Ferdinand Magellan: The Search for El Paso

Ferdinand Magellan: The Search for
El Paso
~*~
Written by Emma D.
Age 13
“Most versed in nautical charts, he [Ferdinand Magellan] knew
better than any other the true art of navigation, of which it is
certain proof that he by his genius, and his intrepidity, without
anyone having given him the example, how to attempt the circuit of
the globe which he had almost completed... The glory of Magellan
will survive him.”
From the journal of Antonio Pigafetta
~*~
Contents:
Expository Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 2
Dialogue Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 4
Advertisement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 6
Journal Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 7
Poem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 8
Pictures and Captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 9
Explanation of Genres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 12
Works Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 13
The Search for El Paso
The storm’s obsidian clouds blocked the sun as if someone had turned the celestial lights out. The freezing
wind cruelly slapped the sailors’ frostbitten faces. The black, icy sea relentlessly pounded against the ship’s
hull. The main sail let out a scream as its stiff fabric ripped loose of the staff. “We are going to have to turn
back!” Ferdinand Magellan shouted over the deafening gale. “Wait!” a sailor cried, “There are the ships!” Two
ships emerged from the mist as the storm finally came to a close. They were flying their banners high, a sign of
joy. The sailors were puzzled until Magellan spotted an inlet over the lighting horizon. The sun finally
appeared, and its rays illuminated his worn face. “El Paso,” he whispered with a look of wonder. “Could it
be?” (Stefoff 92, 93)
Ferdinand Magellan was an adventurous explorer who lived in the 16th century. He was born around 1480
in Portugal to parents of high status. He had more privileges than most children of that time and acquired an
education at the court of Queen Victoria (Gallagher 16, 17). His early studies consisted of learning about maps,
voyages, and explorers such as Christopher Columbus. This type of education planted seeds of exploration into
Magellan’s soul at a very early age (“Ferdinand Magellan”). Ferdinand was dignified, stern, straightforward,
honest, honorable, and a devout Christian. These characteristics would prove to make him a great captain on
one of the greatest expeditions of all time (Macdonald 18). Magellan was an adventurous, determined man who
accomplished many great things on his monumental voyage, despite all of the odds. This is how it begins.
The Spice Islands (in present day Indonesia) was a destination that every king, explorer, and trader sought
out. Spices were highly prized because, in an era without refrigeration, they helped preserve food and flavor
bland meals. This spurred Magellan’s desire to journey to the Spice Islands. He planned to sail not by the
established eastern route (down and around the coast of Africa), but by the uncharted route to the west.
Through this route he planned to find El Paso (translation: The Passage), a strait through South America
(Gallagher 31). (A strait is a narrow waterway connecting two bodies of water (Walters 917).) Magellan was
sure he could navigate a fleet to El Paso, and he started to get a plan together. Magellan soon presented his
plans to the King of Portugal, who flatly turned him down. No one knows why Magellan was so rudely refused,
but he was not going to give up that easily. When he saw that it was useless trying to sway the Portuguese king,
he moved his loyalty to Spain, the country from which Christopher Columbus sailed. When the king of Spain,
King Charles I, heard of Magellan’s plan, he expressed great interest and agreed to sponsor his expedition.
They signed a contract on March 22, 1518 (Gallagher 32, 33).
Immediately, Magellan began to prepare for his voyage. He gathered 275 sailors and five ships: the
Vittoria, the Conception, the Santiago, the Trinidad, and the San Antonio. Magellan captained the Trinidad, and
being Captain-General of the voyage, he appointed captains to the other four ships. In his crew, most of the
sailors were Spanish, and they despised Magellan because he was Portuguese. This troubled Magellan, but he
knew that he could control the men on his voyage (Gallagher 34, 35).
On August 10, 1519, the ships set off on their expedition (Gallagher 33). Crossing the Atlantic was a hard,
discouraging journey, but after three months of toil, the ships landed off the coast of present day Brazil.
