prove to everyone that he deserves more, decided to finish the job that Columbus and Vasco da Gama did not complete. And if the first rounded Africa, then Magellan swung at South America. This goal became his obsession.

And his first opponent was the Pacific Ocean, which claimed many lives. On October 3, 1519, the weather worsened. The sailors withstood many violent squalls.

“Since there was no way to move forward, in order to avoid shipwreck, the sails were removed, and in this way we were carried here and there all the time the storm continued,” she was so fierce. The wind died down when it rained. With the advent of the sun, there was a lull. Some large fish called sharks swam up to the ships. They have terrible teeth, and as soon as they come across a person, they devour him. We have caught a lot of fish with iron hooks, but they are not fit for food; smaller sizes are better, but just as they are not suitable for this purpose ", - wrote Antonio Pigafetta.

Maleggan walked through the most dangerous waters in the world. The ships were damaged and lost strength. In one such storm, the wind was so strong that it tore the sails to shreds, even though they were folded and fastened.

Magellan was a single-minded person, he was driven by an idea, but the strength of his people by that time was already on the verge of exhaustion. Moreover, they were frightened by the unknown. Not surprisingly, they began to pray for divine intercession.

“During these storms, a light body appeared to us more than once, that is, St. Elm, in flames, and one very dark night he appeared on the mainmast, blazing like a brightly burning torch, where he remained for more than two hours, bringing us joy, since we all shed tears. When this blessed light was extinguished, its last flash was so bright that it struck our eyes, and all of us for more than one-eighth of an hour could not see anything and prayed to take pity on us. But just when we considered ourselves on the brink of destruction, the sea suddenly calmed down ”, - wrote Antonio Pigafetta.

Miscalculation and rebellion

Four months after leaving Spain, the battered fleet approached the shores of South America. The sailors anchored in a wild bay where Rio de Janeiro would later emerge. From there they headed south along the coast.

A Antonio Pigafetta described the amazing discoveries of the expedition:“There are countless parrots here; we were given eight pieces in exchange for one mirror. There are also small monkeys, similar to lions, but yellow and very beautiful.< …>Men and women are the same build as we are. They eat the meat of their enemies, and not because it tastes good, but such is the established custom. "

Soon the expedition reached the edge of the known world - 35 degrees south latitude. None of the Europeans have ever been farther south. Here Magellan hoped to find a passage, since the coast turned sharply to the west, and there seemed to be no land to the south.

"We called this cape the Cape of St. Mary and thought that behind it lies a passage to the south, that is, the midday sea", - the chronicler recalls.

The terrible truth was revealed 15 days later: it was not the legendary passage, but the giant bay of La Plata. It was a disaster. Magellan is at an impasse. His confidence in the passage's existence was crumbling, but there was no question of returning. Then Magellan makes a bold decision - to cross the edge of the known world to sail to a place where no European has ever been. He walked blindly south, along the desolate shores that he called Patagonia, into the fiercest seas in the world on the verge of winter.

There, sailors saw thousands of potential passages - quiet bays wide rivers, huge bays. Each one had to be checked. You can imagine what it was like to change the course of clumsy ships and maneuver in inclement weather! For three months the sailors walked south, but could not find any passage. The supplies were running low and the days were getting shorter. On March 31, 1520, they hibernated in the Gulf of St. Julian. Hungry and tired people were freezing. Morale has dropped to the limit. The last straw in the team's patience was Magellan's decision to cut the diet. The officers demanded that he turn back to Spain. The man who had staked everything to find a way around South America could not do it.

The expedition was under threat: cold, hunger, loss of faith in the captain-general. And as a result - a mutiny. Magellan was isolated. There was no time to think. He sent a loyal armorer to one of the rebel captains on a special mission to kill him. The remaining crew surrendered. Magellan also managed to intercept another rebel ship and thus suppress the mutiny. All that remained was to clearly show - in whose hands the power was. The captain general regained authority.

The loss of ships and the legendary strait

After the suppression of the rebellion, it was necessary to think about how to get through the winter. Food was sorely lacking. Further we go, worse it becomes. One of the ships - "Santiago" - crashed on the rocks. But nothing could stop Magellan. After 7 months of wintering, it was possible to continue searching for a passage. The four remaining ships sailed south again, along the coast of Patagonia, exploring every bay. Finally, hope dawned - the bones of whales. It's a good sign - maybe whales are migrating here this way, which means there is an ocean ahead. October 25, 1520, on the day of "Eleven thousand virgins" - St. Ursula - at about the 52nd parallel of the south latitude, the sailors discovered a cape, which they named in honor of this holiday.

This happened almost a year after the start of the voyage. Most importantly, the water in the long channel was salty, which meant that the other end had an outlet to the salty sea. In the hope that a route to the east was finally found, the fleet rushed forward. In the west, the strait opened into a bay, and another strait began behind it. The expedition went deep into the continent for a very long time. New islands, straits and bays appeared in front of the sailors. The sailors have already decided that they walk in a circle between the mountains. It seemed to many of those who were on the ships that there was no way out of it.

In these straits Magellan lost the second ship. But this time - not because of bad weather. The crew of the San Antonio mutinied and turned to Spain. It was a heavy blow: on that ship remained most of food stocks. Magellan gave the command to head west-northwest. Along the treacherous strait, as we now know, it is 530 kilometers long. Another 38 days passed until Magellan finally saw the long-awaited sea. He found the legendary passage.

"The captain-general shed tears of joy and called this cape Desirable, since we have longed for it", - recalled Antonio Pigafetta.

At this moment, Magellan must have realized that he had caught up with the heroes of his childhood - Columbus and Vasco da Gama. His dream has come true. Most likely, Magellan did not realize historical significance the discovery of this strait. For 400 years, it became the main route to the Pacific Ocean. Only the Panama Canal, which opened only in 1914, was able to reduce it.

Outstanding discovery. But for Magellan and his companions, it was only a prelude to opening the western route to the riches of the Spice Islands.

Ptolemy's mistake

On November 28, 1520, Magellan turned north. The weather was good and the ocean was so calm that he called it Quiet. Cloudless sky over endless space. Even at night, the sky was unusual. The travelers examined the Southern Cross and something else incomprehensible.

“A cluster of small stars that resemble clouds of dust. Among them are two large, but not bright stars, moving very slowly ", wrote by Antonio Pigafetta. And only 400 years later, scientists realized that these star clusters are the closest galaxies to us: the Magellanic Clouds helped astronomers determine the size of the Universe and observe the death of stars.

