The history of travel around the world: from Magellan to Picard. Magellan's first circumnavigation of the world The expedition of Ferdinand Magellan circled the globe moving

Ferdinand Magellan (Fernand de Magalhães)- a Portuguese (Spanish) navigator who circumnavigated the Earth on his ship "Victoria", and, as official history says, he was the first to do so. One strait was even named after him.
So Ferdinand Magellan was the man who commanded the first expedition that made the first circumnavigation of the Earth. One thing you need to understand is that only official versions and the sources that have reached us, there may have been expeditions before. But only Ferdinand Magellan has a historically confirmed trip around the world.
The round-the-world expedition was prepared for several years and on September 20, 1519, a squadron consisting of 5 ships and 256 people, led by Magellan, left the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda (the mouth of the Guadalquivir River) and moved towards South America and on November 29 the squadron reached the shores of Brazil.
On March 6, 1521, the squadron saw the island of Guam big Island from the archipelago Mariana Islands, which now belongs to the United States, it is next to it that the deepest place on Earth is located - the Mariana Trench. At that time, the island was already inhabited. There is no point in writing about the details of Magellan’s presence on the island, they say most of This story is fiction.
Next was today's Philippines, where on April 7, 1521, the flotilla entered the port of Cebu Island, Philippines.
On April 27, on the island of Mactan in the Philippines, Magellan died at the hands of rebel Filipinos.
Next were the Moluccas and the possible purchase of spices.
Only the ship "Victoria" under the leadership of Juan Sebastian Elcano made it back, which with difficulty rounded the cape Good Hope and then for two months she went straight to the northwest along the African coast to Spain.
And on September 6, 1522, “Victoria” finally reached Spain, arriving in Seville. The only remaining ship had eighteen surviving crew members. Later, in 1525, four more of the 55 crew members of the ship Trinidad were taken to Spain. Then the crew members of the Victoria ship, who were captured by the Portuguese during a forced stay in July on the islands, were ransomed and returned. Cape Verde in Portugal.

And the purpose of Magellan’s journey, according to the stories of historians, was banal and simple: he did not want to be a discoverer or the first person to travel around the world, he simply went for spices: pepper, cinnamon and others growing on the Moluccas Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
But there is a more sensible reasoning on this matter: at that time bronze had value, and it, in turn, cannot be obtained without tin, which is why Ferdinand Magellan went fishing. He sailed not only to the Moluccas, but also to Malaysia, where there was tin in the beach sands on the coast. There was also tin ore in Yemen and Singapore. Therefore, according to another version of historians, this reason for the journey was more rational than, for example, spices.

Map of Ferdinand Magellan's voyage around the world 1519 -1522

A modern copy of Ferdinand Magellan's ship "Victoria"

BBC documentary in the best traditions about the journey of Ferdinand Magellan

Magellan's ships leave for Pacific Ocean

On September 6, 1522, a ship entered the Spanish port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River, whose appearance indicated a long and difficult journey. This ship was called "Victoria". Those from local residents Those who had a good memory, not without some difficulty, recognized the arriving wanderer as one of the five ships of the expedition that sailed from this harbor almost three years ago. I remembered that it was commanded by a stubborn Portuguese, whose appointment to this position caused a lot of rumors. I think his name was Ferdinand Magellan. However, the residents of Sanlúcar de Barrameda did not see either the leader of the expedition or his numerous companions. Instead, they saw the battered Victoria and on board a handful of exhausted people who looked like the living dead.

The captain of the Victoria, Juan Sebastian Elcano, first of all sent a message to the royal residence of Valladolid about the return to Spain of one of the five ships of “fernand Magellan of blessed memory.” Two days later, the Victoria was towed to Seville, where the surviving 18 crew members, barefoot and holding candles, went to church to thank the Almighty for their, albeit not entirely safe, return. Juan Elcano was summoned to Valladolid, where he was received by the King of Spain and also the Holy Roman Emperor Charles. The monarch awarded the captain a coat of arms with an image of the earth and the inscription “You were the first to go around me.” Also, Elcano was granted an annual pension of 500 ducats, with the payment of which some difficulties arose - the state treasury was empty. However, the organizers of the expedition did not lose out, despite the fact that only one ship out of five returned home. The Victoria's holds were filled with rare and expensive overseas goods, the proceeds from the sale of which more than covered all the expenses of the expedition. Thus ended the first trip around the world.

Gold, spices and distant islands

European colonial expansion, which began in the 15th century, continued to gain momentum in the 16th. At the forefront of the race for colonial goods, which were fabulously expensive in the then Old World, were the powers of the Iberian Peninsula - Spain and Portugal. It was Lisbon who was the first to reach legendary India and begin to receive much-desired profits from it. Later, the Portuguese paved the way to the Moluccas, known in Europe as the Spice Islands.

At first glance, the successes of their neighbors on the peninsula also looked impressive. Having destroyed the last Muslim state in the Pyrenees, the Emirate of Granada, the Spaniards found themselves with untied hands and an empty treasury. Most in a simple way The solution to the budget problem was to find a way to penetrate the rich eastern countries, which were talked about at that time in every self-respecting court. A temperamental and very persistent Genoese had long been swirling around the then royal couple, Their Majesties Ferdinand and Isabella. For some, his stubbornness caused irritation, for others, a condescending smile. However, Cristobal Colon (that was the name of this energetic man) found serious patrons, and the queen began to listen to his speeches. As a result, three caravels set off across the ocean, the voyage of which opened a new page in European history.