Magellan guided the boats down the coast, but stopped for the winter when the sails were frozen and the men’s
beards were covered in ice (Gallagher 39, 40). (They were nearing Antarctica.) Most of the men were done
with suffering, especially one captain named Cartegena. This Spaniard despised Magellan because he was
Portuguese. Cartegena, in an attempt to get rid of Magellan, rallied some rebellious men to murder him. This
mutiny was stopped in its tracks by Magellan, who punished a couple of the men, including Cartegena, for their
disloyalty. His punishment to Cartegena was leaving him marooned ashore with food, water, and a gun
(Gallagher 40 - 44). Not long after this mutiny, winter finally came to a close, and all Magellan could think
about was finding El Paso, the mythical passage through South America.
Magellan searched and search for the strait and always came up disappointed, but he did not give up. One
day an icy storm hit. It separated all of the ships, and the San Antonio and the Conception were soon out of
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sight. Everyone feared they had sunk! But right when they were about to turn back, someone sighted the ships
at the mouth of a bay. But was it a bay? Magellan’s hopeful thoughts were confirmed when he tasted the
water. It was salt water - not fresh water! This meant the water travels to another ocean, the West Ocean! The
secret passage through the southern continent had been discovered! El Paso had been found (Gallagher 44 47).
El Paso was rough and rocky, but Magellan and his crew made it to the West Ocean, the ocean on the west
side of South America. Since this ocean was so much calmer than the strait, he named it the Pacific Ocean
(Gallagher 48). (Pacific means calm in Spanish.) It took 98 grueling days to cross this vast western sea.
Almost all of the men were plagued by scurvy, a disease that sailors frequently suffered from because of their
lack of vitamin C. It is believed that even Magellan was plagued by this horrid sickness. Though most of the
men were ill, the voyage continued.
On March 16, 1521, the ships discovered a long string of islands. When he landed, Magellan named these
islands the Philippines after Prince Phillip, son of King Charles. While he was there, he converted over 800
natives to Christianity and made friends with one chief in particular. This chief, Humabon, asked Magellan to
help him in a local feud (Stefoff 110). Because of Magellan’s bond with this chief, he agreed. This decision
proved to be fatal. Magellan helped Humabon attack another people, who refused to become part of his tribe.
With Magellan leading the attack, the crew rushed ahead with their weapons, but soon the natives came
crashing out of the forest. Magellan's forces were quickly overpowered, and while many of his fellow crewmen
turned and ran, he courageously stayed and covered their retreat. Soon, he was struck with a spear and died.
The sailors had become fond of their firm but friendly captain, and they were deeply saddened by his death
(Kimmel 19). Many members of the crew thought there was no point in going on without Magellan, but they
knew that he would want them to continue on their journey.
One year later the Vittoria rolled into one of Spain’s ports. Everyone was completely surprised to see the
feeble crew and lonely, tattered Vittoria after almost three years! Only 18 out of the original 275 men survived!
(Macdonald 31, 26) A crewman, Del Cano, had captained the Vittoria’s voyage home, and he claimed all of
Magellan’s fame. This was a disgrace because Del Cano was one of the mutineers against Magellan!
(Gallagher 57) Antonio Pigafetta, one of the crew members who survived, eventually published a journal he
wrote on the voyage (Gallagher 9).
Because of Pigafetta’s journal, Ferdinand Magellan was finally recognized for his great accomplishments,
and the Spaniards honored him for his bravery. But was the voyage “successful”? From the short-term
perspective, it wasn’t. The spices that survived the trip just covered the original cost of the voyage, so there
was no profit. The route Magellan discovered proved to be more dangerous and longer than the eastern route,
so it was not frequently used in the future (Macdonald 32, 33). But in the long-term, Magellan accomplished
something amazing. By circumnavigating the earth, he proved the world was round. There were speculations
and beliefs at that time about the world being a sphere, but he without a doubt proved it. Later, El Paso was
named in his honor, ever to be known as the Strait of Magellan.