On December 18, 1520, the ships turned northwest. Magellan did not yet know how deeply deluded he was. He thought there were only three days' journey to the Spice Islands. This calculation was based on maps, and they, in turn, on the works of Ptolemy, who argued that the circumference of the Earth is 29 thousand kilometers. Soon the captain-general realized "with sweat and blood" that Ptolemy was mistaken by more than 11 thousand kilometers: the Pacific Ocean occupies 28 percent of the Earth's surface area. Magellan led his people into the vast, desolate ocean. It is difficult to imagine how travelers felt when crossing the largest water basin on the planet, without realizing how large it is. Perhaps the weakest sailors no longer thought they would ever see land. The team was struck down by scurvy, and hunger began again. Pigafetta's diary, describing the events of that time, is eerie to read:

“For three months and twenty days we were provided to the Pacific Ocean, nowhere and never did we manage to significantly replenish provisions or take something fresh on board. We ate only old crackers, which were teeming with worms and turned into crumbs after their diligent and gluttonous activity. They drank rotten yellow water. In addition, we ate cowhide, which is very tough, since the sun, rain and wind have completely blown it off. Therefore, we put it in salt water for four or five days to soften it, then for a short time in hot ash, and only then we divided it among ourselves. Rats were considered an exceptional treat. For half a dollar they were bought and resold. "

By the end of January 1521, Magellan had sailed 1,000 kilometers northeast on the high seas.

“Apart from two deserted islets, on which we found only birds and trees, we did not see any land. We do not find a place to drop anchors ", - noted the chronicler.

Magellan must have begun to be overwhelmed by considerable doubts. After all, only five months later, 20 thousand kilometers from the strait (10 degrees south of the equator), the members of the expedition saw the land. These were the current Philippines. By some miracle, Magellan managed to save the remaining ships. And the Spice Islands, meanwhile, were a few days away. The game was worth the candle.

Arrogance and death of Magellan

The Philippines seemed like a real paradise. Fresh water, abundance of tropical fruits, friendly natives. To claim the rights to the Spice Islands, it was necessary to annex the territory to Spain, to convert the natives to Christianity. This required proving its benefits. The most rewarding thing that Magellan had to offer the Filipinos was invincibility through superiority in weapons. Indeed, the thunder of the cannons terrified the natives, they recognized the power of the aliens. Magellan made sure that, when receiving baptism, the natives simultaneously take an oath of allegiance to the Spanish crown as a symbol of supreme power in the world and religion. He set a strict condition to live according to his laws and obey the Europeans: "submit and you will be invincible." In fact, it was the creation of a base for colonization (the Spaniards subsequently took more than a dozen years to turn the Philippines into a Spanish colony).

However, the confidence of the captain-general in the superiority of his weapons was a fatal mistake. He decided to punish Chief Silapoolapa with neighboring island Mactan for refusing to accept Christianity.

On the eve of the battle, while Magellan's team was having fun on the Victoria, being confident of victory, the Mactan was seriously preparing to fight back. The leader selected the best warriors and called on the gods of war for help. This clash of cultures and religions has become a symbol of the struggle for independence for the Filipinos.

First, Magellan sent envoys across the Strait. They tried to persuade Silapulapa to convert to Christianity and submit to Spain, but were again refused. At dawn on April 27, 1521, Magellan and a detachment of 50 people landed on the coast of Martan to fight a thousand of Silapulapu's warriors. Despite the numerical superiority of the enemy, Magellan did not doubt the victory, since, as already mentioned, he relied on his superiority in weapons and armor. Moreover, he was so sure of victory that he ordered the other captains not to get involved in the battle.

And besides, he made a fatal mistake - he began the operation at low tide. The ship could not approach the shore, and Magellan and his team had to walk almost a kilometer to the shore in shallow water. The cannonballs did not reach the shore. And when, during the battle, Magellan's detachment ran out of ammunition, the Silapulapu soldiers went on the offensive.

Magellan was one of the first to be hit by an arrow above the knee. He ordered an orderly retreat, but only six people, the most loyal, obeyed the order and did not abandon their commander. Twice his helmet was knocked off his head, but“The brave captain and knight did not surrender and together with the people who remained with him continued to fight bravely for more than an hour. Since he was not far from the coast, one native managed to wound him in the face. The captain instantly pierced the enemy with his own spear. Then he grabbed his sword, but was only able to draw it halfway, as the thrown bamboo spear whipped his arm. As soon as the enemies saw this, they rushed at him, and one thrust a large dart into him ... deep in the leg. Here the captain-general fell on his face. Immediately they rushed at him with bamboo spears and javelins and viciously killed our joy and hope, consolation and beacon, our faithful leader. When they surrounded him, he still managed to turn around to see if everyone had reached the boats. " - this is how the chronicler describes the events of that tragedy.

Spice Island. Gains and losses

At first, everyone was equally horrified by what had happened. But the survivors knew the Spice Islands were just around the corner. The two remaining ships headed there. Juan Sebastian Elcano took command of the Victoria. History clearly underestimated his role in the expedition. Under his command, the sailors finally found the cherished spices. The journey of 28 thousand kilometers claimed 100 lives, including the captain-general. But the rest fulfilled Magellan's dream. They have reached the final destination of the journey. It was there that the sailors were convinced that a bag of dried cloves, for example, could provide its owner with a comfortable existence for a long time. But to get rich, the spices still had to be brought to Spain. The remaining two ships were faced with a choice: to return in the same way, or to continue their way to the west - through the waters controlled by the enemy. Some chose the path to the east, others to the west.

The Trinidat sailed east across the Pacific, but was intercepted by the Portuguese. They captured the precious goods, took the crew prisoner, and burned the ship. Elcano went west in the Victoria. There were 20 thousand kilometers to Spain, and the whole way passed through the sphere of influence of the same Portugal. To avoid getting caught, he walked through uncharted waters. Two months and almost 5 thousand kilometers through constant storms. Some were so strong that they severely damaged the ship. I had to constantly fix it. In addition, supplies began to run out again, and scurvy began.

“However, the worst of all troubles was this. Some of the crew had their upper and lower gums swollen to such an extent that they could not eat, " noted by the chronicler.

As you know, out of 30 crew members, 25 were ill. Many died. A terrible irony: the disease develops from a lack of vitamin C. And the crew literally sat on a carnation. But people did not know that it contains salvation. On the way to Spain, more than half of the crew died of scurvy and hunger. Elcano didn't die because he ate quince jam. He did not know that vitamin C contained in it saved him from illness. Perhaps thanks to him, Pigafetta's diary came down to us. Otherwise, we would never have known about Elcano's feat. He led the Victoria around the Cape of Good Hope, past the Islands Cape Verde to Spain. Of the 241 people, only a handful have returned. This was the result of the first voyage around the world. Of the five ships sent on the voyage, three disappeared. The aborigines killed during the voyage by the Europeans cannot be counted. Expensive price.

