Who made the first trip around the world geography. Magellan expedition preparation, ships, equipment and personnel

The journey of the Spanish navigator influenced the course of history. The piggy bank of discoveries was replenished annually. Humanity is on the verge of a cosmographic revolution. Let's get acquainted with the personality of the captain and consider the achievements round the world expedition.

Magellan Ferdinand: a short biography

Fernão Magalhães (birth name) was born to a minor Portuguese nobleman in 1480. Since childhood, he was attracted by water expanses. Upon reaching the age of 12, he becomes a court page in Lisbon. Regularly serves and in 1505 he goes to conquer the eastern lands. In India, he gets his first wound. In combat, he develops courage and courage, gains authority.

According to historical data, by 1510 Magellan becomes a captain. It is known that he participated in the military council under Viceroy Albuquerque. Another struggle for a strategically important object - the land of Malacca, with the participation of Ferdinand, ends in victory. Before the conquest of the seven seas, Ferdinand Magellan in 1512. receives a pension salary, but continues to serve in the fleet in East Africa.

In 1514, in Morocco, he was seriously wounded in the leg. Moreover, Fernand is accused of aiding enemies. Outraged by what is happening, he goes to his homeland to seek protection from Manuel I. At the same time, the ruler receives many denunciations about the navigator. The enraged king banished the captain, who left the place of service without permission.

The circumnavigation of the expedition, the plan of which was hatched by F. Magellan, could fail because of these events. Although, the exact cause of the conflict is unknown. It can be unequivocally argued that the captain asked permission to serve another sovereign and received approval. There is a version that Fernand renounced citizenship in Portugal and proclaimed himself Hernando Magellan.

Who made the first circumnavigation of the world

Further information is lost until 10/20/1517, when Hernando settles in the Spanish city of Seville. He sets out the idea of ​​a round-the-world trip in the "Chamber of Contracts", but the council refuses to support it. Only one of the leaders agrees to help the expedition, for a fee. The parties entered into an agreement and the project was submitted for consideration. Subsequently, he was safely approved by the King of Spain, Charles I.

Interestingly, the first round-the-world trip of Ferdinand Magellan was supported by an ardent opponent of the ideas of Columbus and Cortes - the president of the committee on Indian affairs.

Several factors influenced the positive decision of the monarch:

• The plan was to find a strait that would connect the oceans;
• I was impressed by the idea of ​​sailing west and sailing east;
• assistance of Roy Faleiro, an authoritative astronomer in Europe.

To achieve these goals, a solid budget was allocated from the treasury. Hernando had previously been promoted to the rank of admiral and awarded the Order Saint James. The initiator was entitled to an impressive salary, 20% of the entire profit of the campaign. Children were assigned leadership positions in new territories.

The date of the circumnavigation of the expedition of F. Magellan was set for August 10, 1519. Here the question of primacy arose: under whose flag will the ships sail? Manuel I found out about the upcoming campaign and tried in every possible way to return the captain.

Initially, the king acted peacefully. He began to persuade, promising forgiveness, offering double the price. Attempts to negotiate failed. The Portuguese consul organized a series of provocations in Selvia, which were supposed to prevent the squadron from going to sea. But, at the appointed time, 265 - 280 people, on 5 ships under common name"Armanda de Malukka" moved in a given direction.

The beginning of the way

Fernando Magellan's first circumnavigation of the world begins with a riot. The Spaniards hated to obey the Portuguese. In addition to the ethnic issue, they did not like the arrogance with which the head of the expedition refers to his subordinates. The main thing is that he completely refused to indicate the route. The admiral forcibly pacifies the uprising and the team sets off for the shores of Brazil.

In the adjacent maritime territories, all corners were explored in search of the strait. Here he was supposed to be, according to the mysterious maps of Ferdinand Magellan - commander-in-chief world travel. Once it seemed to the pioneers that the desired place had been found. Upon detailed study, it turned out to be the mouth of the Parana River.

It was decided to send the squadron to the south. Progress was slow, storms ruled. The weather was getting worse. The end of March has come. Fernand announced the need to spend the winter at the reached point - 49 0 15 ′ south latitude. The bay was named San Julian (Saint Helena).