What began as Magellan’s search for El Paso ended in a historic discovery that changed the world and the
way people thought about it. This new world was inspired by Magellan’s passion for exploration, spirit for
adventure, and courage to journey into the unknown. His monumental voyage ushered in the Great Age of
Discovery and paved the way for explorers like Sir Francis Drake, Henry Hudson, and James Cook (Gallagher
57). This was the end of an age old mystery and the beginning of a new world and a new way of thinking that
still influences people today.
3
Dialogue Section
(This is an interview between King Charles of Spain and Ferdinand Magellan)
Magellan bows before the king and kisses his ring.
Magellan: “Thank you for granting my audience with you, your highness.”
King Charles: “You’re welcome. Please sit down and tell me about this expedition I hear
you would like to propose.”
Magellan sits down on a couch across for King Charles, and he lays some maps out on a
table.
Magellan: “As you know your highness, the Treaty of Tordesillas has complicated Spain’s
trade routes a bit.”
King Charles: “Ah yes, that was a very inconvenient happening was it not? I believe it
occurred 26 years ago in 1494, by Pope Alexander the VI. It was created because of our
disputes with Portugal over land and trade routes. I admit, the Treaty did end our arguing,
but it is very bothersome. It is still causing us trading problems!”
Magellan: “I might have found a solution. In the Treaty of Tordesillas, the Pope declared
that there is a line that divides the world in half. Everything west of the line is conquerable
by Spain, and everything east of the line is conquerable by Portugal. The only known route
to say, the Spice Islands, is around the horn of Africa, which is controlled by the
Portuguese.
King Charles listens, interested.
Magellan: “But there is a passage, a strait of water that travels through South America. It’s
called El Paso, and it is east of the line, in Spain’s territory! No one has journeyed through
it before, but according to my maps, it is not mythical, it is real! Once I land on South
America, I would begin the search for El Paso.
King Charles: “So say you find this El Paso, what then?”
Magellan: “Spices are highly prized these days, for one gold coin of spices equals 10 in
Spain! You cannot sit back without a reliable route to the Spice Islands, while the
Portuguese become rich! El Paso could provide Spain with many opportunities and
advantages!”
King Charles rubs his bearded chin thoughtfully.
King Charles: “Go on.”
4
Magellan: “El Paso could provide you with a reliable route to the Spice Islands and West
Indies, for after I pass through South America, it is not much farther to those western lands.
On my journey I could claim lands for Spain, because I would be west of the line of
Demarcation as it’s called, and in doing that, convert many natives to our religion,
Christianity. The spices we trade for would also make you very wealthy.
King Charles pauses, thinking.
Magellan waits in anticipating silence.
King Charles: “Wealth, lands for Spain, spreading our faith, and a reliable route to the
West Indies.”
King Charles studies the maps.
King Charles: “I don’t think I can pass up a wondrous offer like that. Ferdinand Magellan, I
will sponsor your expedition!”
A smiling Magellan and a satisfied King Charles shake hands. Magellan respectfully bows
out of the room.
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6
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Poem
The Key to the Globe
The sea tossed,
Around the vessel.
Pounded,
Against the ship’s hull.
Engulfed,
The sailors’ hopes.
The men,
They became ill.
Their limbs swelled
Their gums bled
Their nights sleepless
Their souls filled with dread.
The ship leaked,
From the jagged rocks.
Creaked,
From the weight.
Groaned,
From the journey.
Moaned,
For its fate.
The captain searched,
For the strait.
Lurched,
From his room.
Made,
His decisions.
Stayed,
The impending doom.
The sun, it hid,
The fauna fled,
The food was gone,
Some sailors dead.
The search for El Paso,
Had come to an end.
The strait was found,
It was the Key!
What it unlocked,
Made history.
They now were certain,
It was a sphere!
There now were globes.
And new maps that year!
Magellan was praised,
The sailors joyful,
The sun was raised,
The fauna thrived,
The mountains echoed
With the sighs
Of “We are saved!”
“We will make it!”
“God be praised!”
So the key was found,
It unlocked the truth.
There was a passage
Through South America!