How the side became the main

So, "Victoria" became the first ship to go around the globe. And the theory that the earth is round has become an indisputable fact. Elcano was awarded a coat of arms with the image of the globe and the inscription: "You were the first to walk around me." The very same voyage around the world, although it went down in history, did not justify the hopes of the crew. These people did not become rich. The spices were sold and the profits were forfeited to the royal treasury to compensate for the loss of the fleet. The chronicler was slandered and exiled to Italy by a court decision. Four years later, Elcano set out on a second voyage around the world to secure Spain's claim to the Spice Islands, but died in the Pacific from scurvy.

The practical, immediate results of Magellan's circumnavigation of the world, completed by Elcano, were also insignificant. The way to the Spice Islands across the Pacific Ocean was too long and difficult. The resistance of the Portuguese forced Charles V to temporarily refuse to penetrate into Southeast Asia.

Most importantly, after the mercantile, political, military aspects of Magellan's voyage, which played a leading role in organizing the trip, have receded into the past, what remained was what was only a means, at best a side goal. This is the knowledge of the Earth, the relationship of its oceans, continents and islands. The acquaintance of some peoples of our planet with others turned out to be long, difficult and bloody. But we have no other story.

Preparation of Magellan's expedition, ships, equipment and personnel

So, who fell out of favor with the Portuguese king Manuel in 1514 I Fernand Magellan leaves the civil service, after a while he leaves his homeland with the intention of finding a use for himself in Spain. In 1517 he arrives in Seville. Seville located on the Guadalquivir River was the main city of Andalusia and the most significant port in Spain for the organization of ocean navigation. The main technical, financial and human resources were concentrated in this city. There were many rich and influential people here.

", BGCOLOR," #ffffff ", FONTCOLOR," # 333333 ", BORDERCOLOR," Silver ", WIDTH," 100% ", FADEIN, 100, FADEOUT, 100)"> To prove themselves here, it was necessary to offer these very people something worthwhile, something that they would not be able to refuse. This "something" was to accomplish old dream the Spanish crown - to find a passage to the Moluccas (Spice Islands) from the west, bypassing the already discovered lands in America.To carry out such an event, it was necessary not only desire, not only ships and funds. An experienced, decisive and reliable person was required who could lead the expedition.

Magellan was perfect for organizing such an event. The fact is that he has already personally visited these islands. He has established himself as an experienced sailor, a brave warrior and a good organizer. And Magellan himself had been hatching plans for such a trip for a long time. There was no better candidate for the leader of the expedition.

", BGCOLOR," #ffffff ", FONTCOLOR," # 333333 ", BORDERCOLOR," Silver ", WIDTH," 100% ", FADEIN, 100, FADEOUT, 100)"> The Moluccas and all the way to them and from them to Europe at that time were under the control of the Portuguese. But the legitimacy of the possession of the Spaniards could be easily disputed by the Spaniards, according to the notorious Tordesillas Treaty... After all, the line of demarcation of spheres of influence ran along 49 degrees west longitude (in modern coordinates). To the east of this line are the possessions of Portugal. But to the west - Spain. And if you sail to the Spice Islands moving to the west, you could appeal to the supreme arbiter - the Roman holy throne - and claim the island for yourself.

So, the interests of Magellan and the interests of the Spanish crown coincided. It was necessary to act. Magellan and (his comrade and companion Rui Faleiro) first receive Spanish citizenship. With the help of Juan de Aranda, one of the influential people of Seville, and Diogo Barbosa, also a former Portuguese (and later became the father-in-law of F. Magellan), they succeed. From now on, he is not Fernand Magellan, but "Fernando de Magallanes" - Fernando de Magallanes, or Fernando Magellan, as we used to call him in the Russian manner.

There is safety in numbers

The next important step was to interest the owners of capital - bankers, merchants, plus influential officials and, of course, King Carlos I in organizing such an expedition.

With the help of friends, Magellan gets to the king and tells him his plan.

It is known that since the time of Columbus, all overseas expeditions were a "joint venture" of the crown and "private investors". An agreement was drawn up, which stipulated the responsibility, contributions and share of each participant in future production. The crown, as a rule, played the role of a "roof". It had a "controlling stake" and put its own "overseer". The leader of the expedition was obliged to report everything about his actions to the king and the “shareholders-shareholders”.

One of Magellan's convincing arguments was the map that fell into his hands, based on the results of previous voyages of the Spaniards and Portuguese. Their expeditions had already reached the mouth of the La Plata River, which they mistook for a strait into the "South Sea", but did not try to cross it. Enlisting the support of financiers, Magellan managed to interest the Spanish king with his proposal and received his approval. The king signed an agreement and gave the go-ahead for the preparation of the voyage.

Obstacles

Despite the highest approval, Megellan from the very beginning faced numerous obstacles in the preparation and organization of the expedition. These obstacles were posed by both potential competitors for the leadership of the expedition and the Portuguese ambassador Alvar da Costa... This cloak and dagger knight worked in all directions to thwart the plans of Magellan and Spain. At first, he convinced Magellan himself that his project was a utopia. Then he tried to intimidate him. Then cajole, offering to return to Portugal, whose king was ready to change his anger to mercy. The threats didn't work. Gingerbread too. Then the ambassador sent assassins to Magellan. The assassination attempt failed.

But the ambassador continued to harm: he disrupted the supply of equipment, set the Spanish commanders against the "Portuguese" Magellan, in short, behaved like that "general" from "The Tale of Fedot the Archer". But Magellan managed to outplay all the enemies, showing his will and decisiveness at the initial stage, which caused the location of the team and the king himself.

March 22, 1518 Carlos I approves Magellan's plan. In accordance with the agreements, Fernando Magellan and Rui Faleiro, as Captains General (which corresponded to the rank of admiral), will receive a twentieth part (5%) of the profit. In addition, they and their heirs will receive the right to manage open lands plus all kinds of titles.

Soon enough, the name of Rui Faleiro will disappear from all treaties. For what reason Magellan's companion fell out of favor, historians only only suggest... We only know that he accepted his "resignation" very close to his heart "and moved with reason."