New acquaintances and old grievances

The area seemed completely unsuitable for human life. The Europeans were amazed that the frosts were getting stronger as the summer approached. In the memoirs of eyewitnesses about the round-the-world trip of Ferdinand Magellan, two living creatures from the bay were described: penguins and seals. But soon the situation changed.

A local resident came out to seafarers. The Spaniards noted the high growth of the Indian. For its large legs, the country was called Patagonia (Spanish: patagon - legged). Friendship with new people played a cruel joke with the natives. Several people were taken on the expedition. None of the Indians reached Europe.

San Julian became famous for other tragic events. The captains of the three ships understood that Magellan's path was not on the map. The squadron goes at random. A rebellion broke out, which was brutally suppressed. One of the organizers was executed, the other two were left on the shore.

Goal achieved

On October 21, 1520, the flotilla reached the passage. The ship "Santiago" crashed on the road, but people were saved. The length of the strait is about 600 km. The most difficult tests awaited the sailors here. They did not meet with the locals. Sometimes, in the distance on the south side, firelights were noticed. This gave rise to the name of the territory "Tierra del Fuego".

For a month, the squadron traveled where the Strait of Magellan is located on the map - between Tierra del Fuego and South America. The uprising broke out again. The ship "San Antonio" was sent to reconnaissance, but never returned. The best equipped ship decided to return to Spain. It is noteworthy that most of the expedition's supplies were stored in its holds. The captain betrayed the admiral the day the ocean appeared on the horizon.

The team wandered without food for 3 months and 20 days. Many were overcome by scurvy, people began to die. The vast ocean Magellan called the Pacific. Throughout the voyage there were no storms, storms. Pigafetta, the team's chronicler, noted the tedium and agonizing silence.

It is striking that the flotilla passed by the large archipelagos of Polynesia. Tahiti and the Marquises went unnoticed. On March 6, 1521, the expedition stopped at the small Mariana Islands. The sailors were robbed to the skin by the natives, but they did not remain in debt. They repaid the same and continued on their way, naming the islands of Thieves.

The mystery of the death of the discoverer

In the circumnavigation of the expedition of F. Magellan, he dies on April 27, 1521. After sailing across the ocean for another week, the team stumbles upon the Philippine Islands. Relationships are formed, for the sake of which the journey was started. Bidding begins with local residents. Prince Humabon willingly enters into deals with the Europeans. But not all residents welcome guests.

The leader of the island Mactan Lapu-Lapu declares war on the admiral. Surprisingly, Fernand, an experienced military man, takes untrained people to battle: cabin crew, stewards, cooks. As a result of the fight, he is beaten to death with spears. From the point of view of contemporaries and historians, it was suicide.

An explanation for this behavior was proposed in the 70s of the last century. If you follow the journey of Magellan, the map shows that the discovered territories go beyond the borders of Spanish possessions. The discoverer reluctantly deceived Charles I and preferred death to explanations before the king. Do you think this was a reason for the sailor to die? Write in the comments.

Some members of the expedition were killed on new lands, some died at sea. 18 people returned home. The ships were stuffed to capacity with spices, the expenses for the expedition were fully covered.

Discoverer's legacy

What did Ferdinand Magellan discover? The contribution to science consists in several points:

• The opening of the Pacific Ocean;
• proof that the earth is a sphere;
• proved the assumption that the planet rotates around its axis (regardless of Galileo).

Named after the discoverer:

• Strait of Magellan - Fernando called it the Strait of All Saints;
• type of penguin
• lunar crater;
• underwater hill in the area of ​​the Marshall Islands;
• spaceship (1990);
• galaxies Large and Small Magellanic Clouds.

In 1985 named after a sailor a cruise ship. It functions and where the Magellan ship is now can be tracked using special services.

The mutinies on the ships of Magellan caused significant damage to history. The rebels covered their tracks. After the skirmish in the Philippines, there were few survivors to control the three ships. One decided to burn. All compromising documentation was previously taken there. But the significance of the round-the-world expedition is visible even without these documents.

Hello, dear readers of the Sprint-Answer website. The TV game "Field of Miracles" began on the air of Channel One, let me remind you that today is March 16, 2018 on our calendars. The program is dedicated to the navigator Ferdinand Magellan.