Returning in triumph, Colon, or, as he was called in Spain, Christopher Columbus, spoke a lot about the lands he had discovered. However, the amount of gold with which he accompanied his narratives was very limited. However, the credit of confidence received by the discoverer of what was then believed to be Indium was very high, and three more expeditions went overseas, one after another. Number of islands and lands, discovered by Columbus overseas, everything increased, but the joy in Spain from these discoveries decreased. The amount of jewelry and other expensive goods brought to Europe was small, local population I had no desire at all to work meekly for the white aliens, or to move into the bosom of the true church. Colorful tropical islands did not evoke lyrical moods among the proud and poor hidalgos, hardened in the merciless Moorish wars, who were only interested in gold.

It soon became clear that the lands discovered by Columbus were neither China nor the Indies, but represented a completely new continent. In addition, the successfully completed voyage of Vasco da Gama showed the last stubborn skeptics what real India is and how to reach it. The Spaniards' neighbors on the peninsula counted the growing profits and watched with a fair amount of irony as the Spaniards looked for wealth on picturesque, but from the point of view of that time, unprofitable islands. The Spanish treasury, like any other, needed replenishment. The victorious Moors had far-reaching plans. Turkish expansion in the eastern Mediterranean was gaining strength, a conflict was brewing with France over the Apennine Peninsula, and there were other matters in the ever-turbulent Europe. All this required money – and a lot of it.

And now, in high circles, again, as almost 30 years before, an energetic man appeared who claimed that he had a plan to get to the Spice Islands. And, like Christopher Columbus, he too was a foreigner. Moreover, the piquancy of the situation was added by the fact that until recently this generator of strategic ideas was in the service of competitors, that is, he was Portuguese. His name was Ferdinand Magellan.

Portuguese

Magellan was neither a projector nor an adventurer. By the time he began promoting his project in 1518, he was already an experienced navigator and a man versed in military affairs. He also possessed extensive knowledge and skills, which gave his words weight. Magellan was born in 1480 in Portugal, where his last name sounded like Magalhães, into an old aristocratic family with Norman roots. The boy, who lost his parents early, was assigned by his relatives as a page to Queen Leonora, the wife of King João II the Perfect. His court service continued with the new monarch Manuel I. Magellan was noticed due to his outstanding personal qualities, strength of character and good education.

The king allowed the young man to travel to the East with Francisco de Almeida, the first viceroy of the Portuguese possessions in India. Arriving in legendary India, Magellan found himself in the thick of political, military and economic events. For a long time, the de facto masters of the local waters, the Arab sailors were not at all delighted with the dangerous and determined competitors that had appeared. The future great navigator takes part in numerous military battles with the Arabs. In one of these battles, he was wounded in the leg, which subsequently gave his gait a slight limp. In 1511, under the leadership of the now new governor Afonso de Albuquerque, Magellan took a direct part in the siege and capture of Malacca, which became one of the strongholds of Portuguese expansion in the East.

Seeing that local islands rich in spices that are fabulously expensive in Europe, the navigator gradually comes to the idea of finding another way to regions abounding in various riches Indian Ocean. It was then that Magellan began to formulate the concept of a route to the East directly, across the Atlantic, since the route around Africa seemed longer and more dangerous. For this purpose, it was only necessary to find a strait located somewhere, according to the Portuguese, among the lands discovered by Columbus and his followers. So far no one had been able to find him, but Magellan was sure that he would be lucky.

All that was left to do was to persuade the king. But this is precisely where difficulties arose. Returning from the Portuguese possessions in the East, Magellan went to fight in Morocco in 1514. Due to an official incident, the Portuguese had the chance to present his project to the king. However, neither Manuel I nor his entourage were interested in Magellan’s ideas - the path to the Spice Islands around the Cape of Good Hope was considered dangerous, but proven, and the question of the existence of a mysterious strait between the Atlantic and the South Sea, recently discovered by de Balboa, was considered not so important. Relations between the Portuguese king and Magellan had long left much to be desired: twice he was denied petitions for the Highest Name - the last time it was a matter of “feed” money that was due to Magellan as a courtier.

Considering himself insulted, the Portuguese decided to try his luck in neighboring Spain. Having asked King Manuel to relieve him of his official duties, Magellan moved to Seville in the fall of 1517. The famous Portuguese astronomer Rui Faleiro arrived in Spain with him. Meanwhile, the young Charles I, who was the grandson of the famous Ferdinand through the female line, ascended the Spanish throne. On the male side, the young monarch was the grandson of Maximilian I of Habsburg. Soon Charles becomes Holy Roman Emperor under the name Charles V. He was ambitious and full of various political projects, so Magellan's initiative could come in handy.

Magellan arrived in Seville and immediately began to act. Together with Faleiro, they appeared at the nearby Council of the Indies, an institution dealing with the newly discovered territories and colonies, and stated that, according to their accurate calculations, the Moluccas, the main source of spices for Portugal, were located, contrary to the agreement signed between the two monarchies through the mediation of the Pope. agreement in Tordesillas, in the territory allocated to Spain. So the “oversight” that has arisen needs to be corrected.