Conflicts with the Spanish captains of the ships began immediately according to their appointment and continued throughout the preparation. It got to the point that the king even "stamped his foot and shook his finger" at Magellan's ill-wishers, pacifying their zeal. True, Magellan was ordered to limit the number of Portuguese among the crew members. And, nevertheless, the number of experienced in the maritime business "guest workers" from the neighboring country turned out to be quite large. Obviously, Magellan sought to gather as many people personally loyal to him as possible.

With the funds raised for the organization of the expedition, Fernando Magellan & Co prepared five ships. These were full-fledged nao (or carrake) which, according to tradition, are called caravels by some. Although the line between caravels and carracks is rather arbitrary - many carracks carried oblique Latin sails at the stern for ease of maneuvering and vice versa, many caravels had straight sails on the foremast.

So, the sailing ships "Trinidad", "Concepcion", "San Antonio", "Victoria" and "Santiago" took on board more than 250 crew members, plus a supply of provisions and everything necessary for 2 years of autonomous navigation.

Provisions was common for the then sea voyages: flour, various cereals, beans, crackers, wine, vegetable oil, smoked meats and salinity, honey, dried fruits.

Armament The flotilla consisted of 70 cannons of varying power, there were arquebusses, crossbows, edged weapons and armor.

Products for the intended exchange trade: metal products, various materials, jewelry, beads, mirrors, all sorts of trinkets.

Magellan personally supervised the loading and packing of equipment, food and goods for the intended trade.

Full estimate the expedition exceeded the amount of 8 million maravedis (*)... (By comparison, Columbus' first expedition cost about 4 million maravedis.)

Ship captains at the start of the voyage:

Trinidad - Fernando Magellan

"San Antonio" - Juan Cartagena (Spaniard)

"Concepcion" - Gaspar Cassada (Spaniard)

Victoria - Luis Mendoza (Spaniard)

Santiago - Juan Serran (Portuguese)

The indication of the nationality of the captains, unfortunately, matters, because all three Spanish captains stood in opposition to Magellan - they did not like the fact that they were commanded by a foreigner, although Magellan already had Spanish citizenship at that time. This confrontation will more than once lead to serious conflicts and troubles while sailing. Indeed, "when there is no agreement among the comrades, their business will not go well."

But, despite all the obstacles, by mid-September 1519 the ships of the expedition were fully equipped and ready to start. AND .

(*) What was 1 maravedi

Currency name maravedi remained on the Iberian Peninsula since the reign of the Moors. In terms of the purchasing power of the maravedi or its equivalent to gold, I have not found. It is known that the pension allocated to Magellan after his return from India was 1000 reais a month and was considered insultingly small. Found in only one place that 1 real = 34 maravedi.

P

After Balboa discovered the South Sea, the Spaniards became very suspicious of the appearance of Portuguese ships in the Caribbean. The Spanish authorities on about. Hispaniola (Haiti) at the end of 1512 received an order from King Ferdinand to “monitor the non-existent strait” and seize any ship. The first victim of this order was the Portuguese captain Ishtevan Froisch in 1512, hunting for slaves off the northern shores of South America. His caravel was in need of repair, and he decided to approach the shores of Hispaniola. Here he was immediately captured and thrown into prison with his entire team. Another caravel, accompanying Froisch, under the command of our already familiar Juan Lijboa, managed to disappear and safely reach Madeira; then, apparently without fear, he entered the Spanish port of Cadiz, where he sold his cargo of Brazilian wood. In the port or in Madeira, he is now said to have been interviewed by a "correspondent" for a small newspaper published in Augsburg. Lizhboa told the "journalist" that somewhere in South America there is a long strait through which you can go to the "East Indies". A note about this discovery, published no later than 1514, reported, without mentioning the names and names of ships, about the voyage "to the Plata River". Historians of discoveries today believe that I. Froisch and J. Lizhboa reached approximately 35 ° S. sh., entered the La Plata Bay, but did not fully explore - its length is 320 km - and therefore was taken for the strait. We can, therefore, say that they discovered the coast of South America from 26 ° 15 "S. To 35 ° S. W. For more than 1.5 thousand km.

T

It is hard to say whether the Spaniards knew about the voyages of Froisha and Lijboa, but it is known for sure that King Ferdinand, who in 1514 received news of the discovery of the South Sea, decided to send a flotilla of three ships to search for the strait. Its commander, he appointed Juan Diaz Solis, who from 1512 (after Amerigo Vespucci) became the chief pilot of Castile. Solis sailed no earlier than October 8, 1515, but it is not known where he touched the South American mainland, and, moving along the sloping Brazilian coast to the south-west, at 35 ° S. sh. reached the new "Fresh Sea". He then rounded a minor ledge (Montevideo) and walked westward for about 200 km, probably convinced that he had found a passage to the Eastern Ocean. But he opened the mouths of two big rivers- Parana and Uruguay. Solis landed in mid-February 1516 and was killed there by the Indians. Two ships of his flotilla returned to Spain in September of the same year. Later, Magellan named the common mouth of the two rivers Rio de Solis (from the middle of the 16th century - La Plata).

Magellan's project and the composition of his expedition

the conquest of India and Malacca from 1505 to 1511 was attended by a poor Portuguese nobleman Fernand Magellan- so it is customary to call it; his real surname is Magalyansh. He was born around 1480 in Portugal, in 1509 and 1511. on Portuguese ships he reached Malacca, and according to S. Morison, even the “Spice Islands” (Ambon Island). In 1512 - 1515 he fought in North Africa, where he was wounded. Returning to his homeland, he asked the king for a promotion, but was refused. The offended Magellan left for Spain and joined the company with the Portuguese astronomer Ruy Faleiro, who insisted that he had found a way to accurately determine geographic longitudes. In March 1518, both appeared in Seville to the Council of India The institution in charge of the affairs of the newly discovered territories. and declared that the Moluccas, the most important source of Portuguese wealth, should belong to Spain, since they are located in the western, Spanish hemisphere (according to the treaty of 1494), but it is necessary to penetrate these "Spice Islands" by the western route, so as not to arouse the suspicions of the Portuguese, through South Sea, open and annexed by Balboa to the Spanish possessions. And Magellan convincingly argued that between the Atlantic Ocean and South Sea there must be a strait south of Brazil. Magellan and Faleiro first demanded the same rights and advantages that had been promised to Columbus.

