MAGELLANS NEW ROUTE TO THE EAST

September 20, 1519- when Ferdinand Magellan left the port of San Lucar de Barrameda, Spain with five ships namely Trinidad, Concepcion, Santiago, San Antonio, and Victoria together with about 250 men The expedition intended to circumnavigate the earth in the service of Spain. Accompanying him were Fr. Pedro de Valderrama (fleet chaplain), Antonio Pigafetta (chronicler of the expedition), Duarte Barbosa (Magellans brother-in-law), and his Malay slave Enrique of Malacca (acting as interpreter).

November 29, 1519- when they landed on South Amercian coast, now Pernambuco, Brazil December 13, 1519- when they reached Rio de Janeiro, he named it Santa Lucia because he landed there on the saints feast day The voyage continued at Rio de Plata. By the time they were at the tip of the South American continent, it was already winter. The snowstorms were in a head strong. The men became apprehensive and asked Magellan that they all return to Spain. Magellan declined; instead, he asked them o take courage. The ship took shelter from the storm in Port San Julian (now in Argentina) in March 1520. Unknown to Magellan, some officers took into command the maneuvering of three ships, the San Antonio, the Concepcion, and the Victoria. Juan de Cartagena, Antonio de Coca, Juan Sebastian del Cano (called Elcano), and Gaspar de Quesada were found guilty of treason but were pardoned. With the first signs of spring, the exploratory voyage continued in search of a route to the Southern Sea (now Pacific Ocean).

August 1520- when the four remaining ships (the ship Santiago was destroyed by a typhoon), went farther south and eventually, they came upon a strait which Magellan called Strait of All Saints (now Strait of Magellan). November 20, 1520- when the ship San Antonio secretly sailed back to Spain The fleet reached the Southern Sea, which Magellan named Ocean Pacific because it was calm. Unfortunately, Magellan had underestimated the oceans size. In the next five months, the ship was running out of supplies. Many got sick with scurvy (a gum disease), and a number of his men died.

March 6, 1521- they reached an island in the Western Pacific and called it Islas Ladrones (Islands on the Thieves, later named Marianas, in honor of Maria Ana of Austria, Queen Regent of Spain) because some of the native Chamorros had stolen a boat from a flagship. To stop them, Magellan had ordered his men to fire their guns. REDISCOVERY OF THE PHILIPPINES

March 16, 1521- when Magellan saw the towering heights of Samar and named the island Islas de San Lazaro, for it was the feast day of Saint Lazarus March 17, 1521- when they landed on the small uninhabited islet of Humunu (Homonhon) found at the mouth of Leyte Gulf and built two tents for the sick

March 18, 1521- when they met nine natives from the neighboring island of Suluan who arrived in a boat Seeing them as friendly people, Magellan gave them red caps, mirrors, combs, small bells, ivory, and fine linen cloth. In return, the islanders gave them their cargo of bananas, fish, coconuts, and palm wine (tuba).

March 28, 1521- the fleet landed in Masao, Butuan, Agusan Del Norte (Early historians claim that it was Limasawa, an island in Southern Leyte.) At first, Rajah Kolambu refused to board Magellans big ship. Finally, the rajah welcomed them and visited him aboard his ship. He gave Magellan three porcelain jars of rice, while Magellan gave a red cap and a red and yellow robe. Magellans men held a mock fight. The soldier in a suit of armor remained unhurt even after he was struck. Rajah Kolambu was fascinated and noted that one man in such attire was worth 100 fighters. After the mock fight, they performed kasi kasi or blood compact ceremony with Magellan on March 29, 1521.

March 31, 1521- a mass was held on Masaos shore with Rev. Father Pedro de Valderrama officiating At sundown, Magellan, in the presence of Spaniards and Filipinos, planted a large wooden cross on the summit of a hill overlooking the sea. He named the country Islas de San Lazaro.

Noted historian Dr. Sonia Zaide presented the evidence for Masao rather than Limasawa as the site of the first recorded mass in the Philippines. First, all primary sources including the diary of Antonio Pigaffeta, the chronicler of Magellans expedition, the name of the place was Mazaua. Limasawa has four syllables and begins with another letter. Second, according to primary recors, the expedition traveled 20 to 25 leagues from Homonhon, the first landing point. If they had been to LImasawa island, the distance is only 14.6 leagues or one-half of that length. Third, the distance to Cebu from Mazaua according to Pigaffeta was 35 leagues (140 miles). The distance from Limasawa to Cebu is only 80 miles. Fourth, it was mentioned that the king came to their ship in a balanghai. Butuan is now a site of at least nine excavated balanghai relica; by contrast Limasawa has no significant archaeological relics or balanghai tradition.

Fifth, the Western explorers got excited at the abundance of gold at Mazaua, for that was the man currency at that time. Both archaeological relics and the gold mines today attested to the abundance of gold in the Agusan Valley.

April 7, 1521- when Magellan together with King Kolambu and the Spanish and native fleets landed on Sugbu (now Cebu). On the same day, Rajah Humabon made a blood compact with Magellan after the latter won his trust and friendship. When Magellan asked Humabon who would succeed him, Humabon told Magellan that he had no sons, only daughters. His nephew who had married his daughter was therefore the crown prince. Humabon added that parents were no longer honored in their old age and instead their children commanded them. Magellan explained to the Cebuano chieftain the Christian teaching about honoring ones parents. This confounded Rajah Humabon. Soon, he sought to be baptized as a Christian.

April 14, 1521- a mass was held on the shore of Cebu with Rajah Humabon and his people attending the ceremony. After the mass, Magellan planted a large wooden cross and a baptism was held Lisabeta- wife of Rajah Humabon; she was renamed Queen Juana after baptism for the Mother of King Charles I of Spain Rajah Humabon- was renamed Carlos There were 800 Filipinos who participated in the mass and underwent ritual baptism.

Lapu-lapu- the only chieftain of Mactan who refused to welcome Magellan; his real name was Cali Pulacu April 17, 1521- when Magellan tried to invade Lapu-Lapus territory to teach him a lesson; he told Rajah Humabon and his men to stay on their boats and watch how the Europeans fight. Magellan had misjudged the fighting skills of Lapu-Lapu and his men. Lapu-Lapus men aimed their spears at the unshielded legs of the Europeans. The Spaniards were forced to go back on their ships. Magellan was wounded in the battle. A poisoned arrow hit his right leg and then a bamboo spear struck his face. The battle of Mactan was a scandalous defeat for the Spaniards for they were not able to prove themselves better in combats.

May 1, 15121- the natives of Cebu carried out a plan to massacre them While the Europeans were attending a banquet prepared for them by Rajah Humabon, the warriors attacked them. Duarte Barbosa, Juan Serrano and 27 other Spaniards were killed. They burned the ship Concepcion. With two ships left Trinidad and Victoria, they continued their voyage to Moluccas.

November 8, 1521- they finally landed in Tidore, an island in Moluccas; they were able to secure a rich cargo of spices The voyage around the world lasted 2 years, 11 months, and 16 days. The voyage enhanced their knowledge about the existence of other islands in the Pacific and the Philippines. It also confirmed that the earth is round and that it is really possible to sail around the world since the worlds oceans are connected.