Ferdinand Magellan and the first trip around the world. Magellan's trip around the world The expedition of Ferdinand Magellan circled the globe moving

Marta Gumilevskaya

This map shows the route of the first circumnavigation. Of Magellan's five ships, only one circumnavigated the globe—Victoria.

On the sixth day of September 1522, a battered ship entered the Spanish harbor of San Lucar de Barrameda. Eighteen sailors staggered ashore, knelt down heavily and kissed the ground. People gathered around them. The Spaniards looked in surprise at the sailors, at the dilapidated ship, habitually whispering prayers and making the sign of the cross.
“Holy Mary,” quiet voices were heard, “who are these unfortunate people? I swear by Saint Jerome, they have forgotten the taste of food...”
And hands were extended to the sailors with bread, fruit, and new wine.
The sailors ate greedily and gave thanks; I laughed and tears flowed down their emaciated, overgrown cheeks. They won't be recognized? Have you forgotten about them? Is this any surprise? Holy Mary, how long has it been since they last saw the blessed shores of Spain! Oh, how long ago!
Having satisfied their first hunger, mortally tired, they returned to their decrepit ship, collapsed on the mats and immediately fell fast asleep.
And at this time the messenger was already spurring his horse. He rushed to Valladolid, to Don Carlos, King of Spain, with good news: Magellan's sailors had returned and, as a sign of the completed assignment, following the custom of knightly times, they want to return the glove to their king!
...Three years ago, on September 20, 1519, a mysterious flotilla of five ships set out on a long voyage from the same harbor of San Lucar de Barrameda. No one, except a very few, knew where she was going or what her goals were. The sailors were healthy and cheerful, the ships sparkled white, the royal standards and flags of the expedition fluttered merrily on the masts, and the sails, shaded with the crosses of St. Iago, the patron saint of Spain, were filled with a fair wind.
Ahead was the flagship Trinidad with the head of the expedition, Admiral Fernand de Magellan. He was followed by the most big ship expedition "San Antonio", and it was led by the royal controller, a noble Spanish grandee, Juan de Cartagena. Then sailed the Concepcion with Gaspar de Quesada, also a Spaniard; The Spaniard also led the ship "Victoria", only the captain of the smallest "Santiago" was the Portuguese Juan Serrano.
Admiral Fernand Magalhães himself was Portuguese, as he was called in his homeland. But history remembers his other name, and the whole world knows him as Magellan. He is short, squat and walks with a limp - a trace of an old wound. He has a simple face with a dark beard, intelligent, penetrating eyes. For the glory of the Portuguese crown, he performed feats, and often his life hung by a thread. He was among the sailors of the Portuguese flotilla stationed in the roadstead of Malacca (present-day Singapore). The Portuguese came here under the guise of peaceful merchants, but in fact - for reconnaissance, in order to prepare for the capture of this most important harbor of the East. Concerned about the appearance of Europeans, the ruler of Malacca, outwardly cordial and hospitable, was going to surprise the flotilla. Almost at the last minute, Magellan’s courage and resourcefulness saved the Portuguese from complete defeat. Magellan fought at sea and on land, remained lame for the rest of his life, but received nothing for all his merits, and by the age of thirty-five he remained the same unknown poor man as when he first stepped onto the deck of a ship as a simple sailor.
Having stopped fighting and sailing, Magellan did not intend to live out his days in obscurity on the meager pension that the king awarded him.
Against!

Ferdinand Magellan.

An excellent, experienced sailor with excellent knowledge of the East, Magellan wanted to become the captain of one of those ships that often sail from Portugal to Indian Ocean. If, of course, there is the consent of His Majesty King Manuel.
But in this, as in many other things, the king denies his faithful servant. But he willingly agrees to his other request: to release Magellan from Portugal to any other country, if he wishes.
This is sad, there are no words. But, since this is the will of the king, Magellan has no choice. Now he is free and can devote all his time to developing a certain plan, which he apparently hatched back in those days when he sailed and fought in the East.
This plan was to reach the most remote and richest Moluccas - the Spice Islands - heading to them not by the usual route around Africa (as all Portuguese ships had sailed since the time of Vasco da Gama), but from the west. This is how Columbus at one time intended to go, but he unexpectedly stumbled upon a new continent. Magellan was confident that he would find a strait off the coast of this new continent - America, and then a closer route to the Moluccas would open. This was a plan for a trip around the world, because Magellan intended to return to his homeland by rounding the cape. Good Hope.
To imagine the audacity of this plan, one must remember that at that time no one had yet succeeded in finding a strait off the coast of America, although many tried. Moreover, it was unknown where the new continent ended, whether it was connected to the Unknown Southern Land, which was discussed by ancient scientists. They also did not know about the existence of the Pacific Ocean, the largest on the globe; they only knew that the western shores of America were washed by some kind of sea, called the Southern Sea by the Spanish conquistadors, but no one swam in this sea, and they approached it by land, through the mountains of the Isthmus of Panama.
Magellan, having carefully studied all available by that time nautical charts and other materials, he was confident that he would achieve his goal if he managed to equip an expensive expedition. He cannot achieve this in his homeland - and Magellan leaves Portugal.
And here he is in Spain. Here he makes friends. Here he finds strong patrons. Here he marries the daughter of a Portuguese in the Spanish service, Diego Barbosa, who holds the important post of head of the arsenal. The Spaniards are interested in the plan of this stern, taciturn man. It would be a good idea to get the Spice Islands before the Portuguese establish themselves there. Spain needs gold. The discovery of Columbus has not yet enriched her. The young king Charles I listens carefully to Magellan and appoints an unknown Portuguese nobleman as the head of an important secret expedition, grants him the title of admiral and blesses him for his feat.
Magellan prepared for the expedition long and carefully. He tried to provide for everything the crew might need; He himself compiled lists of food and equipment, monitored purchases and repairs of old ships that Spain supplied him with. It seemed that he had done everything humanly possible; he had nothing to reproach himself with. And yet, one concern weighed on him: the enmity of the arrogant Spaniards towards him, who could not come to terms with the idea that the head of the expedition was some Portuguese from a seedy noble family. Noble Spanish officers hated Magellan.
Magellan saw everything perfectly well, but these people were appointed by the king himself, he could not remove them and replace them with others. And he was silent, remaining outwardly calm and, as always, gloomy.
He remained just as calm when, on the Canary Islands - the last stop in the Old World - he received an important letter sent after him, informing him that the Spanish captains were preparing a mutiny and that Juan de Cartagena was at the head of the conspiracy.
It's too late... The expedition has set sail, and Magellan will not retreat. Fate threw an iron glove at his feet, and he picked it up. He accepts the challenge!
And the ships left Canary Islands...

