Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1920-10-21


its way through the 800 miles of the strait expor-
ing its MANY perplexing twists and turns. Here
they were deserted by the San Antonio. which
turned back to Spain where it arrived six months
later.
Finally, on November %. Magellan looked upon
the great western ocean. To be sure, he was not
the first European to set eyes upon that vast ex-
panse Of water. That distinction belongs to
young Spaniard, Nunez de Balboa, who had slipped
over to Darien from Hispaniola by way of an
empty cask on board ship and from mountain
had looked out over the Bay of San Miguel, below
the present city of Panama. upon what the natives
called the Great South sea- and whose fame has
been eclipsed by the unfortunate slip of the poet
who put "stout Cortez" upon that peak in Darien.
Half century later young Englishman looked
upon the same oyerpowering sight and swore he
would sail an English ship upon that ocean. He
did, and followed the great Magellan in the second
voyage around the world His name was Francis
Drake.
Magellan sailed north till the middle of De-
cember, then turned west. He sailed for three
months and eighteen days across the unknown
Pacific. What must have been the agonies Of
that voyage into the unknown; what triple bronz"
and heart of oak for commander to have met
all those trials. We know from the journals Of
the physical fortunes of the long journey. Food
ane water almost disappeared. The leather from
the yards soaked in the water and eaten. Men
hello their nostrils while they drank the putrid
water. Scurvy broke out in its most malignant
form. Many died and nearly all the others were
sick.
At length, on March g. 1921 they reached the
islands they named the Ladrones, islands Of the
thieves" March 10 they reached the Philippines,
the first Europeans to visit those Islands. Mage-
Ian named them the Islands Of Saint Lazarus.
Here the great explorer met his death in a mis-
cradle fight on the shore of the little island Of
Mactan, Matar. literally overwhelmed by a
swarm Of savages. They refused to give up his
body, and his burial place can never be surely
known. A few years ago some Spaniards erected
frail and tasteless monument on the spot where
they supposed Magellan fell.
The king of the island of Cebu having previous
ly professed conversion and been baptized, decided
to get rid OF his visitors. by means of banquet,
followed by n massacre Thirty Of the leading
men of the expedition fell in this way. OF the
$50 men who had sailed from Spain OIL. 115 were
now left. The Conception was no longer Seawor-
thy and burned. There remained the Trini-
dad and the Victoria. Sebastian Ecano, who had
been among the mutneers of Port st. Julian. be-
come captain general of the two remaining ships.
The two remaining ships visited Borneo next.
They were ready to start on the rest of the voy-
age home over the familiar route around the Cape
of Africa when the Trinidad sprang bad leak.
1t was therefore decided that the Victoria should
set out alone, while the Trinidad should make
repairs and then sail for Panama with cargo of
Spices OF the 101 men now surviving "a were
assigned to the Trinidad and AZ to the Victoria.
The Trinidad never finished her voyage After
running north some weeks she forced to turn
back. nearly wreck, and reached the Mouccas
with only 10 men left alive on her. The survivors
were seized by the hostile Portuguese and only the
captain, Espinosa, and three Of the crew ever saw
Spain again.
In the meantime the Victoria. with more starva-
ton and more scurvy aboard. had made the Cape
of Good Hope crossed the equator on June z and
soon reached the Cape Verde islands, where the
Portuguese tried to seize the ship. The. succeeded
in getting their hands some of the crew, but the
little Victoria scudded away with all sails set.
This July 49, and eight weeks later, Sep
tember 6. 1922. the Victoria sailed into the Span
sh river she had left nearly three years before
She had only IS men on board.