Subsequently, fortunately for the Portuguese, it turned out that Faleiro was mistaken. In the meantime, local authorities in colonial and trade affairs listened to the fiery speeches of the Portuguese emigrant with skepticism, advising them to look for listeners in other places. And yet, one of the leaders of this serious organization named Juan de Aranda decided to personally talk with the Portuguese and, after some thought, found his arguments not without meaning, especially considering the future modest 20% of the profit.

The following months resembled a slow and deliberate climb up the long staircase of the state apparatus, with successive penetration into increasingly higher apartments. At the beginning of 1518, Aranda arranged an audience for Magellan with Emperor Charles in Valladolid. The arguments of the Portuguese and his actual companion Faleiro were convincing, especially since he argued that the Moluccas, according to his calculations, were only a few hundred miles from Spanish Panama. Charles was inspired and on March 8, 1518 he signed a decree on preparations for the expedition.

Magellan and Faleiro were appointed its leaders with the rank of captain general. They were supposed to have 5 ships with crews - about 250 people - at their disposal. In addition, the Portuguese were promised a profit from the enterprise in the amount of one fifth. Preparations began soon after the decree was signed, but continued for a very long time. There were several reasons. First of all, it was unstable financing. Secondly, many were not delighted by the fact that the Portuguese, with whose homeland Spain had very difficult relations, were appointed leaders of such a large-scale project. Thirdly, feeling like specialists whose opinions were ignored, the lords from the Council of the Indies began to sabotage preparations for the expedition.

We must not forget about the army of suppliers and contractors who rolled up their sleeves, who improved their own well-being to the best of their ability by supplying low-quality food, equipment and materials. All the ships preparing to sail turned out to be by “an unfortunate accident” not new at all. The Portuguese authorities also sabotaged the event as best they could. At the court of King Manuel I, the issue of assassinating Magellan was even seriously discussed, but this idea was wisely abandoned. The navigator's companion, the astronomer Faleiro, sensing the winds that were beginning to blow into the still unstretched sails of the caravels, considered it best to play mad and stay on the shore. Juan de Cartagena was appointed to replace Magellan, with whom there would still be a lot of trouble, including a rebellion.

Despite all the obstacles, preparations continued. The soul of the entire enterprise was Ferdinand Magellan. He chose the 100-ton Trinidad as his flagship. In addition to it, the squadron included the 120-ton "San Antonio" (Captain Juan de Cartagena, part-time royal controller of the expedition), the 90-ton "Concepcion" (Captain Gaspar Quezada), the 85-ton "Victoria" (Luis Mendoza) and the smallest, 75-ton "Santiago" (under the command of Juan Serano). The crew consisted of 293 people, including 26 people who were taken on board in excess of the staff. One of them, the Italian nobleman Antonio Pigafetta, would later make up detailed description odyssey.

The exact number of participants in the voyage is still controversial. Some of the sailors were Portuguese - a necessary measure, since their Spanish colleagues were in no hurry to enroll in the crews. There were representatives of other nationalities. The ships were loaded with provisions for two years of voyage and a certain amount of goods for trade with the natives. In addition, in case of bad relations with the local population, there were 70 ship cannons, 50 arquebuses, crossbows and about a hundred sets of armor.

On August 10, 1519, the squadron left the piers of Seville and descended along the Guadalquivir River to the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Here, waiting for favorable winds, five caravels stood for almost a month. Magellan had something to do - already at the first stage of the campaign, part of the food turned out to be spoiled, and it had to be hastily replaced. Finally, on Tuesday, September 20, 1519, the squadron left the shores of Spain and headed southwest. None of the pioneers on board suspected how long their journey would be.

Atlantic and conspiracy

Six days after sailing, the flotilla arrived in Tenerife in the Canary Islands and stayed there for almost a week, replenishing water and provisions. Here Magellan received two unpleasant ones. The first of them, brought by a caravel that came from Spain, was sent to the captain-general by his friends, who reported that captains Cartagena, Mendoza and Quesada had formed a conspiracy, the purpose of which was to remove Magellan from command of the expedition due to the fact that he was Portuguese, and with resistance kill him. The second news came from the supplier of salted cod: the king of Portugal sent two squadrons to the Atlantic to intercept Magellan's ships.

The first news caused the need to strengthen surveillance of the unreliable Spaniards, the second forced us to change the route and go across the ocean somewhat south of the intended route, which lengthened the already considerable journey. Magellan set a new course along the coast of Africa. It subsequently turned out that the news about the Portuguese squadrons turned out to be false. The flotilla moved south rather than west as planned, causing confusion among the Spanish captains, already irritated by the very fact of his command. Towards the end of October - beginning of November, discontent reached its climax.

The first to lose his nerve was Juan de Cartagena, captain of San Antonio. By order of Magellan, the ships of his flotilla were to approach the flagship Trinidad every day and report on the situation. During this procedure, Cartagena did not call his superior “captain general,” as expected, but simply “captain.” The San Antonio captain did not respond to the remark about the need to follow the charter. The situation became tense. A few days later, Magellan gathered his captains aboard his flagship. Cartagena began to shout and demand an explanation from the expedition leader why the flotilla was taking the wrong course. In response, Magellan, well aware of the mood among some of his subordinates, grabbed the captain of the San Antonio by the collar and declared him a rebel, ordering him to be placed under arrest. Instead, Magellan's relative, the Portuguese Alvaro Mishkita, was appointed captain. However, Cartagena was sent under arrest not to the flagship, but to the Concepcion, where the conditions of detention were quite mild.