This is how the question of the first round sounds from the lips of the host of the program, Leonid Yakubovich. The question was not difficult.

The first trip around the world under the command of Ferdinand Magellan lasted three years. And what was one of the main goals of organizing this unique expedition? What is it, what are we talking about? 8 letter word.

What was the purpose of Magellan's circumnavigation of the world?

The idea of ​​the expedition was in many ways a repetition of the idea of ​​Columbus: to reach Asia, following to the west. The colonization of America had not yet had time to bring significant profits, unlike the colonies of the Portuguese in India, and the Spaniards themselves wanted to sail to the Spice Islands and benefit.

First circumnavigation- Spanish naval expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan, began on September 20, 1519 and ended on September 6, 1522. The expedition was staffed by a large team (according to various estimates, 265-280 people) on 5 ships. As a result of the mutinies, the most difficult crossing of the Pacific Ocean and skirmishes with the population of the Philippines and the Spice Islands, the team was greatly reduced. Only one ship, the Victoria, managed to return to Spain with 18 people on board.

The Victoria is the first ship to circumnavigate the world as part of the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan.

On September 20, 1519, five sailing ships left the Spanish port of Sanlúcar de Berrameda: Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepción, Santiago and Victoria. In the literature, they are often called caravels, but "Victoria" was most likely karakkoy- the most common type of sailing ship of the XV-XVI century. Most likely "Victoria" had three masts. The fore and main masts carried two tiers of straight sails, the mizzen - one oblique sail, under the bowsprit (which in those days was also considered a mast) they raised the blind. The sailboat was armed with about forty cannons of various calibers.

There is no exact data on the size of the vessel due to the difference in measures. Some researchers believe that the Magellanic ton roughly corresponded to the modern ton, others that it exceeded the modern ton by 2.43 times. Therefore, the tonnage "Victoria" different sources range from 85 to 206 tons.

The squadron was commanded by the Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan. The purpose of the trip was to reach Moluccas, rich in spices so valued in Europe, by the western way - rounding South America. Before Magellan none of the navigators has yet managed to find the strait connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, but Ferdinand Magellan did not doubt its existence.

The expedition was equipped by the Spanish king Charles V. Initially Magellan approached the Portuguese monarch Manuel I with the idea of ​​making such a trip, but he did not support the traveler's idea.

Swimming was originally designed for 2 years, but lasted much longer.

Sailboat "Victoria" was named Magellan in honor of the church where the famous captain took the oath to the Spanish king. "Victoria" was not a flagship. Captain Magellan commanded "Trinidad". Captain "Victoria" appointed Luis de Mendoza.

In total, according to various sources, there were from 265 to 280 people on five ships.

In November 1520, through the finally discovered strait, the expedition entered the unknown ocean, called Magellan the Pacific. During the first year of navigation, the flotilla lost 2 ships: a caravel "Santiago" sunk, and "San Antonio" there was a riot, as a result of which the crew of the sailboat abandoned further travel and turned back to Spain.

The sailors spent more than a hundred days in the Pacific Ocean, falling into a calm zone. During this time, the ships ran out of food. The crews had to eat sawdust and cook leather belts and clothing. 19 members of the expedition died from starvation and scurvy. The rest were extremely exhausted.

In the spring of 1521, three sailboats reached the island of Guam. On the islands, the sailors managed to rest and replenish their supplies. But conflicts and armed clashes constantly arose between travelers and local residents. In one of these clashes on the islands, subsequently named Philippine, April 27, 1522, the expedition commander, captain Ferdinand Magellan.

The expedition was led by Juan Sebastian de Elcano- ship captain "Concepción". His first decision was to return home to Spain. But before that, the sailors still visited the Moluccas - where Magellan was on his way. There travelers bought a large number of various spices. Two of the three ships of the expedition remained on the same islands - "Conception" was burned due to extreme dilapidation, and "Trinidad" placed for repair.