The noble knight Antonio Pigafetta kept his truthful records day after day.

Among the few friends of Magellan, faithful and devoted to him, was the Italian Antonio Pigafetta, whom both Magellan and his companions called Antonio Lombardo. The noble knight Pigafetta was never a sailor. But he had long dreamed of long voyages, of wonderful unknown lands and was happy when chance helped him learn about Magellan’s mysterious expedition and get on his flagship ship. Antonio Pigafetta kept notes day after day, and now we know the details of this tragic and famous voyage, the details are truthful and impartial.
Meanwhile, the ships, having left the Canary Islands, were heading south. The flagship Trinidad sailed ahead, as always, followed by the other four ships in a certain order. By order of Magellan, at the end of the day's watch, all ships approached the flagship and reported to the admiral about the events of the day. And each time the captains were obliged to begin their report with the same words, from which the blood boiled in the veins of the arrogant Spaniards: “God bless you, Señor Admiral, and the helmsmen, and the entire honorable company.”
Soon the Spaniards began to openly grumble: they were outraged not only by the report, but also by the fact that Magellan, without saying a word to anyone, changed course. After all, it was assumed that after the Canary Islands the expedition would sail to the west. Why are they going south? And Juan de Cartagena directly asked the admiral about this. In response, he heard a short and adamant: “Your duty is to follow my flag during the day and my lantern at night.” In other words: swim and don't reason!
Then the offended Cartagena, disregarding Magellan's orders, stopped giving a report. He entrusted this to his subordinates. And when Magellan sternly asked him why he allowed himself such freedom, Cartagena boldly replied that he did not consider it important.
And Magellan again, as had happened many times before, remained silent. He was waiting in the wings.
And when this hour, in his opinion, had come, during a council in his cabin he himself challenged Cartagena to a quarrel and unexpectedly, in front of everyone, declared him under arrest. Everyone was dumbfounded from surprise. No one dared to object or defend Cartagena.
This is how the first battle was fought.
Meanwhile, the weather was not favorable for sailing. The ships found themselves in a zone of severe storms, rain was pouring, and nasty winds were blowing. During thunderstorms, St. Elmo's lights often flashed on the masts - harmless discharges of atmospheric electricity, well known to superstitious sailors. On one particularly stormy night, a large plume was blazing on the mainmast. At the end he flashed a blinding light. The sailors decided that their last hour had come, but the storm immediately subsided.
Finally Magellan gave the order to turn west. And soon the sailors approached blessed Brazil. Here they were rewarded for all their hardships. They feasted on delicious, unfamiliar fruits, admired the wonders of Brazilian nature - motley, bright parrots, small yellow monkeys with manes comically similar to those of a lion. Life in Brazil was calm and pleasant, and everyone was sad when the admiral ordered the sails to be raised.
Magellan was in a hurry. He was full of impatience, although he did not show it with a single gesture. He had good reason to hurry. He expected to find a strait at forty degrees south latitude. And that's why. Thinking over his plan, he talked for a long time with sailors who had returned from long voyages, sat in the secret archive at royal palace, reading the captains' reports, looking at old maps. There he came across a map by the German cartographer Martin Beheim, where the strait was indicated at forty degrees south latitude. The sailors wrote that it was wide and full of water, but they could not pass it to the end and were forced to return. That is why Magellan was in a hurry to leave Brazil. He hoped that he would soon be able to enter the Southern Sea, which washes the western shores of the mainland, and set a course for the Spice Islands.
But the day when the expedition reached the coveted forty degrees was one of the most difficult for Magellan. Yes, Magellan saw a high-water channel, only the channel turned out to be the mouth of a huge river, then not yet mapped, but now known as La Plata. The blow was heavy. But Magellan did not admit to anyone how terrible his disappointment was. And he decided to follow further south, along the unknown shores of the mainland. And time was already approaching winter. People are tired. There was a murmur. The sailors demanded that Magellan turn back. Winter on unfamiliar shores frightened them.
However, Magellan was adamant. What’s the matter, noble lords, he said. What's your fear? There are plenty of fish in the sea, and forests on the shore. We are not in danger of hunger or cold. Victory and glory await us, but it is not easy. Do I need to remind you of the oath given to the king! You have to keep your word. The honor of an officer and a nobleman demands this!
And he found a convenient bay where he was going to wait out the winter. It was San Julian Bay, of ill memory, at forty-ninth degree south latitude. Magellan brought four ships into this bay, but as a precaution, the flagship Trinidad was placed at the very exit from the bay into the ocean.
On April 1, 1520, the day of the great Catholic holiday, Magellan ordered the crew to go ashore to hear mass. After the mass, the expedition officers were invited to the admiral for a festive dinner.
The day turned out to be particularly gloomy, with heavy, dark clouds swirling in the sky and the wind howling. It was also sad at the festive table of the silent, stern admiral. Magellan noted to himself: Mendoza and Quesada were not on the shore during the mass. They did not come to the admiral's cabin for lunch. It was a challenge. Magellan knew this. But he decided not to show his displeasure, remaining silent and sullen as before and not taking precautions...
The next morning he was awakened earlier than usual by a loud knock on the door. It turns out that there was an uprising that night. The rebel captains captured three large ships: "San Antonio", "Concepcion" and "Victoria". Alzar Mishkit, a devotee of Magellan, who became captain of the San Antonio after the arrest of Cartagena, was wounded by the rebels, tied up, thrown into the hold and opened food warehouses for the sailors in order to attract them to their side. In the morning, the rebels were going to offer the admiral their conditions: he must immediately turn home to Spain!
Probably, everyone in Magellan’s place would have considered that the map was broken. What could he do with one little Santiago? Everyone, but not Magellan! And he goes to the greatest audacity. In full view of everyone, a boat with his faithful Gonzalo Gomez Espinosa and five sailors is moored to the side of the Victoria. Espinosa hands Luis Mendoza a note from the admiral: the admiral invites him to the flagship for negotiations. Mendoza smiles boldly, but... before he can say “no,” Gomez’s dagger pierces his throat, and Gomez’s companions snatch daggers from their belts. At the same time, a detachment of fifteen armed sailors with Duarte Barbosa, a relative of Magellan, at the head, ascends the ladder from nowhere to help them. Without meeting the slightest resistance, they rush towards the sails. And so "Victoria" swims up to the flagship and stands side by side with it, blocking the exit from the bay.
The blow was unexpected, bold, decisive. The rebels were confused, the rebels could not come to their senses. They tried to get past Trinidad, but as expected, none of this worked out. The rebels surrendered.
And on the gloomy shore the trial took place. These were difficult days for everyone. Even the rude sailors, thugs gathered from all over the world, were gloomy and confused. The trial took place in full. Magellan insisted on this; he remembered that he would have to give an account of everything in due time to Don Carlos, King of Spain.
The court unanimously makes a decision, recorded according to all the rules. The head of the conspiracy, Juan de Cartagena, and the priest Sanchez de la Reina, who incited the sailors to revolt, are sentenced to exile. They will remain here, on this gloomy shore, when the flotilla leaves it, and let the sky decide their fate. Mendoza is already dead, but Quesada is alive. He is sentenced to death by beheading. But who will decide to become an executioner? Everyone turns away, shuddering. And... Quesada's faithful servant, Luis Molino, sentenced to hanging, takes up the shameful ax. This saves his life. Magellan pardoned the remaining forty people. He didn't want to be too cruel, and besides, he needed people. There is a long way ahead, and there is nowhere to wait for help...
And the long days of winter weather dragged on, and there was no escape from the difficult memories, and bloody ghosts hovered over the gloomy bay. Yunga Juan de Cibuletta often mutters something in his sleep, jumps up, and wakes up. The noble knight Pigafetta is gloomy and thoughtful. He still keeps his notes every day. No matter how tragic the trial and death penalty were, Magellan was right - this is what Pigafetta writes.
Winter delayed the expedition in San Julian Bay for five whole months. Without waiting for tolerable weather, Magellan sends the small Santiago on reconnaissance. During a storm, the ship dies. People were saved, but there was one less ship.