After a long bargaining with the royal advisers, who negotiated a substantial share of the expected income, and after concessions from the Portuguese, an agreement was concluded with them: Charles I undertook to equip five ships and provide the expedition with supplies for two years. Before sailing, Faleiro abandoned the enterprise, and Magellan, undoubtedly the soul of the whole business, became the sole chief of the expedition. He raised the admiral's flag on the Trinidad (100 tons). The Spaniards were appointed captains of the remaining ships: "San Antonio" (120 tons) - Juan Cartagena, who also received the authority of the royal controller of the expedition; "Concepcion" (90 tons) - Gaspar Quesada; "Victoria" (85 tons) - Luis Mendoza and "Santiago" (75 t) - Juan Serrano... The staff of the entire flotilla was estimated at 293 people, there were 26 more freelance crew members on board, among them a young Italian Antonio Pigafetta, the future historian of the expedition. Since he was neither a sailor nor a geographer, a very important primary source is the logbook entries that Francisco Albo, assistant navigator, kept on the Trinidad. An international team set off on the first round the world voyage: in addition to the Portuguese and Spaniards, it included representatives of more than 10 nationalities.

September 1519 the flotilla left the port of San Lucar at the mouth of the Guadalquivir. When crossing the ocean, Magellan developed a good signaling system, the various types of ships of his flotilla were never parted. Disagreements between him and the Spanish captains began very soon: behind the Canary Islands Cartagena demanded that the chief should consult with him about any change of course. Magellan calmly and proudly replied: "It is your duty to follow my flag during the day and my lantern at night." A few days later Cartagena raised the issue again. Then Magellan, who, despite his small stature, had great physical strength, grabbed him by the collar and ordered him to be kept in custody on the Victoria, and appointed his relative, a "supernumerary" sailor, as the captain of the San Antonio. Alvar Mishkita.

On September 26, the flotilla approached the Canary Islands, on November 29 reached the coast of Brazil near 8 ° S. sh., December 13 - Guanabara Bay, and December 26 - La Plata. The navigators of the expedition were the best at that time: fulfilling the determination of latitudes, they made adjustments to the map of the already known part of the continent. So, Cape Cabo Frio, by their definition, is not at 25 ° S. sh., and at 23 ° S. sh. - their error was less than 2 km from its true position. Not trusting the reports of Solis's satellites, Magellan surveyed both low-lying shores of the La Plata for about a month; continuing the discovery of the Pampa plains begun by Lijboa and Solis, he sent the Santiago up the Parana, and, of course, found no passage to the South Sea. Further, an unknown, sparsely populated land stretched. And Magellan, fearing to miss the entrance to the elusive strait, on February 2, 1520 ordered to wean anchor and move as close to the coast as possible only during the day, and stop in the evening. At a stop on February 13 in the large bay of Bahia Blanca he discovered, the flotilla withstood a terrifying thunderstorm, during which the lights of St. Elmo appeared on the masts of the ships. Electric discharges in the atmosphere in the form of glowing brushes. On February 24, Magellan opened another large bay- San Magias, circled the Valdes Peninsula he identified and took refuge for the night in a small harbor, which he called Puerto San Matias (the Gulf of Golfo Nuevo of our maps, at 43 ° S lat.). Further south, in the area of ​​the mouth of the river. Chubut, On February 27, the flotilla stumbled upon a huge swarm of penguins and southern elephant seals. To replenish food supplies, Magellan sent a boat to the shore, but an unexpected squall threw the ships into the open sea. The sailors who remained on the shore, so as not to die from the cold, covered themselves with the bodies of killed animals. Taking the "procurers", Magellan moved south, pursued by storms, explored another bay, São Jorge, and spent six stormy days in a narrow bay (estuary of the Rio Deseado, near 48 ° S lat.). On March 31, when the approach of winter became noticeable, he decided to winter in San Julian Bay (at 49 ° S lat.). Four ships entered the bay, and the Trinidad anchored at the entrance to it. The Spanish officers wanted to force Magellan to "follow the royal instructions": to turn to the Cape of Good Hope and to walk the eastern route to the Moluccas. On the same night, a riot broke out. Cartagena was released, the rebels captured Victoria, Concepcion and San Antonio, arrested Mishkita, and Quesada mortally wounded an assistant loyal to Magellan. They aimed their cannons at the Trinidad and demanded that Magellan come to them for negotiations. Against the two ships of the admiral were three mutineers, ready for battle. But the rebels did not trust their sailors, and on one ship they even disarmed them.

In difficult circumstances, Magellan displayed a calm determination. He sent his loyal alguasil (police officer) Gonzalo Gomez Espinoso with several sailors to "Victoria" - to invite her captain for negotiations on the admiral's ship. He refused, then the alguasil thrust a dagger into his throat, and one sailor finished him off. Magellan's brother-in-law, Portuguese Duarte Barbosa, immediately took possession of the Victoria and was appointed captain. Now the rebels had only two ships, and so that they would not defect, the prudent admiral, as mentioned above, took a convenient position in advance at the exit from the bay. The San Antonio tried to break into the ocean, but the sailors, after a salvo from the Trinidad, tied the officers up and surrendered. The same thing happened at the Concepcion. Magellan dealt with the rioters-captains abruptly: he ordered that Quesada's head be cut off, the corpse of Mendoza was quartered, Cartagena was landed on the deserted coast along with the conspirator-priest, but he spared the rest of the rioters.

In early May, the admiral sent Serrano south to reconnaissance on the Santiago, but on May 3 the ship crashed on the rocks near the river. Santa Cruz (at 50 ° S lat.) And his team barely managed to escape (one sailor died).

Magellan transferred Serrano as captain to the Concepcion. Very tall Indians approached the wintering place. They were called Patagonians (in Spanish "patagon" - big-legged), their country from that time is called Patagonia. Pigafetta exaggeratedly described the Patagonians as giants. The name of this tribe is Tehuelchi. Capes made of guanaco skins with high hoods and moccasins made them taller than they really were: the height of the Indians, according to measurements at the end of 1891, ranged from 183 to 193 cm. On August 24, the flotilla left the San Julian Bay and reached the mouth of Santa Cruz, where it stayed until mid-October, awaiting the onset of spring. On October 18, the flotilla moved south along the Patagonian coast, which forms in this section (between 50 and 52 ° S) the wide bay of Bahia Grande. Before going out to sea, Magellan told the captains that he would look for a passage to the South Sea and turn east if he did not find the strait until 75 S. sh., that is, he himself doubted the existence of the "Patagonian Strait", but wanted to continue the enterprise to the last opportunity. The bay, or strait leading to the west, was found on October 21, 1520, 52 ° S. sh., after Magellan discovered the previously unknown Atlantic coast of South America for about 3.5 thousand km (between 34 and 52 ° S. lat.).