And on September 7, 1522, the last of the five sailing ships of Magellan "Victoria" returned to his native harbor of Sanlúcar de Barramed. Eighteen sailors out of almost three hundred who went on a trip went ashore. Externally "Victoria" resembled a ghost ship, her condition was so bad. And the sailors were like living skeletons. Right from the ship's ladder they went to the church - to light candles in gratitude for their return. Among the survivors was Antonio Pigafetta- chronicler of the expedition.

Nevertheless, the expedition was considered extremely successful. Not only was the hypothesis that the Earth is a ball confirmed, a new route to India across the Pacific Ocean was opened, but the concept of "date lines" was introduced - during the voyage, travelers discovered that they arrived in Spain a day later than it was calculated in travel calendar. Subsequently, this discovery led to the introduction of time zones. In addition, the money from the sale of spices was enough to cover all the expenses of the expedition.

All the honors associated with the completion of the round-the-world trip went to de Elcano - the king of Spain approved de Elcano's personal coat of arms, which depicted oriental spices, the globe and the inscription "You were the first to circle me" in Latin - Primus circumdedisti me.

In the 20th century, several replicas of the legendary sailing ship appeared, which for the first time circumnavigated the world. A Spanish replica was built in 1992 "Victoria". Its construction was timed to coincide with the exhibition in the city of Seville. In 2004-2005 "Victoria" traveled around the world on the route of Magellan. Now the sailboat serves as a museum ship.

In 1999, a Czech replica "Victoria", built by Rudolf Krausneider. Conditions on the sailboat were as close as possible to XVI century: not only the engine was missing on the ship, but even the latrine! Not everyone endured the difficult journey, and the crew changed several times during the voyage. Czech "Victoria" circumnavigated the Earth in 5 years, which is 2 years longer than Magellan's expedition.

In 2011, another replica of the famous sailboat was built - in Chile. The construction was timed to coincide with the bicentennial anniversary of the appearance of Europeans on the continent. Now Chilean "Victoria" stands in the city of Punta Arenas and is open to the public.

Fernand Magellan (Fernand de Magalhaes) - (born November 20, 1480 - death April 27, 1521)

What did Magellan Ferdinand discover?

The outstanding Portuguese navigator Magellan Fernand, his expedition made the first ever circumnavigation of the world, which involved the search for a western route to the Moluccas. This proved the existence of a single world ocean and provided practical proof of the spherical shape of the Earth. Magellan discovered the entire coast South America south of La Plata, circled the continent from the south, discovered the strait, which was named after him, and the Patagonian Cordillera; first crossed the Pacific Ocean.

Biography of Ferdinand Magellan

Among the people who made global upheavals in the minds of people and the development of mankind, travelers could also play a significant role. The most striking figure of them is the Portuguese Fernand de Magalhaes, who became known to the whole world under the Spanishized name of Fernand Magellan.

Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1470 in the locality of Sabrosa, in the remote northeastern province of Portugal, Traz os Leontes. His family belonged to a noble but impoverished knightly family and was respected at court. It was not in vain that King João II of Fernand's father, Pedro Ruy de Magalhães, appointed senior alcalde * of the strategically important harbor of Aveiro.

(* Alcalde is a judicial or municipal official who had executive power. His main task was to monitor the preservation public order).

Education

Connections at court made it possible for the alcalde in 1492 to attach his eldest son as a page to Queen Eleanor. So, Fernand received the right to be brought up in the royal residence. There, in addition to the knightly arts - horseback riding, fencing, falconry - he was able to master astronomy, navigation and cartography. At the Portuguese court, these items have been mandatory for young courtiers since the time of Prince Henry the Navigator. It was they who had to go on long-distance sea expeditions with the aim of conquering and discovering new lands. No wonder their lessons were observed by King Manuel himself, who replaced Juan on the throne.

The ambitious Fernand became seriously interested in navigation. In an effort to stay away from palace intrigues, in 1504 he asked the king to let him go to India under the leadership of the viceroy of India, Francisco de Almeida, and, having received consent, left Lisbon in the spring of 1505.

Career of Magalhaes the Navigator

Almeida's expedition was purely military in nature and had the goal of subduing the recalcitrant Muslim rulers from Sofala to Hormuz and from Cochin to Bab el-Mandeb. Muslim fortifications had to be wiped off the face of the earth and Portuguese fortresses had to be built in their place.