During the council, Magellan challenged Cartagena to a quarrel and unexpectedly, in front of everyone, declared him under arrest.

Finally, in August 1520, in early spring southern hemisphere, the flotilla leaves the bay. And Cartagena and Pedro Sanchez, left on the shore, look in inexpressible anguish after the sailing ships... And no one will ever know what fate befell them on this wild shore.
The flotilla meanwhile reaches the mouth of the Santa Cruz River, where the poor Santiago perished; here again bad weather forced the ships to be delayed for two months. And before the expedition went any further. Magellan gathered the captains and helmsmen of the expedition in his cabin to inform them of his plans. He said he would continue south until he discovered the strait. If necessary, he would reach the 75th parallel and only then turn east to return to Spain. The officers listened to the order in grave silence. Nobody dared to object. The terrible events in San Julian Bay are too vivid in my memory.
And two days after this meeting, on October 21, 1520, the ships rounded a cape, and a narrow rocky passage immediately opened behind it. It does not at all resemble a strait, but Magellan cannot pass it without exploring it. And he sends "San Antonio" and "Concepcion" for reconnaissance. They must return no later than five days later. Magellan himself on the Trinidad, together with the Victoria, will be waiting for them on the outside of the bay.
Before the scout ships had time to hide in the narrow passage, a storm arose. Magellan is gripped by mortal anxiety for those who are now there, among the rocky shores. Will they suffer the same fate as Santiago? Then it's over! He will not be able to continue sailing with Victoria alone.
So three days pass in terrible anxiety, and the fourth comes. And the storm roars, and Magellan’s ships, having weighed anchor, move away from the dangerous shore and rush about randomly, just to survive!
The day watch ends, the cabin boys beat off the bells and light the signal lights. But what is it? A column of black smoke rose above the narrow passage! Distress call? Magellan does not have time to move to the rescue, when both ships emerge from the passage - safe and sound, they are festively lit, firing from cannons! This is a salute to the glorious admiral!
The strait has been found!