Soon the flotilla left the calm zone and moved towards the shores of South America. On November 29, 1519, Spanish ships finally spotted the much-desired land. In an effort to avoid meeting the Portuguese, Magellan sailed his ships along the coast to the south and on December 13 dropped anchor in the bay of Rio de Janeiro. After giving rest to the tired crews and celebrating Christmas, the expedition moved further south, trying to find the coveted strait in the South Sea.

Mutiny

In January of the new year 1520, Magellan's ships reached the mouth of the huge La Plata River, discovered in 1516 by Juan de Solis. The Portuguese assumed that the desired strait could be located somewhere in local waters. The smallest and fastest ship of the expedition, the Santiago, was sent for reconnaissance. Upon returning, Captain Juan Serano reported that no strait could be found.

Not losing confidence, Magellan moved further south. The climate gradually became more moderate - instead of the tropics originally encountered on the South American coast, ships now observed increasingly deserted terrain. The occasional Indians with a rather primitive way of life did not know iron and, apparently, saw white people for the first time. Fearing that they would miss the strait, the flotilla moved along the coast and anchored at night. On February 13, 1520, in the bay of Bahia Blanca, the ships were caught in an unprecedented thunderstorm, and the lights of St. Elmo were seen on the masts. Moving further south, the Europeans met large herds of penguins, which they mistook for tailless ducks.

The weather deteriorated, becoming increasingly stormy, the temperature dropped, and on March 31, reaching quiet bay, named San Julian (49° south latitude), Magellan decided to stay in it and spend the winter. Not forgetting that the mood in his flotilla was far from calm, the captain-general positioned his ships as follows: four of them were in the bay, and the flagship Trinidad anchored at its entrance - just in case. There were good reasons for this - the search for a passage did not yield results, there was uncertainty ahead, and Magellan’s ill-wishers began to spread the opinion of the need to return to Spain.

On April 1, Palm Sunday, a festive dinner was given on board the flagship Trinidad, to which the captains of the ships were invited. The captains of "Victoria" and "Concepcion" did not appear. On the night of April 2, a mutiny began on the flotilla. Juan de Cartagena, who was in custody, was released. Victoria and Concepcion were captured without much difficulty. Captain Alvaru Mishkita, appointed there by Magellan, was arrested on the San Antonio. Only the small Santiago remained faithful to the commander of the expedition.

The balance of forces, at first glance, was very unfavorable for the captain-general and his supporters. His two ships were opposed by three rebel ships. However, Magellan not only did not lose his head, but also showed determination. Soon a boat arrived at the Trinidad with a letter for the leader of the expedition. The rebel captains brought a whole mountain of accusations against Magellan, who, in their opinion, brought the expedition to the brink of death. They were ready to submit to him again only as the first captain of equals, and not as a “captain general,” and then only if the flotilla immediately returned to Spain.

Magellan began to act immediately. Alguacil Gonzalo Gomez de Espinosa, a devotee of Magellan, was sent to the Victoria with a letter to her captain Mendoza. Having reached the Victoria, he handed Mendoza a letter and Magellan's request to come to Trinidad for negotiations. When the rebel refused and crumpled the message, Espinosa dealt him a fatal blow with a dagger. The people accompanying the officer took possession of the Victoria, which soon anchored near the flagship and the Santiago. The situation for those wishing to return to Spain at any cost has deteriorated sharply.

At night, "San Antonio" tried to break into the sea, but they were waiting for him. A salvo of cannons was fired at the ship, and its deck was showered with crossbow arrows. The frightened sailors hastened to disarm the enraged Gaspar Quesada and surrendered. Juan de Cartagena, who was on the Concepción, decided not to play with fire and stopped resisting. Soon a trial was held, which declared the leaders of the rebellion and their active accomplices (about 40 people) traitors and sentenced them to death. However, Magellan immediately pardoned them and replaced the execution with hard labor during the entire winter. Gaspar Quesada, who mortally wounded one of the officers loyal to Magellan, was beheaded and the corpse was quartered. Former rebels were engaged in socially useful work in the form of chopping wood and pumping water from the holds. The pardoned Cartagena did not calm down and began again to conduct counter-expeditionary agitation. This time Magellan’s patience was exhausted, and the royal controller was left on the shore of the bay along with the priest who was actively helping him in propaganda. Nothing is known about their fate.

Strait and Pacific Ocean

The mutiny was left behind, and the stay in San Julian Bay continued. In early May, Magellan sent the Santiago south for reconnaissance, but in stormy weather it crashed on the rocks near the Santa Cruz River, killing one sailor. With great difficulty, the crew returned to the parking lot. Juan Serano, who lost his ship, was appointed captain of the Concepción. On August 24, 1520, Magellan left San Julian Bay and arrived at the mouth of the Santa Cruz River. There, waiting for good weather, the ships remained until mid-October. On October 18, the flotilla left its anchorage and moved south. Before leaving, Magellan informed his captains that he would look for a passage to the South Sea to 75° south latitude, and if unsuccessful, he would turn east and move to the Moluccas around the Cape of Good Hope.

