The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-13
A DISASTROUS FIGHT

| ana note now MS men could night.
A DISASTROUS FIGHT
| owing to the coral reef surrounding
Mactan, the boats from the fleet were I'M
able to approach the shore. So far off. in
deed. had they to remain that It was neces-
sary to wade distance Of two good cross
bow shots before the attacking party set
foot upon the beach. or the sixty men the
Captain General and forty-eight landed.
The other eleven remained in the boats TO
guard them and to serve the bombards
| As they stepped ashore the dawn of the
18th day Of April broke over the island. II
was Saturday, day specially chosen by the
admiral. as he had great veneration for it.
| Alas. for his choice. Alas. for the specta-
Gle of prowess that he charged his Sebu
allies to watch. OF valor, Indeed there
was enough and to spare, but it awaited
nothing against the blunder he had made of
Understanding the strength of his oppo-
nents. From the moment or landing it be-
came evident that a determined resistance
varying, according to different accounts,
from 100 TO s OO0-surrounded them. Piga-
sS haf ihe St 1 We're dSdes
roughly into three bodies of which one OPP
posed their advance, while the others as
| ingly marshaled his men in two companies,
as affordng means OF better defense. 1t
Is not now 1 and probably was not then the
OF village In very close proximity to each
other, and the trees and gardens by which
| tney are usually surrounded, together with
| the thick bush which covers the uncultivat-
| eG ground, afforded the best of cover to the
l aaa S Close fighting was impossible,
| ana hence while the Spaniards were hardly
abe TO fire a shot with any certainty they
| Were exposed to continuous and CALLING
n neys Oh spears and arrows. Showers of stones
were also thrown, and though the men were
| wei protected about the body by their
eorseIets, ii was not long before some OF the
missiles began to tell on their limbs. 1t
seems but few arquebuaers were of the
| party Such as there were kept up desul-
Tory nre with the crossbow men for some
elilie Out 10 little effect, and the natives
| seeing the comparatively harmlessness of
NE european weapons grew emboldened
Wa asGbl a5ns, realizing that the ammunition
serve their fire. but his orders were disre-
sar rId m the confusion of the melee.
Inc attacking party was now getting so
hard pressed that the captain general d.
rected a small detachment TO advance
1lu SET hre TO group OF houses not far dis
eaiit. ne plan was not attended with the
success he had desired So Infatuated were
.i.e islanders at the destruction of their
Snania , y. the wind having aided the
were soon in f1ames-that they returned to
the attack with redoubled energy, and. cut
c c,s on some OF the incendiary party, sue
ceeoed In killing two of them. From this
moment the issue OF the day was practicaIIv
pSeclded. Magellan whose right leg had
advance was impossible and gave orders RI
retreat. In vain, however, did he command
mat the movement should be executed slow
~ and In order. Had his orders been carried
out the result OF the battle might have been
dinerent. But the Spaniards. spoiled bv
,e victories. reverse was attended with
unknown terrors, and the greater part of
theIn ned immediately in wild disorder Six
OF u eisnt only were left to support their
the beach smrrnundl IN IA steady retreat to
ages, who poured in heavy fire of arrows
Snd spears upon the courageous little band
80 heavy was IL, says Pigafetta. who stayeJ
no laC or hot
could hardly offer any resistance Then the
Mater cage was gained, but no aid could
pe OBTAINED from the boats. Their distance
from the fight was so great that II was
useless TO bring the bombards into action.
anu am friend so mixed with foe that even had
they been within range II would have been
impossible. And SO. fighting hand to hand
and step by step retreating, the coral reef
was traversed. until they were distant a
bowshot from the shore and the wafer
reached their knees
MAGELLAN's END.
Then the end came The natives. con-
ndent In their numbers, and caring little
Tor the weapons of the Europeans. pressed
them still harder. Twice the captain lost
MS helmet and a little, later received a
spear wound IN his right arm. The island
ers recognized his rank, and directed their
attacks especially against him, and, finding
the bodies of the antagonists invulnerable
tney endeavored TO wound them In the legs
or face. The length of their spears being
greater than that OF the Spanish lances
gave them still further advantages. But. In
and his men was determined and Obstinate
to a degree. The King of Cebu, recogniz-
ing g the f gravity Of the situation. had landed
IL was too late The rest must he fold In
PigaTetta's own words.
~, Thus we fought for an hour more I'M
III at length an Indian succeeded In wound
ing the captain in the face with a bamboo
spear. lie, being desperate, plunged his
lance lance into the Indians breast. leaving it
there. 'But, wishing to use his sword he
could only draw it half way from the
sneath, on account of a spear wound he
mad received In his right arm. Seeing this.
the enemy, all rushed at him, and one of
them. with a long terzado, like a large
scimitar, gave him heavy blow upon the
ieit leg; which caused him to fall forward
selves upon him with iron-pointed ham
boo spears and scimitars, and every weapOn
mat, mat they had. and ran him through-our
mirror, our light, our comforter, our true
guide-until they killed him.
While the Indians were closely pressing
him he several times turned round towards
US to see If we were all in safety, as if his
obstinate resistance had no other object
than to give time for the retreat of his men.
covered with wounds, when we saw him
fall, made for the boats, which were then
on the point of pushing off. There persisted
with him eight of our men and four of the
christian Indians We had. besides, many
wounded, among whom 1 count myself
The enemy lost only fifteen men,
He died, but trust that your illustrious
highness will not permit his memory to be
lost, the more so since i born again
In you the good qualities of so great q can
tain, one OF his leading virtues being his
constancy in the worst misfortune AT sea |
ne endured hunger better than we. Greatly
learned in nautical charts. he knew more
or the true art of navigation than any other
person, in sure proof whereof is the wis
dom and intrepidity with which-no ex-
ample having been afforded him-he at |
tempted and almost completed the naviga-
ton of the globe.
so died Magellan, his life wasted in a
miserable skirmish with savages The |
manner of his death has been related by |
various historians, the most trustworthy
OF whom differ in no essential point The |
account OF Plgafetta, who fought by his |
side. Is doubtless correct but in a desper-
ate struggle such as that in which the greet |
navigator perished, IL Is not astonishing
that the minor details of the onlookers'
stories should vary
"Thevet states that he was killed by an |
arrow. which Is partly borne out by Mich |
olas of Naples, sailor oil the Victoria i'm |
MS examination as witness In support of |
Jaime Barbosa's claim to Magellan's estate |
in the year 1910: L was by his side and |
saw him killed by arrows and a lance wound |
that pierced his throat Whether he met |
his death by spear or arrow, however mat |
tiers little. He fell as we should expect him |
to fall, fighting bravely, and up to the last |
than himself"
The present natives of the Isle of Cebu |
are much given to tattooing themselves
Just they were in the days of Magellan
tesque figures. For this reason the Span |
iards at first called the country Isla de los |
Pintados, or Island of the Painted Men
Ten years ago the population of the island |