The traitor Mendoza did not have time to say “no” when the dagger of the faithful Gomez pierced his throat.

In the ancient sailing directions, where the strait, called by Magellan the Strait of All Saints, but renamed by grateful descendants as Magellan, is marked, there are warning inscriptions: “There are never blessed seasons here”; "Here the northern winds blow from all four corners of the world."
The way it is. It's gloomy, deserted, deserted. Only day and night fires burn on the shore. Magellan called these places Tierra del Fuego. He did not see a single person on the shore and did not know that these fires were an unquenchable fire maintained by the Indians.
The ships carefully made their way through narrow passages among a complex labyrinth of channels, until they finally made it to the western shores of the mainland, washed by the waters of the unknown South Sea. And here everything was magically transformed. The wind died down. The sun was shining. Clean springs sparkled among the grass, and in one river there were so many sardines that the sailors called it the Sardine River. And far, far away, a huge sea stretched to the very horizon. Magellan called it Quiet, it was so calm, so pleasing to the eye, so joyful to the soul.
We should have sailed on without wasting time, but we had to linger, waiting for the San Antonio sent for reconnaissance with Captain Mishkita, Magellan’s faithful friend. Six days passed, and the ship still did not return. Then Magellan left a lit lantern and a note in the appointed place, which said that the flotilla had gone to sea and would follow such and such a course, and Magellan’s three ships weighed anchor.
Meanwhile, the San Antonio sailed with all the haste of which it was capable, in the other direction, to the shores of Spain. The mutinous sailors displaced Alvar's loyal Mishkita, tied him up, threw him into the hold and deserted. Returning to Spain, they slandered Magellan, saying that he had treacherously killed noble Spaniards in order to transfer command to his compatriots. They kept silent about the opening of the strait, as well as about the fact that they took with them the main supplies of food stored in the vast holds of the San Antonio. However, the judges did not take the words of the deserters into confidence and postponed the consideration of the case until the others returned. Mishkita, however, like all the rebels, they threw into prison, and Magellan’s wife and young sons were not allowed to leave Seville.
Magellan, knowing nothing about black treason and despite hunger, continues his great work. It was a terrible voyage. Lonely in the boundless expanse of the ocean, the ships flew forward in wonderful weather, with a fair wind, but horror and death reigned on the ships. All that was left of the crackers was crumbs mixed with worms and rat droppings. Sailors tore off the cowhide sheathing from the rigging, soaked it in water and chewed it. They ate sawdust, ate rats... However, rats were considered a delicacy. The scurvy began.
...For more than three months, the sailors saw nothing but water and sky, ate almost nothing, and drank rotten water. And they rushed forward and forward! And when the first island finally appeared, they fell into despair: it turned out to be so barren and deserted. But then the watchman shouted from his barrel on the high mast that he could see the ground again. It was an island... And then the second... Both were green, cheerful, these were the islands, now known as the Marianas. What happiness: people lived on both, here you can stock up on food and fresh water! But the inhabitants of the island, carefree, cheerful savages, who sailed up to the ship in their boats with slanting sails made of palm leaves, quickly and deftly climbed onto Magellan’s ships and began to carry absolutely everything that was not screwed, nailed or locked. They even managed to steal the boat in front of everyone! And Magellan, after an unpleasant skirmish with them, had to get out of here before everything was stolen. And he named these islands Ladrones, which means Thieves!

It was a terrible voyage - hunger and death reigned on the ships.

Finally, the sailors approached a beautiful flowering land, uninhabited, but rich in unprecedented fruits and clean, transparent springs. Magellan ordered the sick to be taken ashore, looked after them himself, gave them coconut juice to drink: healthy sailors hunted wild pigs, and the specter of hunger receded...
When the sick recovered and the healthy rested, Magellan ordered the sails to be raised. And now the ships are sailing among the luxurious, unknown islands - Magellan called them Philippine. Locals, still unfamiliar with the Europeans, greeted the Spaniards cordially and affably, and Magellan willingly maintained friendship with them.
Magellan was happy! In addition to the Moluccas, he found completely unknown islands - they will undoubtedly adorn the Spanish crown. Happiness, so little known to Magellan, filled him to the brim. And on this happy take-off the life of the great navigator was cut short. It ended absurdly, in an unnecessary skirmish with a prince on a tiny island. This prince did not want to obey his powerful neighbor - the Sultan big island Cebu. And the Sultan asked Magellan for help. Magellan considered it important to help him, he was confident in the strength of Spanish weapons...
And died in a skirmish. It was April 27, 1521.

The life of the great navigator was cut short absurdly, in a skirmish on a small island.