On October 21, a narrow passage leading inland was finally discovered. The San Antonio and Concepcion, sent on reconnaissance, were caught in a storm, but were able to take refuge in the bay, from which a new strait, in turn, led further to the west. The scouts returned with news of a possible passage. Soon the flotilla, having entered open strait, found herself in a tangle of rocks and narrow passages. A few days later, near Dawson Island, Magellan noticed two channels: one went to southeast direction, the other is in the southwest. The Concepcion and San Antonio were sent to the first, and the boat to the second.

The boat returned three days later with good news: a large open water. "Trinidad" and "Victoria" entered the southwest channel and remained at anchor for four days. Having moved to the previous parking lot, they found only “Concepcion”. San Antonio has disappeared. The search, which lasted several days, yielded no results. Only later, the surviving members of the expedition, who returned home on the Victoria, learned about the fate of this ship. A mutiny led by officers broke out on board. Captain Mishkita, loyal to Magellan, was shackled, and the San Antonio turned back. In March 1521 he returned to Spain, where the rebels declared Magellan a traitor. At first they believed them: the wife of the captain-general was deprived of her salary, and surveillance was established over her. Magellan did not know all this - on November 28, 1520, his ships finally entered the Pacific Ocean.

Islands, natives and the death of Magellan

Juan Sebastian Elcano

A long voyage across the Pacific Ocean began. In an effort to quickly get the ships out of the cold latitudes, Magellan led them first strictly north, and after 15 days he turned to the northwest. Crossing such a vast area of water lasted almost four months. The weather was good, which gave rise to calling this ocean the Pacific. During the voyage, the crews experienced incredible difficulties associated with an acute shortage of provisions. Part of it has deteriorated and become unusable. Scurvy was rampant, from which 19 people died. Ironically, the flotilla passed by islands and archipelagos, including inhabited ones, only landing on small uninhabited pieces of land twice.

On March 6, 1521, two were sighted big islands- Guam and Rota. The local population seemed friendly and thieving to the Europeans. A punitive expedition was landed on the shore, killing several natives and setting their settlement on fire. A few days later, the flotilla reached the Philippine archipelago, which, however, was well known to Chinese sailors. On March 17, the ships dropped anchor off desert island Homonkhom, where something like a field hospital was equipped for sick crew members. Fresh provisions, vegetables and fruits allowed people to quickly restore their strength, and the expedition continued its journey among numerous islands.

On one of them, Magellan's slave from Portuguese times, the Malayan Enrique, met people whose language he understood. The captain general realized that the Spice Islands were somewhere nearby. On April 7, 1521, the ships reached the harbor of the city of Cebu on the island of the same name. Here the Europeans had already found a culture, although it was far behind them in technical terms. Products from China were discovered among local residents, and the Arab merchants they met told a lot of interesting things about the local lands, which were well known to both the Arabs and the Chinese.

The Spanish ships made a huge impression on the islanders, and the ruler of Cebu, Raja Hubomon, after thinking about it, decided to surrender under the protection of distant Spain. To facilitate the process, he, his family and his closest associates were baptized. Consolidating his success and wanting to show his new allies the power of the European Empire, Magellan intervened in an internecine conflict with the ruler of the island of Mactan.

On the night of April 27, 1521, Magellan and 60 Europeans, along with allied natives, set off in boats to the rebellious island. Because of the reefs, the ships were unable to come close to the shore and support the landing force with fire. Magellan's companions were met by superior forces - the natives showered the Europeans with arrows and put them to flight. Magellan himself, who was covering the retreat, was killed. Besides him, 8 more Spaniards died. The prestige of the “patrons” fell to dangerously low levels. Their authority simply collapsed after an unsuccessful attempt to buy Magellan’s body from the natives, who turned out to be not so accommodating. Dejected by the loss of the captain, the Spaniards decided to leave Cebu.

By this time, in exchange for fabrics and iron products, they managed to trade a large number of spices. The local rajah, having learned of the “patrons’” intention to leave, hospitably invited their commanders (the expedition was now commanded by Juan Serano and Magellan’s brother-in-law Duarte Barbosa) to a farewell feast. The feast gradually developed into a pre-planned massacre - all the guests were killed. This turn of events accelerated the departure of the ships of the expedition, in the ranks of which 115 people remained, most of them were sick. The dilapidated "Concepcion" was soon burned, and only the "Trinidad" and "Victoria" remained on the move for the exhausted travelers.

After wandering for several months in waters unknown to them, in November 1521 the Spaniards finally reached the Moluccas, where they were able to purchase spices in abundance, since goods for exchange survived. Having reached their goal after much ordeal and difficulty, the surviving members of the expedition decided to split up to be sure, so that at least one of the ships would reach Spanish territory. The hastily repaired Trinidad was to sail to Panama under the command of Gonzalo Espinosa. The second, "Victoria" under the command of the Basque Juan Sebastian Elcano, was to return to Europe, taking a route around the Cape of Good Hope. The fate of Trinidad was tragic. Having encountered a strip of headwinds along the way, he was forced to return to the Moluccas and was captured by the Portuguese. Only a few of his crew, having survived prison and hard labor, returned to their homeland.