Having rounded Cape Dev (Cape Virgenes), the admiral sent two ships ahead to find out if there was an exit to the open sea in the west. At night, a storm arose that lasted two days. The ships sent out were threatened with destruction, but at the most difficult moment they noticed a narrow strait, rushed off and found themselves in a relatively wide bay; along it they continued their journey and saw another strait, beyond which a new, wider bay opened.

Young Charles I, King of Spain (later - Emperor Charles V), grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella

Then the captains of both ships - Mishkita and Serrano - decided to return and report to Magellan that, apparently, they had found a passage leading to the South Sea. “... We saw these two ships approaching us in full sail with flags fluttering in the wind. Coming closer to us ... they began to fire from guns and greet us noisily. " However, it was still far from reaching the South Sea: Magellan walked south through narrow straits for several days, until he saw two channels at about. Dawson: one to the southeast, the other to the southwest. He sent the San Antonio and the Concepcion southeast and a boat southwest. The sailors returned "three days later with the news that they had seen the cape and the open sea." The admiral shed tears of joy and called this cape Desirable.

"Trinidad" and "Victoria" entered the south-west channel, stood at anchor there for four days and returned back to join two other ships, but there was only "Concepcion": in the southeast, it came to a dead end - in Inutil Bay - and turned back. San Antonio fell into another dead end; on the way back, not finding the flotilla on the spot, the officers wounded and shackled Mishkita and at the end of March 1521 returned to Spain. The deserters accused Magellan of treason in order to justify themselves, and they were believed: Mishkita was arrested, Magellan's family was deprived of state benefits. His wife and two children soon died in poverty. But the admiral did not know under what circumstances the San Antonio disappeared. He believed that the ship was lost, since Mishkita was his trusted friend. Following along the northern coast of the heavily narrowed Patagonian Strait (as Magellan called it), he rounded the southernmost point of the South American continent - Cape Froward (on the Brunswick Peninsula, 53 ° 54 "S) and another five days (23– November 28) led three ships to the north-west as if along the bottom mountain gorge... The high mountains (southern end of the Patagonian Cordillera) and the bare shores seemed to be deserted, but in the south haze could be seen during the day and campfire lights at night. And Magellan called this southern land, the size of which he did not know, "Land of Fire" (Tierra del Fuego). According to another version, he called southern country"Land of Smokes" (hearths) - Tierra de los Umos (as shown on the Spanish map of 1529) But Charles I renamed it "Land of Fires" on the grounds that "there is no smoke without fire." On our maps, it is inaccurately called Tierra del Fuego. 38 days after Magellan found the Atlantic entrance to the strait, which really connects the two oceans, he passed Cape Zhelanny (now Pilar) at the Pacific outlet of the Strait of Magellan (about 550 km).

so, Magellan left on November 28, 1520 from the strait to open ocean and led the remaining three ships first to the north, trying to quickly leave the cold high latitudes and keeping about 100 km from the rocky coast. On December 1, it sailed near the Taitao Peninsula (at 47 ° S lat.), And then the ships departed from the mainland - on December 5, the maximum distance was 300 km. On December 12 - 15, Magellan again approached quite close to the coast at 40 ° and 38 ° 30 "S lat., That is, he saw at least three points high mountains- the Patagonian Cordillera and the southern part of the Main Cordillera. From about. Mocha (38 ° 30 "S) the vessels turned northwest, and on December 21, at 30 ° S and 80 ° W, they turned west-northwest.

It cannot be said, of course, that during his 15-day voyage to the north from the Strait of Magellan he discovered the coast of South America for 1500 km, but he at least proved that in the latitude range from 53 ° 15 "to 38 ° 30" S ... sh. the western coast of the mainland has an almost meridional direction.

“... We ... plunged into the vastness Of the quiet sea... For three months and twenty days we were completely deprived of fresh food. We ate breadcrumbs, but those were no longer breadcrumbs, but dried crumbs mixed with worms ... It smelled strongly of rat urine. We drank yellow water that had been rotting for days. We also ate the cowhide covering the yards ... We soaked them in sea water for four to five days, after which we put them on hot coals for a few minutes and ate them. We often ate sawdust. Rats were sold for half a ducat apiece, but even at that price it was impossible to get them "(Pigafetta). Almost everyone suffered from scurvy; 19 people died, including the Brazilian and the Patagonian giant. Fortunately, the weather was good all the time: that's why Magellan called the ocean the Pacific.

Probably, it was during the transition across the Pacific Ocean in the southern hemisphere that the satellites of Magellan drew attention to two star systems, which later received the name of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. “The South Pole is not as stellar as the North Pole,” writes Pigafetta, “you can see clusters of a large number of small stars that look like clouds of dust. The distance between them is small, and they are somewhat dull. Among them are two large, but not very bright stars, moving very slowly. " He was referring to the two stars of the circumpolar constellation Hydra. The Spaniards also discovered "five unusually brightly shining stars located in a cross ..." - the constellation Cross, or the Southern Cross.

Crossing the Pacific Ocean, Magellan's flotilla covered no less than 17 thousand km, most of them in the waters of South Polynesia and Micronesia, where countless small islands are scattered. It is amazing that at the same time the sailors came across only "two deserted islets, on which they found nothing but birds and trees." According to Albo's records, the first (San Pablo), opened on January 24, 1521, is located at 16 ° 15 ", and the second (Tivurones, that is," Sharks ", February 4) - at 10 ° 40" S. sh. Magellan and Albo very accurately determined latitude for that time, but since the correct calculation of longitude in the 16th century. needless to say, we cannot confidently identify these islets with any islands on our maps. It is most likely that San Pablo is one of the northeastern islands of the Tuamotu archipelago, Tivurones is one of southern islands Line (Central Polynesia). On this stretch, Magellan made the first measurement of the depths of the sea, which can be classified as "scientific". He could not reach the bottom with the help of six connected lines of several hundred fathoms, and came to the conclusion that he had found the deepest part of the ocean.

Historians are perplexed why Magellan crossed the equator and entered 10 ° N. sh. - he knew that the Moluccas are at the equator. But this is where the South Sea lies, already known to the Spaniards. Perhaps Magellan wanted to make sure if it really was part of the newly discovered ocean.

On March 6, 1521, two inhabited islands(Guam and Rota, the southernmost of the Mariana group). Dozens of boats with balancers came out to meet the strangers. They sailed with the help of triangular "Latin" sails, sewn from palm leaves. At Guam (13 ° 30 "N) the inhabitants are swarthy, well-built people, naked, Women wore loincloths, "a narrow strip of paper-thin bark." but in small hats made of palm leaves - they climbed onto the ship and grabbed everything that came into their sight, as a result of which this group was called the "Rogue Islands" (Ladrones).