Magalhaes took part in the sea and land battles at Kilva, Sofal, Mombasa, Kannanur, Calicut, as well as in the sacking of these cities, and over time turned into a valiant warrior, experienced and accustomed to any cruelties and misadventures of his harsh era. He quickly gained a reputation as a brave captain, skilled in combat and navigation. At the same time, even then, concern for brothers in arms became one of the main features of the future pioneer of circumnavigations.

1509 - During the battles near Malacca, Magalhaes was able to become famous, almost single-handedly coming to the aid of a handful of his compatriots who were attacked by the Malays. He acted in the same nobility during his return from Malacca to India. At the head of only 5 people, Fernand hurried to the aid of the Portuguese caravel and helped to win.

At the very beginning of 1510, the career of Magalhaes the navigator almost came to an end: during the unsuccessful assault on Calicut, he was seriously wounded, and for the second time. The first wound, received during a campaign against Morocco, made him lame for the rest of his life. Dejected, Fernand decided to return to his homeland.

Magellan's route

In the spring, a small flotilla of three ships left Cochin for Portugal. On board one of the ships was Magalhaes. But this time he never made it home. A hundred miles from the Indian coast, two ships ran into the pitfalls of the dangerous Padua shoal and sank. The officers and distinguished passengers decided to return to India on the remaining ship, leaving their rootless companions without water and food on a narrow sandy shoal, for whom there was no place on the ship. Fernand refused to sail with them: nobility and high rank were a kind of guarantee that help could still be sent for those who remained. In the end, that is what happened. Two weeks later wrecked rescued, and upon arrival in India, they everywhere talked about the extraordinary firmness of their patron, who managed, under difficult conditions, to arouse hope in people and strengthen stamina.

Fernand remained in India for some time. According to the documents, he boldly expressed his opinion in cases where other captains were silent. This, probably, could be the main reason for his disagreement with the new Viceroy Afonso de Albuquerque.

Portugal

Summer 1512 - Magalhaes returned to Portugal. This is evidenced by an entry in the pay slip of the royal court, according to which he was assigned a monthly royal pension of 1000 Portuguese reais. After 4 weeks, it was almost doubled, which may indicate that the merits of the valiant captain were recognized by the court.

During the war with the Moors of Azamora (modern Azemmour in Morocco), Fernand was appointed major, that is, he received a rather prestigious and profitable position. At his complete disposal were the prisoners and all the captured trophies. Fasting provided unlimited opportunities for personal enrichment, therefore Magalhaes had no shortage of ill-wishers.

After some time, he was unreasonably accused of organizing an attack by the Moors on a herd and allowing 400 heads of cattle to be stolen, receiving a lot of money for this. After some time, the charge was dropped, but the offended Fernand resigned.

Left without sufficient means of subsistence, the warrior known for his valor hoped for the mercy of the king. He asked Manuel to increase his pension by only 200 Portuguese reais. But the king did not like people with a strong character and, according to the chronicler Barrush, "... always had an aversion to him," and therefore refused. Indignant, Magalhaes secretly left his homeland in 1517 and moved to Spain.

Spain

Since that time, the history of an unprecedented sea voyage around the Earth begins, the sphericity of which was then only assumed. And the merit of its organization and implementation belongs entirely to Fernand Magalhaes, who from now on has become Ferdinand Magellan.

Later, King Manuel caught on, and with a tenacity worthy of best use, began to interfere with Magellan in the implementation of his plans. But the mistake could no longer be corrected, and Portugal, for the second time after history, lost the chance to benefit from the discoveries of its great sons, underestimating their potential.

"Moluccan Armada" - ships of Magellan

It is known that even in Portugal he carefully studied nautical charts, made acquaintances with sailors and dealt a lot with the problems of determining geographic longitude. All this helped him a lot in realizing his idea.

According to the papal bull Inter cetera of 1493, all new territories discovered to the east of the demarcation line established in 1494 belonged to Portugal, and to the west - to Spain. But the method of calculating geographic longitude, adopted at that time, did not allow for a clear demarcation of the Western Hemisphere. Therefore, Magellan, as well as his friend and assistant, the astrologer and cosmographer Ruy Faleiro, believed that the Moluccas should not belong to Portugal, but to Spain.