Replica of the Victoria carrack built by the Czech navigator Rudolf Krautschneider

The journey of the Victoria, which began on December 21, 1521, was long and dramatic. She initially had 60 crew on board, including 13 Malays. On May 20, 1522, the Victoria rounded the Cape of Good Hope. By the time we find ourselves in the already familiar Atlantic personnel"Victoria" was reduced to 35 people. The situation with provisions was critical, and Elcano was forced to enter the Cape Verde Islands, which belonged to Lisbon, posing as Portuguese. Then it turned out that, traveling from west to east, the sailors “lost” one day. The deception was exposed, and 13 sailors remained arrested on the shore.

On September 6, 1522, the Victoria reached the mouth of the Guadalquivir, completing a trip around the world. For some time, Magellan's record remained unbroken until it was done by one gentleman, a subject of Queen Elizabeth, whose expedition did not at all resemble a trade or scientific one.

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Ferdinand Magellan - Portuguese navigator. Born in 1470 into a noble family. As a child, he served as a page in the retinue of the Portuguese queen, received a good education, studied cosmography, navigation and astronomy.

In March 1518 in spanish city In Valladolid, where he died twelve years earlier, the Royal Council considered Ferdinand Magellan’s project for a sea voyage along the southwestern route to the Spice Islands, to these “wonderful Malacca Islands, the possession of which will enrich Spain!”

flagship caravel "Trinidad"

In September 1519, a flotilla of five ships departed from Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The flagship was "Trinidad" with a displacement of 110 tons. A small man with a rough beard and cold, prickly eyes looked at the receding shore and occasionally gave short commands.

A forty-year-old nobleman from the Portuguese outback, now the chief captain of the fleet, Fernan de Magalhães, achieved the goal that he had been pursuing for many years. He has participated in pirate raids on the African cities of Quiloa and Mombasa, trips to India and Malay Archipelago, Banda Island, where nutmeg grows in abundance, and Ternate Island, home to the world's best cloves. But the gold went into other hands. Now here it is, a flotilla that will bring him wealth. His project was rejected by the Portuguese King Manuel, but an agreement was concluded with the King of Spain Charles V, according to which a twentieth of the income from the newly discovered lands would go to him, Ferdinand Magellan.

Ferdinand Magellan's expedition in the ocean

Ships, of course, were not new. And “San Antonio”, “Concepcion”, “Victoria”, “Sant Iago”, they have all seen a lot in their time, and the crew are mainly visitors to port taverns. But a fresh wind filled the sails. Magellan's relatively safe voyage lasted only a few days, until Canary Islands. Chief Captain fleet refused the recommendation of the Portuguese sailing directions and, having reached the latitude of the Gulf of Guinea, his caravels turned to the southwest. The flagship's decision displeased Juan de Cartagena, a relative of the king, captain of the San Antonio, appointed inspector of the expedition by Charles V. As soon as the flotilla crossed the equator, the inspector announced that he was violating royal instructions. A heated argument ended with an order for the arrest of the inspector. Cartagena harbors a grudge. In the end of November caravels reached Brazil, and on January 10 entered the mouth of La Plata. For the first time, the name “Montvidi” was applied to the map of the area (now the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo, is located here). Great Magellan frantically searching for a strait into the South Sea. But neither La Plata nor San Matias Bay lived up to the hopes of the expedition. The captain decided to take refuge for the winter in the harbor of San Julian. The irony of fate: the sailors were literally next to the strait they were looking for. On April 2, 1519, a mutiny broke out among the expedition members, but thanks to strength and cunning Magellan order was restored. It was necessary to have strong-willed qualities in order to continue sailing with people who were ready for any betrayal for their own benefit. It was the persistence of the captain of the flotilla that led to the opening of the passage from the Atlantic to the South Sea. At the 52nd parallel south, a wide recess opened, reconnaissance, consisting of two vessels, confirmed that this was not a river - there was salt water everywhere.

Fernand world map Magellan

After a twenty-day voyage along the strait, it was later named after the discoverer, Magellan We saw another sea in front of us - the South Sea. The desired goal was achieved. In the vast ocean, the captain never encountered a storm. The ocean was surprisingly quiet and calm. It was called “Pacifico” - “Quiet”, “Peaceful”. In the 17th century, this name was finally established instead of the name “South Sea”. Severe hunger and disease plagued travelers. It took three months to cross the ocean and reach the lush Mariana Islands. A new stage of the expedition has begun - acquaintances and battles, where the leader dies in one of them. This is how the great navigator crossed two oceans to find his end in a robber skirmish! And only two ships completed the mission Ferdinand Magellan- they saw the Spice Islands, located in the Moluccas archipelago. The ships loaded with spices set off on their return journey. "Trinidad" went to the shores of Panama through the Pacific Ocean, "Victoria" - through the Indian and Atlantic Oceans to Spain. The ship "Trinidad" wandered for six months in the waters of the Pacific Ocean and was forced to return to the Moluccas. The sailors were captured, where they died in prisons and on plantations.

caravel "Victoria"

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese and Spanish explorer who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. This message is a story about him and his great journey that turned the world upside down.