The admiral fell, to the great sorrow of his friends, to the great misfortune of the entire expedition, without completing it. And Antonio Pigafetta, grieving the loss, wrote in his diary:
“Among other virtues, he was distinguished by steadfastness in the greatest vicissitudes, which no one else possessed. He endured hunger better than all the others, more accurately than anyone else in the world, he knew how to understand navigational maps. And the fact that this is so and is, in fact, obvious to everyone, for no one else had such a gift and such thoughtfulness in researching how to circumnavigate the world, which he almost accomplished!
No admiral. And misfortunes haunt the orphaned expedition. The Sultan of the island of Cebu, because of whom Magellan got involved in an unnecessary skirmish, decided to attack the Spaniards, seize their goods, ships and kill people. Duarte Barbosa, brother of Magellan's wife, Juan Serrano and many other sailors became victims of the insidious plan.
The survivors wandered for a long time among the tangle of islands on the outskirts of the Pacific Ocean until they reached the treasured Moluccas. By that time, out of two hundred and sixty-five crew members, one hundred and fifteen remained. This was not enough for three ships. One of them, “Concepcion,” had to be burned. On the island of Tidore, the sailors bought spices and filled the Victoria's hold with them. The flagship "Trinidad" and "Victoria" were planning to sail together to the Cape of Good Hope. But suddenly a strong leak was discovered on the Trinidad. The ships had to separate. "Trinidad" with captain Gomez Espinosa and the crew (fifty-seven sailors) after repairs set off for the shores Central America, into Spanish possessions, but did not reach there, and turned back. The fate of the sailors was terrible. They were captured by the Portuguese, and only a few years later Gomez de Espinosa and three sailors, having experienced beggary and prison, returned to Spain. And the rest were never destined to see their native land.
But Juan Sebastian del Cano, who was among the rebels in San Julian Bay and was forgiven by Magellan, will bring the expedition to the end!
Justice requires recognizing that del Cano was a good sailor, decisive and courageous. The Portuguese heard that Magellan's sailors had reached the Moluccas, and the King of Portugal ordered that Spanish ships should not be allowed to pass around the Cape of Good Hope under any circumstances. Del Cano found out about this. And he carefully made his way in a roundabout way, without entering the harbor, avoiding a fatal meeting with the Portuguese. Meanwhile, he needed both food and fresh water. Hunger began again on the ship. The sailors were sick, dying, and out of forty-seven people, thirty-one were left. The situation is hopeless, and del Cano had to take a risk. He entered the harbor of one of the Cape Verde islands and sent a boat with sailors ashore, strictly forbidding them to say who they were and where they were coming from. The boat scurries back and forth, the Victoria sailors are happy, anticipating a hearty meal, and suddenly, during last flight something happened and the boat was delayed. Del Cano, fearing exposure, hastily raises the sails, leaving people, a boat, and food on the shore. Only after some time, at the request of the Spanish king, these sailors were released to their homeland.
Meanwhile, Antonio Pigafetta agonizes over one thing strange case, which occurred in the Cape Verde Islands. The sailors who went ashore reported that it was Thursday, but according to the Pigafetta calendar it was still Wednesday. Miracles! What was he wrong? Pigafetta checks with navigator Alba, who also took notes. No, Alba’s is also Wednesday. What's the matter? No one could understand this. However, all of them had no time to unravel the secrets. The weather is bad, there are storms; There are few people left, and we have to carry out two or three watches in a row. And when the familiar shores of San Lucar de Barrameda appeared, the sailors could not believe that they were at home, that without fear they could go ashore, they could fall to the ground, they could fall asleep in a calm, happy sleep.
Eighteen exhausted sailors are sleeping. They sleep soundly, without dreams. Antonio Pigafetta sleeps; he does not yet know what the greatest discovery he has made. It turns out that the lost day in his calendar revealed to scientists a secret of nature that no one suspected: our Earth is not only a ball, which was proven by Magellan’s expedition and which was, in fact, known in ancient times, but this ball is still in constant motion around its axis. That is why, moving all the time to the west, sailors and pilots repeat one day in their logbooks twice in a row when they cross the international date line. And, on the contrary, with continuous movement towards the sun, to the east, one day is thrown out of the calendar. Now this is a well-known truth, but in those days it was a great discovery!
Yes, Magellan's voyage revealed new truths to the world. But fate remained unkind to Magellan himself for a long time.
Del Cano, the captain of the only surviving ship of the expedition, did not bother to inform Spain that he owed his victory primarily to Magellan. After all, Magellan accomplished the main thing, Magellan found the strait and did not retreat in the face of hunger and death. And the laurels of the winner went to del Cano alone. Pigafetta is outraged by this, and in his short story about the great voyage, as a form of protest, he does not mention a word about the one who led the Victoria from the Moluccas to Spain.
In two days, a tug will bring the tired ship Victoria from San Lucar de Barrameda to Seville harbor. Eighteen sailors in long white shirts, with lit candles in their hands, will come ashore. They will go to the church of Santa Maria de la Victoria, where once, under the shadow of a silk royal standard swore an oath of allegiance. Dressed as repentant sinners, they will give thanks to the Virgin Mary for their miraculous salvation. And the streets of Seville will be crowded with people. But where is the admiral's wife? She passed away. Her sons also died; Magellan never saw the younger one.
The sailors will enter under the arches of the temple. Here three years ago they were all together - two hundred and sixty-five people. Eighteen returned...
...In the meantime, the exhausted sailors sleep in the happy, sound sleep of tired people. And the messenger spurs his horse. He rushes to Valladolid to Don Carlos, King of Spain, with good news: the sailors of Ferdinand Magellan have returned and, as a sign of the completed assignment, following the custom of knightly times, they want to hand over the glove to their king... But many of their comrades are not with them... Nor is the glorious Admiral, Knight of the Order of Santiago, noble lord Fernand de Magellan...

Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan went down in history as the first person to circumnavigate the world. He became the first European who managed to swim from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, and thus prove the existence of a single and indivisible World Ocean.

short biography

The future navigator was born in 1480 in a small Portuguese town Ponti da Barca. As a descendant of a noble but impoverished noble family, in his adolescence Fernand served as a page at the royal court.