1518, March - they presented their project to the Council of the Indies. After lengthy negotiations, it was accepted, and the Spanish King Carlos I (aka Holy Roman Emperor Charles V) undertook to equip 5 ships and allocate supplies for 2 years. In the event of the discovery of new lands, companions were given the right to become their rulers. They also received 20% of the income. In this case, the rights were to be inherited.

Shortly before this significant event, serious changes took place in the life of Fernand. Arriving in Seville, he joined the colony of Portuguese emigrants. One of them, the commandant of the Alcazar of Seville, Diogo Barbosa, introduced the valiant captain into his family. His son Duarte became a close friend of Fernand, and his daughter Beatrice became his wife.

Magellan really did not want to leave his young, passionately loving wife and recently born son, but duty, ambition and the desire to provide for his family persistently called him to the sea. Could not stop him and the unfavorable astrological forecast made by Faleyru. But it was precisely because of this that Ruy refused to participate in the voyage, and Magellan became its sole leader and organizer.

Magellan's voyage around the world

In Seville, 5 ships were prepared - the flagship Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepción, Victoria and Santiago. On September 20, 1519, Ferdinand Magellan said goodbye to the pregnant Beatrice and the newborn Rodrigo on the pier and ordered to raise the anchor. They were not destined to see each other again.

The lists of a small flotilla included 265 people: commanders and helmsmen, boatswains, gunners, ordinary sailors, priests, carpenters, caulkers, coopers, soldiers and people who did not have specific duties. All this motley multinational crew (in addition to the Spaniards and the Portuguese there were also Italians, Germans, French, Flemings, Sicilians, British, Moors and Malays) had to be kept in obedience. And discontent began almost from the first weeks of sailing. Agents of the Portuguese king infiltrated the ships, and through the zeal of the Portuguese consul in Seville, Alvaris, the holds were partially filled with rotten flour, moldy crackers and rotten corned beef.

On September 26, sailors reached the Canary Islands, on October 3 headed for Brazil, and on December 13 they entered the bay of Rio de Janeiro. From here, travelers headed south along the South American coast in search of a passage to the "South Sea", while moving only during the day, so as not to miss it in the dark. 1520, March 31 - the ships entered the bay of San Julian off the coast of Patagonia for the winter.

rebellion

Ferdinand Magellan - suppression of the rebellion

Soon Magellan had to give the order to reduce the diet. But part of the crew opposed such a decision and began to demand a return to Spain, but received a decisive refusal. Then, during the celebration of Easter, the leaders of the rebels, taking advantage of the fact that the bulk of the crews went ashore, were able to capture three ships.

Magellan decided to use force and cunning. Several faithful people he sent to the Victoria with a letter to the rebellious treasurer Luis de Mendoza. He was stabbed while reading the letter, and the crew offered no resistance. The next day, two rebellious captains, Gaspar de Quesada and Juan de Cartagena, tried to withdraw their ships from the bay, but the Trinidad, Santiago and Victoria recaptured from the rebels blocked their path. The San Antonio surrendered without resistance. Quesada, who commanded them, was immediately arrested, and after some time Cartagena was also captured.

By order of Ferdinand Magellan, the dead body of Mendoza was quartered, Quesada was cut off his head, and Cartagena and the traitor priest Pedro Sanchez de la Reina were left on the shore. But the rebellious sailors did not suffer. They were given life, mainly because they were needed for ship work.

Strait of Magellan

Soon the squadron, which lost the Santiago during reconnaissance, moved further south. But the betrayals didn't stop there. On November 1, when the squadron was already moving through the desired strait, later called Magellanic, helmsman Ishteban Gomish, taking advantage of the fact that his ship was out of sight from the rest of the ships, captured the San Antonio and fled to Spain. Magellan never found out about the betrayal, just as he did not know what a fatal role Gomis played in the fate of his family. Arriving in Spain, the deserter accused his captain-general of treason against the king. As a result, Beatrice and her children were placed under house arrest and interrogation. She was deprived of state benefits and left in severe need. Neither she nor her sons lived to see the return of the expedition. And Gomes for "outstanding services rendered to the flotilla of Magellan" was awarded a knighthood by the king.