The life of a traveler before his discoveries

Brief facts from the biography:

F. Magellan was born in Portuguese city Sabrose in 1480
At the age of 12, the boy received the opportunity to serve as a page to the Portuguese queen. So from 1492 to 1504 he was part of the retinue at the royal court, where he received his education. He studied sciences such as astronomy, cosmography, navigation, geometry, and naval warfare. And here he learned how important it is for Portugal to develop economic relations with other countries and open new trade routes for their development.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, there was an active competitive struggle between Spain and Portugal to seize lands and develop new ones sea routes. The winner received not only new territories and subjects, but also more opportunities to trade with different countries. Economic and trade ties with India and the Moluccas (called the Spice Islands in those days) were considered especially important due to the spice trade.

In the Middle Ages spices were the most expensive commodity and brought fabulous profits to European traders. Therefore, the issue of dominance in trade relations was fundamentally important.

From 1505 to 1513, Magellan took part in naval battles and proved himself to be a brave warrior. For these qualities he was awarded the rank of sea captain. It was probably during this period, during numerous campaigns to the Indian shores, that Magellan had the idea that the route to India in the eastern direction was too long. Following the traditional route, which was established after, the sailors had to go around Africa, passing its western and eastern coasts and cross the Arabian Sea. One side had to spend about 10 months on the entire journey. Magellan decided that it might be possible to shorten the distance if he went west. According to one version, it was then that the idea of finding a strait in the South Sea. Neither Magellan nor other travelers of that time had any idea about the true size of the Earth.
The idea of finding a new trade route did not find support from the Portuguese king, and after resigning from service, Magellan went to live in Spain in 1517, where he went into the service of the Spanish king Charles 1. He was already 37 years old and from that moment in his biography the traveler new great pages appear.

Magellan's Expedition

Having received the support of the Spanish King and funding from the Spanish budget, Magellan began organizing the expedition. It took about 2 years to prepare for it.

In September 1519, little flotilla consisting of 5 sailing ships and 256 sailors on them, left the Spanish port of San Lucaras and headed towards the Canary Islands. On December 13, 1519, sailors entered the Bay of Banya Santa Lucia (Rio de Janeiro Bay today), previously discovered by the Portuguese.

Then the journey continued along the coast of South America and in January 1520 the flotilla passed land where the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo, is located today. Previously, this place was discovered by the Spanish explorer Juan Solis, who believed that there was a passage to the South Sea.

In October 1520, the flotilla entered another unknown bay. The 2 ships sent for reconnaissance returned to the other ships only a week later and reported that they were unable to reach the end of the bay and that there was probably a sea strait in front of them. The expedition sets off.

By mid-November 1920, having overcome a narrow, winding strait strewn with rocks and shoals, the ships reached an ocean not marked on any map.

Later this strait will be named after Magellan - the Strait of Magellan. The strait separates the continental part of South America and the islands of Tierra del Fuego and connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

The journey of Magellan and his team lasted for 98 days. South Sea. During the journey, nature was favorable to the captain and he was lucky to pass this part of the journey without storms, hurricanes and storms. That's why The navigator gave the South Sea a new name - the Pacific Ocean.

By the time the expedition reached the Mariana Islands, 13 thousand kilometers had already been covered. It was the world's first non-stop journey of such length.

Having replenished food supplies on the island. Guam, in March 1521, the expedition moved on in search of the Moluccas or Spice Islands, as they were then called.

Magellan is here decided to subjugate the lands and natives power of the Spanish king. Part of the population obeyed the visiting Europeans, while the other part refused to recognize the power of Spain. Then Magellan used force and with his team attacked the inhabitants of the island. Mactan. He died in a battle with the natives.

Sebastian Elcano, an experienced and brave sailor who had experience leading the ship's crew, took over the leadership of the expedition and the surviving Spaniards.

For six months, the remnants of the flotilla plied the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and in November 1521 the ships of the expedition reached the Spice Islands. In December 1521, the only ship remaining from the flotilla, loaded with herbs and spices, heads west and sets sail for home. He has to travel 15,000 kilometers: Indian and part Atlantic Ocean- to the Strait of Gibraltar.

In Spain the expedition was no longer expected back. However, in September 1522, the ship entered the Spanish port of Sant Lucar.

Thus ended the great campaign, as a result of which for the first time it was possible to circumnavigate the earth under sail. Despite the fact that Magellan himself, the initiator and ideological inspirer of the campaign, did not live to see the triumphant conclusion of the expedition, his undertaking was of great importance for the further development of science.

Results of Magellan's expedition:

Of all the European travelers, he was the first to cross the Pacific Ocean.
The world's first documented circumnavigation was completed.
As a result of the expedition it was proven that:
1. The earth has a spherical shape because it constantly adheres to western direction, the expedition returned to Spain from the east.
2. The earth is covered not by separate bodies of water, but by a single World Ocean that washes the land and occupies the ocean much more large areas than expected.
A previously unknown strait was discovered connecting the Atlantic with the Pacific Ocean, which was later named the Strait of Magellan.
New islands were discovered, later named after him.

If this message was useful to you, I would be glad to see you

The man under whose leadership the first trip around the world took place was Ferdinand Magellan. From the very beginning, when before sailing part of the command staff (primarily sailors) refused to serve the Portuguese, it became obvious that this circumnavigation will be extremely difficult.