In 1505, Fernand enlisted in the navy, and over the next five years he faithfully served his king in East Africa. His plans to return to his homeland could not immediately be realized due to the outbreak of military battles in India, in which Magellan took part. For his courage, he received the rank of officer, and after receiving serious injuries was recalled to Portugal.

Rice. 1. Ferdinand Magellan.

Due to severe lameness caused by a wound in India, Magellan was forced to resign. He dreamed of equipping an expedition to the homeland of spices - the Moluccas, but the Portuguese king refused him. Offended by undeserved injustice and lack of recognition, Magellan moved to Spain.

Preparing for the expedition

In Seville, Magellan managed to win the favor of the young king Charles I and convince him to equip ships to the Moluccas, which promised great profits. The king appointed an experienced navigator as commander-in-chief of the flotilla, the main goal of which was to search sea route to the treasured islands from the west.

The expedition, which became Magellan's life's work, included 265 people and 5 ships. It is worth noting that all the ships were characterized by poor maneuverability, modest size and poor equipment. Magellan didn't have geographical maps and reliable navigational instruments, with the exception of the compass and hourglass.

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Ferdinand Magellan's first voyage around the world

The expedition set sail on September 20, 1519, heading for the Canary Islands. The route then ran through Brazil to the south along the coast South America. The navigator was faced with a difficult task - to find a passage to the South Sea. At the same time, the flotilla moved only during the day, so as not to inadvertently miss this passage at night in the dark.

During the forced winter, which lasted for 4 months, a mutiny broke out on three ships. Magellan managed to suppress the uprising by giving the order to kill the rebel captains. During the same period, the flotilla lost one ship, which crashed on underwater rocks during reconnaissance.

Only in October 1520 did Magellan manage to achieve his goal and find a barely noticeable entrance to the strait, which was later named the Magellanic Strait. Having passed through a dangerous narrow strait, the sailors found themselves in the waters of an unknown sea. This was the Pacific Ocean, which was so named by Magellan due to the surprisingly calm weather that reigned throughout the journey.

Rice. 2. Pacific Ocean.

After a hundred days of sailing in the Pacific Ocean, the flotilla reached the island of Guam, and soon Magellan discovered the Philippine archipelago.

By intimidating local population, the navigator forced them to submit to the Spanish king and accept Christianity. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan died tragically in one of the skirmishes with the natives. Only one ship was able to return to Spain, on board of which only 17 sailors remained alive. His captain received all the honors and glory, while the commander-in-chief of the flotilla was undeservedly forgotten.

However, the significance of Magellan's journey could hardly be overestimated. He not only found western road to the Moluccas, but also made major discovery, which changed the worldview of millions of people and proved that the Earth is round.

Rice. 3. Magellan's trip around the world.

What have we learned?

While studying a report on the topic “Fernand Magellan” in the 5th grade geography program, we became acquainted with the years of life of the famous navigator and discoverer. We learned what Ferdinand Magellan discovered and what an important role his discoveries played in the further exploration of the planet.

Test on the topic

Evaluation of the report

Average rating: 4.4. Total ratings received: 563.

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 there after it, they feel great in our time. And today we will talk about history world travels , starting from Magellan and ending with modern brave knights of the compass and map.

Magellan's circumnavigation of the world (1519-1522)

Already at the very beginning of the sixteenth century it became clear that discovered by Christopher Columbus's lands are neither India nor China. But it was assumed that Asia, with all its many riches, was not so far from America. All that’s left to do is to find a strait, sail across the “South Sea” (as the body of water that became known as the Pacific Ocean was called in those days) and get to the desired lands, full of spices and silks. The Portuguese and Spanish navigator Ferdinand Magellan took up this matter.

On October 20, 1519, five ships under his command left the Spanish port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. There was a crew of more than two hundred people on board the ships. The expedition led by Magellan actually managed to circumnavigate the American continent from the south, cross the Pacific Ocean, reach the Moluccas (Spice Islands) and return to Seville on September 6, 1522.

But during the circumnavigation of the world, the expedition lost four ships, and out of 235 people personnel Only thirty-six returned to Spain (18 on the last remaining ship and the same number in different ways over the next months and even years). Magellan himself and most of his commanders died in skirmishes with the natives. And the expedition was completed by Captain Juan Sebastian Elcano, the only surviving officer.

Circumnavigation of the world by bicycle (1884-1886)

Thomas Stevens became the first person to travel around the world by bicycle. And it is worth understanding that this was not a bike in the modern sense - light, sporty, ergonomic, but a standard “penny and farthing” bike for those times (when the front wheel is eight times larger than the rear). And the situation with the roads was much more complicated.

Starting his journey in San Francisco, Stevens crossed all of America from west to east to New York. Then he traveled quite a bit around his native England, traveled through Europe, Ottoman Empire, spent the winter in Tehran as the personal guest of the Shah, visited Afghanistan, returned to Istanbul, sailed by sea to India, checked in in China and Japan, and then returned to the starting point of the journey, spending more than two and a half years on the trip.

Round the world voyage on a yacht (1895-1898)

Joshua Slocum's legendary trip around the world started on April 25, 1895 in Boston. The 10-meter Sprey yacht, on which the Canadian-American traveler and adventurer sailed alone, first crossed Atlantic Ocean, approaching the Iberian Peninsula, then passed along west coast Africa, again crossed the Atlantic, passed through the Strait of Magellan, reached Australia, visited New Guinea, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and on June 27, 1898, finished in the city of Newport in Rhode Island.