Discovery of the Marianas

On November 28, the ships of Ferdinand Magellan entered the ocean, on which no European had yet sailed. The weather, fortunately, remained good, and the navigator named the Pacific Ocean. Crossing it, he walked at least 17 thousand km and discovered many small islands, but inaccurate calculations did not allow them to be identified with any specific points on the map. Only the discovery in early March 1521 of two inhabited islands, Guam and Rota, the southernmost of the Mariana Islands, is considered indisputable. Magellan called them Robbers. The islanders stole a boat from the sailors, and the captain-general, having landed with a detachment on the shore, burned several native huts.

This voyage lasted almost 4 months. Despite the absence of hurricanes characteristic of this area, people had a very hard time. They were forced to eat rusk dust mixed with worms, drink rotten water, eat cowhide, sawdust and ship rats. These creatures seemed to them almost a delicacy and were sold for half a ducat apiece.

The crew was tortured by scurvy, many people died. But Magellan continued to confidently lead the squadron forward and somehow, on a proposal to return, he said: “We will go forward, even if we had to eat all the cowhide.”

Discovery of the Philippine Islands

1521, March 15 - the expedition was near the island of Samar (Philippines), and a week later, moving still to the west, arrived at the island of Limasava, where the slave of Magellan, the Malay Enrique, heard his native speech. This meant that the travelers were somewhere near the Spice Islands, that is, they had almost completed their task.

And yet the navigator sought to reach the cherished islands. But he decided to stay for a while in order to convert the Filipinos to Christianity.

1521, April 7 - the flotilla anchored off the island of Cebu, where it was located major port and residence of the Raja. The sincerely religious Magellan insisted that the islanders accept Christianity without counting on any material benefits, but, unwillingly, he convinced the natives that they could count on a benevolent attitude from the powerful Spanish king only if they renounced the old faith and worship the cross.

On April 14, the ruler of Cebu Humabon decided to be baptized. The cunning raja, now called Carlos, enlisted the support of Magellan against his pagan enemies and, thus, in one day subjugated everyone who challenged his power. In addition, Humabon secured a promise that when Magellan returned to the Philippines at the head of a large fleet, he would make him the sole ruler of all the islands as a reward for being the first to convert to Christianity. Moreover, the rulers of the nearby islands were also brought to obedience. But the leader of one of these islands, Mactana, named Silapulapu, did not want to submit to Carlos Humabon. Then the navigator decided to use force.

Death of Magellan

Death of Magellan

1521, April 27 - 60 armed men in armor, with several small guns, boarded boats and headed for Mactan. They were accompanied by several hundred Humabon warriors. But luck turned away from the Spaniards. The captain-general underestimated the enemy, not in time remembering the history of the conquest of Mexico, when a handful of Spaniards were able to take over the whole country. In the battle with the warriors of Mactan, his battle-hardened companions were defeated, and the captain-general himself laid down his head. During the retreat to the boats, the natives overtook him in the water. Wounded in the arm and leg, the already lame Magellan fell. What happened next is eloquently described by the chronicler of the expedition, Antonio Pigafett:

“The captain fell face down, and immediately they threw iron and bamboo spears at him and began to strike with cleavers until they destroyed our mirror, our light, our joy and our true leader. He kept turning back to see if we all had time to dive into the boats ... "

The further fate of the sailors

Subsequent events testified to the correctness of Pigafetta, who called Magellan "the true leader." Apparently, only he could keep this greedy pack in check, ready at any time for betrayal.

His successors failed to hold on to the positions they had won. The first thing they did was to deliver the bartered goods to the ships with feverish haste. Then one of the new leaders thoughtlessly insulted the Malay Enrique, and he persuaded Humabon to betrayal. The Raja lured some of the Spaniards into a trap and ordered them to be killed, and demanded a ransom for the surviving captain of the Concepción, Juan Serrau. Seeing him as a rival, Juan Carvalo, temporarily appointed commander of the flotilla, abandoned his comrade and ordered to raise the sails.