When the islanders stole a boat tied astern, an irritated Magellan landed with a detachment, burned several dozen huts and boats, killed seven people and returned the boat. "When one of the natives was wounded by arrows from our crossbows, which pierced him through and through, he swung the end of the arrow in all directions, pulled it out, looked at it with great amazement and died like that ..."

On March 15, 1521, having passed about 2 thousand km to the west, the sailors saw mountains rising from the sea - it was about. Samar is an East Asian group of islands, later called the Philippines. Magellan searched in vain for a place to anchorage- the rocky coast of the island did not present a single chance. The ships moved slightly to the south, to the Siargao island near the southern tip of the island. Samar (at 10 ° 45 "N lat.) And spent the night there. proved that between America and tropical Asia lies a gigantic body of water, much wider Atlantic Ocean... The discovery of the passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the South Sea and Magellan's voyage across this sea revolutionized geography. It turned out that most of the earth's surface is occupied not by land, but by the ocean, and the existence of a single World Ocean was proved.

With caution, Magellan on March 17 moved from Siargao to uninhabited island Homonkhon, The water area to the west of it has become famous in our time: on October 24-26, 1944, the American naval forces defeated the Japanese fleet here; as a result, the Americans occupied all the Philippines, except for about. Luzon. lying to the south of the big island. Samar to stock up on water and give rest to people. The inhabitants of the neighboring islet delivered fruit, coconuts and palm wine to the Spaniards. They said that "there are many islands in this land." Magellan named the archipelago San Lazaro. The Spaniards saw gold earrings and bracelets, cotton fabrics embroidered with silk, and edged weapons decorated with gold at the local elder. A week later, the flotilla moved south-west and stopped at about. Limasava (10 ° N, 125 ° E, south of Leyte Island). A boat approached the Trinidad. And when the Malay Enrique, Magellan's slave, called out to the rowers in his own language, they immediately understood him. A couple of hours later, two large boats full of people arrived with the local ruler, and Enrique freely explained to them. It became clear to Magellan that he was in that part of the Old World where the Malay language was spoken, that is, not far from the Spice Islands or among them. And Magellan, who visited about. Ambon (128 ° E) as part of A. Abreu's expedition, thus completed the first ever voyage around the world.

The ruler of the island gave Magellan pilots who accompanied the ships to a large commercial port Cebu. Albo's magazine and Pigafetta have new names for the Europeans for the islands - Leite, Bohol, Cebu, etc. Western European historians call this the discovery of the Philippines, although they have long been visited by Asian sailors, and Magellan and his companions saw Chinese goods there, for example, porcelain dishes. In Cebu they met the orders of the real "civilized" world. The Raja (ruler) began by demanding that they pay a fee. Magellan refused to pay, but offered him friendship and military assistance if he recognized himself as a vassal of the Spanish king. The ruler of Cebu accepted the offer, and a week later he was even baptized along with his family and several hundred subjects. Soon they were baptized, according to Pigafetta, "all the inhabitants of this island and some from other islands." On about. Cebu, he talked with several Arab merchants, who gave him information about the other islands of the archipelago. As a result, for the first time, names such as Luzon, Mindanao and Sulu entered geographical use with minor distortions.

In the role of the patron saint of new Christians, Magellan intervened in the internecine war of the rulers of the island of Mactan, located against the city of Cebu. On the night of April 27, 1521, he went there with 60 people in boats, but because of the reefs they could not come close to the shore. Magellan, leaving the crossbowmen and musketeers in the boats, with 50 people ford to the island. There, near the village, they were awaited and attacked by three detachments. The boats began shooting at them, but arrows and even musket bullets at such a distance could not penetrate the wooden shields of the attackers. Magellan ordered to set fire to the village. This infuriated the Maktans, and they began to shower the strangers with arrows and stones and throw spears at them. “... Ours, with the exception of six or eight people who remained with the captain, immediately fled ... Recognizing the captain, many people attacked him ... but nevertheless he continued to hold on firmly. Trying to pull out the sword, he only drew it halfway, since he was wounded in the arm ... One [of the attackers] wounded him in the left leg ... The captain fell facedown, and they threw him down ... with spears and began to strike with cleavers, until they destroyed ... our light, our joy ... He kept turning back to see if we all had time to plunge into the boats "(Pigafetta). In addition to Magellan, eight Spaniards and four allied islanders were killed. There were many wounded among the sailors. The old saying was confirmed: "The Lord God gave the Portuguese a very small country to live in, but the whole world to die." On the deserted shore of about. Mactan, where Magellan found his death, a monument was erected to him in the form of two cubes, crowned with a ball.

After the death of Magellan, D. Barbosa and H. Serrano were elected captains of the flotilla. The newly baptized ruler of Cebu, having learned that the ships were going to leave, invited his allies to a farewell feast. 24 sailors, including Barbosa and Serrano, accepted the invitation and went ashore, but two - G. Espinosa and the pilot of the "Concepcion" Portuguese Juan Lopes Carvalho - returned, suspecting unkindness. Hearing screams and screams on the shore, they ordered the ships to come closer to the shore and shell the city with guns. At this time the Spaniards saw Serrano wounded, in one shirt; he shouted to stop shooting, otherwise they would kill him and that all his comrades were killed, except for the Malay translator Enrique. He begged to ransom it, but Corvalho forbade the boat to come ashore. “... And he did so with a view, - writes Pigafetta, - so that they alone would remain masters on the ships. And despite the fact that Juan Serrano crying begged him not to raise the sails so quickly, as they would kill him ... we immediately departed. " Immediately Carvalho was declared the head of the expedition, and Espinosa was elected captain of the "Victoria". 115 people remained on the ships, many of them were sick. It was difficult to operate three ships with such a crew, so the dilapidated Concepcion was burned in the strait between Cebu and Bohol.

"Victoria" and "Trinidad", leaving the strait, passed the island, "where people are black, like in Ethiopia" (the first indication of the Filipino Negritos); the Spaniards named this island Negros. In Mindanao, they first heard of the great northwest. Luzon. Random pilots led ships across the Sulu Sea to Palawan, the westernmost island of the Philippine group.