But the traveler did not receive any magnificent honors upon his return to the USA. The American-Spanish War, which was raging at that time, attracted all the attention of the press and public. So they started talking about Slocum’s achievement only after peace was concluded. And in 1900 he published the book “Sailing Alone Around the World,” which became a worldwide bestseller and is still in print.

Joshua Slocum went missing while sailing on a yacht in 1909 in the Bermuda Islands, which became one of the reasons for the emergence of the legend of the Bermuda Triangle.

First round-the-world motor rally (1908)

On February 12, 1908, the first round-the-world motor rally started, organized by the American newspaper New York Times and the French Matin. This event was timed to coincide with the 99th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. It was planned that 13 crews would take part in it, but seven of them withdrew at the very last moment, before the start of the trip.

The main problem in the first weeks of the run was the cold. Cars of those times were not equipped with heaters, and some had no roof at all. At the same time, it was initially planned that the crews would move from the United States to Russia through the frozen Bering Strait. But creepy weather in the North they were forced to change the route - the cars were loaded onto a ship in Seattle and transported to Vladivostok.

The rally participants crossed all of Eurasia. The German crew in a Protos car was the first to reach the finish line in Paris. This happened on July 11, 169 days after the start. But it turned out that the Germans violated the terms of the competition, for which they received a fine of 15 days. So the winners were the Americans in the Thomas Flyer, who arrived at the last point exactly on July 26th. For the American participants, the race became a round-the-world race - after the triumph in Paris, they returned to New York, thereby closing the circle.

Round the World Airplane (1924, 1957)

It is now possible to fly around the globe on an airliner in just over a day. And in 1924, four Douglas World Cruiser aircraft took almost six months. Or rather, it took off from Seattle on April 6, four aircraft, and only two returned back on September 28 - the rest crashed along the road.

And the first non-stop flight around the world was made in January 1957, spending 45 hours and 19 minutes on it. Along the way, they were replenished with fuel three times from a refueling aircraft.

Around the world on foot (1970-1974)

On June 20, 1970, brothers David and John Kunst left their home in Waseca, Minnesota, and went to walking trip around the world. They reached New York, where they boarded a ship to Lisbon. Then they crossed the whole of Europe on foot and reached Afghanistan. But there they were attacked by bandits, John was killed, and David was hospitalized for four months.

Having recovered, Kunst continued his campaign exactly from the place where his relative died. But now their third brother, Peter, has joined him. However, he traveled for “only” a year - he had to return home to work.

David Kunst returned to his native Minnesota on October 5, 1974, having traveled about 25 thousand kilometers on the way, becoming a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, wearing 21 pairs of shoes and meeting the Australian teacher Jenny Samuel, who first became his travel companion, and then in life. .

Non-stop flight around the world in a hot air balloon (1999)

At the end of the twentieth century Balloons practically ceased to exist. Only those that were used for advertising, tourism, sports and scientific purposes (strata balloons) remained. But balloons also appeared, created specifically for setting records. For example, Breitling Orbiter 3, on which in March 1999 Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones made a non-stop flight around the world, 45,755 kilometers long and lasting 19 days 21 hours and 47 minutes.

But this record is not enough for Picard! Worthy of his grandfather, father and uncle, the adventurer is going to make the first ever flight around the world in 2015 on an aircraft that receives energy exclusively from solar panels installed on it.

(Total 5 photos)
Magellan, like Columbus, was driven by a thirst to find a shortcut to Indian spices. And here again there was no idea to go around the globe, he was going for spices and the path in the direction of America seemed optimal to him.
Magellan's goal was the Moluccas. Europeans had been purchasing spices there for a long time, and at local markets There were a lot of them and most importantly at incredibly low prices.

But the problem was that transportation took great amount time, and the path was very dangerous. Fernand proposed a route through America to the King of Portugal. The king did not accept this idea at all, because there were already established trade routes for the same Portuguese traders across the Indian and Atlantic oceans. Then Magellan moves to Spain and proposes the same project to the king there.

The Spanish king was either more trusting or riskier and agreed to the project. And on September 20, 1519, a flotilla of five ships with 256 people on board under the leadership of Ferdinand Magellan left Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
The first losses occurred off the coast of America. After a long voyage along the coast of the continent, part of the team decides that the expedition will be of no use and decides to return.

Ferdinand Magellan

Three captains mutiny. Magellan harshly suppresses him - one captain is killed by him, the second is executed, the sailors are calmed down and inspired again. On the same section of the route, one of the ships runs into rocks and sinks.

Having reached the southern tip of the mainland, the ships pass through a strait, later named after the naval commander. Here the flotilla loses another ship, which simply turns the wrong way, and sets off on its way back to Spain. The ships go out into the Pacific Ocean.

A long 100-day journey follows along the endless water surface. Food runs out, the crews eat leather gear and, as a delicacy, rats. During this part of the journey, almost half of the team dies.

In the spring of 1521, Fernand approaches the Philippine Islands. Magellan tries to bring the local population under the rule of the Spanish crown, intervenes in intertribal disputes and dies.

Monument to Ferdinand Magellan

On the island of Mactan in 1886, monuments were erected in one square to the famous traveler, who died at this place, and the leader Lapu-Lapu, who killed him.