About 120 people survived. On three ships, by touch, often changing course, they nevertheless reached the Moluccas, destroying the worm-eaten Concepción along the way. Here they are, not thinking about the possible danger from local population, where the Spaniards were not too fond of, and the difficulties of the way home, rushed to buy spices. In the end, the Victoria, under the command of Esteban Elcano, left the Moluccas, and the heavily loaded Trinidad remained for repairs. Finally, his crew, who made an unsuccessful attempt to get to Panama, were captured. For a long time its members languished in prisons and plantations, first in the Moluccas and then in the Banda Islands. Later they were sent to India, where they lived on alms and were under the vigilant supervision of the authorities. Only five in 1527 were lucky enough to return to their homeland.

And the Victoria, under the command of Elcano, diligently bypassing the routes of the Portuguese ships, crossed southern part indian ocean, rounded the Cape of Good Hope and through the Cape Verde Islands on September 8, 1522, arrived in the Spanish harbor of San Lucar. Of her crew, only 18 people survived (according to other sources - 30).

At home, the sailors had a hard time. Instead of honors, they got public repentance for one “lost” day (as a result of moving around the earth in time zones). From the point of view of the clergy, this could only happen as a result of breaking fasts.

Elcano, however, received honors. He received a coat of arms depicting the globe with the inscription "You were the first to travel around me" and a pension of 500 ducats. And no one remembered Magellan.

The true role of this remarkable man in history was able to appreciate the descendants, and, unlike Columbus, it has never been disputed. His voyage revolutionized the concept of the Earth. After this journey, any attempts to deny the sphericity of the planet completely stopped, it was proved that the world ocean is one, ideas about the true size were obtained. the globe, it was finally established that America is an independent continent, a strait was found between two oceans. And it is not for nothing that Stefan Zweig wrote in his book The Feat of Magellan: “Only he enriches mankind who helps him to know himself, who deepens his creative self-awareness. And in this sense, the feat accomplished by Magellan surpasses all the feats of his time.

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:

1. F. Magellan was born in the Portuguese city of Sabrosa in 1480.
2. At the age of 12, the boy got the opportunity to serve as a page for 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 such sciences as astronomy, cosmography, navigation, geometry, and naval science. And here he learned about how important for Portugal the development of economic relations with other countries and the opening of new trade routes for their development.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, there was an active competitive struggle between Spain and Portugal for the seizure of land and the development of new sea routes. The winner received not only new territories and subjects, but also more possibilities to trade with different countries. Economic and trade relations with India and the Moluccas (in those days they were called the Spice Islands) were considered especially important because of the trade in spices.

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

1. From 1505 to 1513 Magellan took part in naval battles and showed himself as a brave warrior. For these qualities he was awarded the rank of sea captain. Probably, it was during this period, during numerous trips to the Indian shores, that Magellan had the idea that the way to India in eastbound too long. Following the traditional route, which was established after, the sailors had to go around Africa, passing its western and eastern coasts and crossing the Arabian Sea. It took about 10 months for the whole journey one way. Magellan decided that perhaps it would be possible to shorten the distance if he went west. According to one version, then it was born 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 globe.
2. The idea of ​​finding a new trade route did not find support from the Portuguese king, and having resigned from service, Magellan went to live in Spain in 1517, where he joined the service of the Spanish king Charles 1. He was already 37 years old and from that moment in his biography traveler new great pages appear.

Expedition of Magellan

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

In September 1519, a small flotilla 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, the sailors entered the bay of Banya Santa Lucia (Bay of Rio de Janeiro at the present time), previously discovered by the Portuguese.

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

In October 1520, the flotilla entered another unknown bay. The 2 ships sent for reconnaissance returned to the rest of the ships only a week later and reported that they had not been able to reach the end of the bay and that there was probably a sea strait in front of them. The expedition is on its way.

By the middle of November 1920, having overcome the narrow, winding strait strewn with rocks and shoals, the ships reach the ocean, which is 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.

For 98 days, the journey of Magellan and his team lasted South Sea. During the journey, nature was favorable to the captain and he was lucky to pass this segment of the journey without storms, hurricanes and storms. So 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 this length.

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

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

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

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

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

So ended great march, as a result of which for the first time it was possible to go around 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 end of the expedition, his undertaking was of great importance for further development Sciences.

The results of the expedition of Magellan:

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