You can tell the youths
About the great captain Magellan
He found the key
That unlocked the globe
He made history!
Until the sun, it shone!
The fauna came,
The food replenished,
“Hope!” the sailors proclaimed.
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Explanation of Genres:
This page explains what parts of my dialogue
and genres are facts and fiction.
Dialogue Section - All of the information in this section is true, and the interview itself did
take place. The dialogue was fictional though. I tried to use Magellan's and King
Charles’s language and movements to create the atmosphere of the discussion.
There are six new pieces of information: the Treaty of Tordesillas and Magellan’s main
objectives of the voyage: converting natives to Christianity, finding El Paso, trading at the
Spice Islands, and finding a reliable route to the West Indies.
~*~
Journal Entry - The idea of the journal itself is a real thing. Pigafetta really did write a
journal on the voyage. What I wrote in the entry was not quoting Pigafetta, but the story I
wrote about was true.
There are two new pieces of information: Magellan’s mission in Goa, and how he refused
to kill natives. There was also a little more information about the mutiny.
~*~
Advertisement - The advertisement itself is purely fictional. I created it to portray how
captains recruited sailors for their voyages. The main idea of it is factual though. All of
the information on it is true.
There are four new pieces of information: the crewman had to swear loyalty to the captaingeneral, there was a church service before the ships set sail, sailors were often prompted
with thoughts of riches, and they had to be physically strong.
~*~
Poem - All of the content in the poem is factual.
There are three new pieces of information: new maps were made, the first globes were
constructed after this voyage, and there are also details about the effects of scurvy.
~*~
Pictures and Captions - This genre is entirely true.
There are six new pieces of information: Ferdinand Magellan is the French version of his
name, Magellan limped from an old war wound, various navigational instruments used on
his voyage, new Battle of Mactan details, information about Pigafetta’s journal, and
information about Magellan’s memorials and monuments.
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-Works Cited“Ferdinand Magellan.” Elizabethan Era.” http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/ferdinandmagellan.htm.
“Ferdinand Magellan.” Webster’s Online Dictionary. http://www.websters-onlinedictionary.org/definitions/ferdinand+magellan?cx=partner-pub-0939450753529744%3Av0qd01tdlq&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=ferdinand+magellan&sa=Search#922.
“Ferdinand Magellan and the First Circumnavigation of the World.” Mariners’ Museum.
http://www.marinersmuseum.org/education/ferdinand-magellan-and-first-circumnavigation-world
Gallagher, Jim. Ferdinand Magellan and the First Voyage Around the World. Pennsylvania:
Chelsea House Publishers, 2000.
Gil, Thomer M. “Cartographica Neerlandica Background for Ortelius Map No. 12.”
http://www.orteliusmaps.com/book/ort12.html.
Kimmel, Elizabeth Cody. The Look-It-Up Book of Explorers. New York: Random House, 2004.
Macdonald, Fiona. Exploring the World. New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1996.
Morrison, James E. “Astrolabe: An instrument with a past and a future.” http://www.astrolabes.org/.
Stefoff, Rebecca. Ferdinand Magellan and the the Discovery of the World Ocean. New York:
Chelsea House Publishers, 1990.
Walters, James C. “Strait.” World Book Encyclopedia. 2010 ed.
.
- Fictional Sources to Add to My Understanding Torrey, Michele. To the Edge of The World. New York: Alfred A. Knopt, 2003.
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- Works Cited for Additional Genres -
Dialogue:
Gallagher 31, 32, 33
Kimmel 18, 19
Advertisement:
Gallagher 35
Macdonald 14, 15
Journal Entry:
Gallagher 26, 27, 43, 44
Kimmel 18
Poem:
Gallagher 49
Macdonald 25, 32
Stefoff 82
Pictures and Captions:
Gallagher 9, 53, 54, 55
Gil. “Cartographica Neerlandica Background for Ortelius Map No. 12”
Kimmel 19
Morrison. “Astrolabe: An instrument with a past and a future.”
Stefoff 14
Webster’s “Ferdinand Magellan.”
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