Monument to Chief Lapu-Lapu

After Magellan's death, the team hastily sails from the island and takes several months to reach the Moluccas. There the ships are repaired, one of them actually has to be burned as hopeless, they are loaded with the coveted spices and they disperse. The Trinidad turns back to the Pacific Ocean, wanting to reach Panama, the Spanish possessions. The second ship - "Victoria" - is following the old trade route through Africa home.

As a result, "Trinidad" is captured by the Portuguese, and its crew ends up in hard labor in India.
The first trip around the world ends on September 8, 1522 in Seville. 18 people returned to the Victoria, they survived storms, scurvy, the Portuguese...

They immediately go to church upon arrival, and order a thanksgiving service at the end of the terrible journey. After returning, all laurels go to the captain of the Victoria, Elcano.

He receives fame, awards, pensions, even a coat of arms with a globe and the motto “You were the first to circle me.” By the way, formally, this is a completely fair statement. But then Magellan gets only curses. Later, of course, justice triumphs, Fernand takes his place in the pantheon of discoverers.

This expedition brought several discoveries at once. She proved that all the oceans of the Earth are connected, that the Earth is round, that there is much more water on the planet than land. And it became clear that there was no shortcut to India through America.

And for the first time, the paradox of the “missing day” was discovered. It lies in the fact that when moving west, the day gradually lengthens and over time a whole day is lost. As a result, according to the most meticulous Victoria magazine, the ship arrived on September 7.

By the way, some researchers hypothesize that Magellan had very old and very accurate maps. Because the route made very good use of ocean currents and wind patterns, which in theory were unknown to the sailors of that time...

Test tasks.

1. Ferdinand Magellan was

a) a Spaniard in the service of the King of Portugal

b) a Portuguese in the service of the King of Spain

c) an Italian in the service of the King of Spain

d) a Frenchman in the service of the King of Portugal

2. The strait connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean was named by Ferdinand Magellan

a) Drake Passage

b) Strait of Magellan

c) the Strait of All Saints

d) Bering Strait

3. Ferdinand Magellan's expedition circled the globe, moving all the time

a) from west to east

b) from east to west

c) from right to left

d) from left to right

4. The first circumnavigation of the world continued

a) 3 years

5. The captain who was the first to sail his ship around the world was called

a) Fernand

d) Alvarez

6. List geographical features in the order of their achievement by the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan. Put the letters corresponding to them in the table.

a) Indian Ocean

b) Philippine Islands

c) equator

d) Pacific Ocean

Thematic workshop.

Here are five excerpts from the recordings of Magellan's companion Antonio Pigafetta, which he wrote in the form of a letter to his patron, Signor Philippe de Villiers L'Isle Adan. Put them in the correct order and answer the questions.

a) On Wednesday, November 28, 1520, we got out of this strait and plunged into the vastness of the Pacific Sea. In continuation three months and for twenty days we were completely deprived of fresh food. We ate crackers, but they were no longer crackers, but cracker dust mixed with worms. We often ate sawdust.

b) We reached Mactan three hours before dawn. As soon as morning came, forty-nine of our people rushed into the water, which reached their hips. I had to swim a distance of more than two shots from a crossbow before reaching the shore. Because of the underwater rocks, the boats could not get closer to the shore. When we reached the shore, the natives, numbering over 1,500 people, lined up in three detachments. Seeing us, they rushed at us with incredible shouts, two detachments attacked our flanks, and one from the front.

c) The captain fell face down, and immediately they pelted him with iron and bamboo spears and began to strike him with cutlasses until they killed the true leader. He kept turning back and forth to see if we had all managed to board the boats. Believing that he had died, we, wounded, retreated as soon as possible to the boats, which immediately set off.

d) Your Excellency, the glory of such a noble captain will not be erased from memory in our days. Among other virtues, he was distinguished by such steadfastness in the greatest vicissitudes that no one has ever possessed. He endured hunger better than anyone else, more accurately than anyone else in the world, he knew how to understand
in navigation charts. And the fact that this is so in fact is obvious to everyone, for no one else had such a gift and such thoughtfulness in studying how to circumnavigate the world, which he almost accomplished.

e) Having heard that in the city of Seville a detachment of five ships was equipped to extract spices in the Moluccas under the command of Captain-General Fernand de Magalhães (Magellan), I went there from the city of Barcelona, taking with me a lot of well-wishing -body letters. I spent three whole months in Seville waiting while the said fleet was preparing to sail, and when the time for departure finally arrived, the voyage began under extremely happy omens.

d A b V G

1. How many times did Magellan’s expedition cross the equator?

The voyage was around the world, crossing the equator 4 times.

2. What in the above passages gives reason to consider the assessment that Pigafetta gave to Ferdinand Magellan as fair?

He was a famous military man and sailor. The Portuguese managed to win the favor of the Spanish king. who allowed us to collect round the world expedition. Spanish merchants gave money for the expedition, believing Magellan that the journey would be profitable. Suppressed the rebellion of the Spanish captains. He had authority among all the sailors of the expedition. Managed to calculate the path across the ocean. Found a strait connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. He fought bravely and died in battle with the natives. The expedition brought huge profits, many times higher than the costs.

Magellanic strait-strait, dividing the archipelago Tierra del Fuego and continental South America.

4. How many days did the voyage across the Pacific Ocean last?

Almost 4 months, about 111 days. On November 28, he set out with 3 ships into an unknown ocean (called it Pacific because of the weather), and on March 15, the expedition approached the large Philippine archipelago.

Cartographic workshop.

Trace the route of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition on the map and name the geographical objects through which he passed.