The beginning of a trip around the world. Magellan's Path

On August 10, 1519, 5 ships left the port of Seville and set off on a voyage, the goals of which were based only on Magellan’s intuition. In those days, no one believed that the Earth was round, and naturally, this caused great concern among the sailors, because as they moved further and further from the port, their fear of never returning home grew stronger.

The expedition included the following ships: “Trinidad” (under the command of Magellan, the head of the expedition), “Santo Antonio”, “Concepcion”, “Sant Iago” and the carrack Victoria (later one of the two ships that returned back).

The most interesting thing for you!

The first clash of interests occurred near the Canary Islands, when Magellan, without warning or agreement with other captains, slightly changed course. Juan de Cartagena (captain of the Santo Antonio) harshly criticized Magellan, and after Fernand refused to go back to his previous course, he began to persuade the officers and sailors. Having learned about this, the head of the expedition called the rebel to him, and in the presence of other officers he ordered him to be shackled and thrown into the hold.

One of the passengers on the first trip around the world was Antonio Pifaghetta, a man who described all the adventures in his diary. It is thanks to him that we know such exact facts of the expedition. It should be noted that riots have always been a great danger, for example, the sailing ship Bounty became famous thanks to the mutiny against its captain William Bligh.

However, fate decreed otherwise for Bly; he still managed to become a hero in the service of Horatio Nelson. Magellan's circumnavigation of the world predates the year of Admiral Nelson's birth by about 200 years.

The hardships of circumnavigation for sailors and officers

Meanwhile, some officers and sailors began to express open dissatisfaction with the voyage, they called a riot demanding they return back to Spain. Ferdinand Magellan was determined and put an end to the uprising by force. The captain of the Victoria (one of the instigators) was killed. Seeing Magellan’s determination, no one else contradicted him, but the next night 2 ships voluntarily tried to sail home. The plan failed and both captains, once on the deck of the Trinidad, were put on trial and shot.

Having survived the winter, the ships set off back on the same course, the trip around the world continued - Magellan was sure that the strait in South America exists. And he was not mistaken. On October 21, the squadron reached the cape (now called Cape Virgenes), which turned out to be a strait. The fleet traveled through the strait for 22 days. This time was enough for the captain of the ship "Santo Antonio" to disappear from sight and go back to Spain. Coming out of the strait, the sailing ships entered the Pacific Ocean for the first time. By the way, the name of the ocean was invented by Magellan, since during 4 months of difficult passage along it, the ships never got caught in a storm. However, in fact, the ocean is not so quiet; James Cook, who visited these waters more than once 250 years later, was not happy with it.

Having emerged from the strait, the squadron of discoverers moved into the unknown, where the round-the-world journey lasted for 4 months of continuous wanderings across the ocean, without encountering a single piece of land (not counting 2 islands that turned out to be deserted). 4 months is a very good indicator for those times, but the fastest clipper of Thermopylae could cover this distance in less than a month, and Cutty Sark, by the way, too. At the beginning of March 1521, the pioneers saw inhabited islands on the horizon, which Magellan later named Landrones and Vorovskiye.

Circumnavigation: half way completed

So, for the first time in history, the sailors crossed the Pacific Ocean and found themselves on inhabited islands. In this regard, the trip around the world began to bear fruit. Not only supplies were replenished there fresh water, but also food supplies, for which the sailors exchanged all sorts of little things with the natives. But the behavior of the tribe's inhabitants forced them to quickly leave these islands. After 7 days of sailing, Magellan found new islands, which today are known to us as the Philippine Islands.

In the Archipelago of San Lazaro (as they were first called Philippine Islands) the travelers met the natives, with whom they began to establish trade relations. Magellan became such good friends with the Rajah of the tribe that he decided to help this new vassal of Spain in solving a problem. As the Raja explained, neighboring islands another Raja of the tribe refused to pay tribute and he does not know what to do.

Ferdinand Magellan ordered preparations for military operations on a neighboring piece of land. It was this battle that would be the last for the head of the expedition; the trip around the world would end without him... On the island of Mactan (the enemy’s island), he lined up his soldiers in 2 columns and began to fire at the natives. However, nothing worked for him: the bullets only pierced the shields of the natives and sometimes affected limbs. Seeing this situation, the local population began to defend themselves even more vigorously and began to throw spears at the captain.

Then Magellan ordered their houses to be burned in order to put pressure on fear, but this maneuver only angered the natives more and they took more closely to their goal. For about an hour, the Spaniards fought off the spears with all their might, until the strongest onslaught on the captain bore fruit: seeing Magellan’s position, the natives pounced on him and instantly threw stones and spears at him. Until his last breath, he watched his people and waited until they all left the island on boats. The Portuguese was killed on April 27, 1521, when he was 41 years old. Magellan, with his trip around the world, proved the great hypothesis and thereby changed the world.

The Spaniards failed to obtain the body. In addition, a surprise awaited the sailors on the island of the friendly Raja. One of the natives lied to his master and reported on an impending attack on the island. The Raja summoned the officers from the ship to his home and brutally massacred the 26 crew members there. Having learned about the massacre, the acting captain of the ships ordered to come closer to the village and shoot it with cannons.