Pigafetta, an accurate and thorough chronicler, was not a professional cartographer. But as an impartial artist, he made rough sketches of a number of islands in the Philippine archipelago that were touched by Magellan's expedition. They have no resemblance to the originals and can be identified only by their names: Samar, the first of the islands visited, Homonkhon, where the first landing was made, Mactan, the place of Magellan's death, as well as Panaon, Leite, Cebu and Palawan. From about. Palawan Spaniards arrived - the first of the Europeans - to the giant Fr. Kalimantan and on July 9 anchored near Brunei, after which they began to call the whole island, and then other Europeans, Borneo. The Spaniards made alliances with local rajahs, bought food and local goods, sometimes robbed oncoming ships, but still could not find out the way to the "Spice Islands".

Pigafetta made productive use of the monthly stopover of "Victoria" - he spent almost the entire July as a guest of the Sultan of the city of Brunei and collected the first reliable information about Fr. Kalimantan: “This island is so big that it will take three months to circle it on the prau” (Malay ship).

On September 7, the Spaniards set sail along the north west coast Kalimantan During this detour, Pigafetta saw a rocky peak and christened it "Mount St. Peter" - this is Kinabalu (4101 m), highest point Malay Archipelago. and, reaching its northern end, they stood for almost a month and a half at a small island, stocking up on food and firewood. They managed to capture a junk with a Malay sailor who knew the way to the Moluccas. Carvalho was soon dismissed "for failure to comply with royal decrees" and Espinosa was elected admiral. The former assistant navigator at the Concepcion Basque became the captain of the Victoria. Juan Sevastian Elcano, otherwise - del Cano. On October 26, in the Sulawesi Sea, the ships withstood the first storm after leaving the Strait of Magellan. On November 8, a Malay sailor brought the ships to the spice market on the island. Tidore, off the western coast of Halmahera, the largest of the Moluccas. Here the Spaniards bought cheap spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves. "Trinidad" was in need of repair, and it was decided that upon its completion, Espinosa would go east, to the Gulf of Panama, and Elcano would lead the "Victoria" home by the western route - around the Cape of Good Hope.

December "Victoria" with a crew of 60 people, including 13 Malays captured on the islands of Indonesia, moved south from Tidore. At the end of January 1522 a Malay pilot brought the ship to about. Timor. On February 13, the Spaniards lost sight of him and headed for the Cape of Good Hope, spending three times more time wandering among the Malay Islands than crossing the Pacific Ocean.

Elcano deliberately stayed away from the usual route of the Portuguese ships, meeting with which the Spaniards threatened with prison and, perhaps, execution. In the southern part of the Indian Ocean, the sailors saw only one island (at 37 ° 50 "S, Amsterdam). This happened on March 18. On May 20, the Victoria circled the Cape of Good Hope.

Coming first in this part Indian Ocean, Elcano proved that the "Southern" continent does not reach 40 ° S. sh. During the passage through the unknown sea expanses of the Indian Ocean, the ship's crew was reduced to 35 people, including four Malays. On the Cape Verde Islands belonging to Portugal, where a stop was made to replenish fresh water and food supplies, it turned out that the sailors "lost" one day, bypassing the land from the west; For this "loss", all the surviving members of the Victoria's crew were subjected to a humiliating punishment - public repentance: from a church point of view, such "negligence" led to improper observance of fasts. This fact is a vivid illustration of the ignorance of the clergy, who refused to even suggest the possibility of a natural explanation. interesting fact"Loss" of the day, first manifested during the circumnavigation of Magellan and his satellites. here, at Santiago, another 12 Spaniards and one Malay, who were arrested on suspicion that they had got to Molucca by the eastern route, lagged behind. On September 6, 1522, the "Victoria", having lost another sailor on the way, reached the mouth of the Guadalquivir, making the first round-the-world voyage in 1081 days.

Of the five ships of Magellan, only one circled the globe, and of its 265 crew, only 18 returned to their homeland (there were three Malays on board). Thirteen sailors arrested at Sant'gu arrived at their homeland later, released by the Portuguese at the request of Charles I. But "Victoria" brought so many spices that the sale of them more than covered the costs of the expedition, and Spain received the "right of first discovery" to the Mariana and Philippine Islands and made claims to the Moluccas.

Magellan, by his circumnavigation of the world, proved that the greatest body of water stretches between America and Asia, and established the existence of a single World Ocean. Magellan has put an end to the controversy about the shape of our planet forever by providing practical evidence of its sphericity. Thanks to him, finally, scientists were able to establish the true dimensions of the Earth not speculatively, but on the basis of irrefutable data.

The repair of the Trinidad dragged on for more than three months, and she sailed from Tidore under the command of Espinosa (navigator Leone Pancaldo) with a crew of 53 people and an almost 50-ton load of spices only on April 6, 1522. Having rounded the northern end of about. Halmahera, Espinosa immediately headed east towards Panama. However, opposing winds soon forced him to turn north. In early May, he discovered the Sonsorol Islands (at 5 ° N, in the extreme west of the Carolina chain), and between 12 and 20 ° N. sh. - 14 other islands from the Mariana group. From one of them, most likely from Fr. Agrihan (at 19 ° N lat.), A native was taken on board. Struggling with easterly winds, stormy weather and cold, Espinosa reached 43 ° N on 11 June. sh. How far to the east the ship moved, now we can only guess - probably the Spaniards were between 150 and 160 ° E. e. 12-day storm, poor food and weakness forced the sailors to turn back. More than half of the team had died of hunger and scurvy by this time. On the way back on August 22, Espinosa discovered several more northern Mariana Islands, including Maug at 20 ° N. sh., and returned to the Moluccas around October 20, 1522. A sailor who had deserted from Mauga Gonzalo Vigo went later by boat to about. Guam with the help of the indigenous people. Having familiarized himself in this way with almost all the significant islands between Maug and Guam, he completed the discovery of the Mariana chain, stretching for more than 800 km.

Meanwhile, in mid-May 1522, a Portuguese military flotilla approached the Moluccas. Antonio Brito... Carrying out the task - to take possession of the archipelago and prevent violation of the Portuguese monopoly, he built a fort on about. Ternate. Having received news at the end of October that a European ship was near Molucca, Brito sent three ships with orders to seize it, and they brought the Trinidad to Ternate, which had 22 men. Brito seized the cargo and took the seaworthy tools, maps and, no doubt, the ship's log. This explains the awareness of the Portuguese about the route of Magellan's expedition, his death and later events, and Brito received additional information by interrogating the seamen he had captured "with partiality". After a four-year imprisonment, only four of the Trinidad crew survived and in 1526 returned to Spain, including Gonzalo Espinosa, also completing their circumnavigation.

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