New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-10-22
SGE2N~W SALZZ4 100

recorded. lie had the advantage of having taken
with him n very capable reporter, an Italian gen
tleman from the city of Vicenza. one Antonio
Pigafetta, who completed the whole tour of the
world and wrote an account of it. 1t was soon
translated into English of the sixteenth century,
md Shakespeare, there is good reason TO believe,
read 1t, for in "The Tempest" Caliban's Sctebos
Is none other than the devil-god of the Patagonl-
ans as reported by the faithful Pigafetta, says the
New York Times Book Review. The journal has
been more recently translated by Lord Stanley OF
Alderly In his First Voyage Around the World"
while +. II. II, Guilemard of Cambridge has sup
piled an excellent biography of Magellan and ac-
count of the voyage.
In recounting Magellan's momentous voyage
II is necessary to go back to the famous bull of
Pope Alexander VI which divided the world be-
tween the Spanish and the Portuguese. The
Spaniards were forbidden to sail TO the Indies by
the way of the Cape of Good Hope, and their
only hope of reaching this most desired of all
lands was by finding a way to the west through
the Mundus NOvus. At this time a belief that
such n passage existed far TO the south was well
fixed In many minds.
Having proposed to his king, Manuel of Portu-
gal, that he make this voyage through the strait
he presumed to be there, and having met with a
refusal, the Portuguese asked permission to offer
his services elsewhere. The king said 'he might
do as he pleased and did not offer his hand to
be kissed ut parting.
In October, 1917, therefore, Magellan arrived in
Seville and at once found the favor he had missed
at home In the sight of Charles V. 1t was decid-
ed Mt once TO fit out an expedition. More than a
year passed in preparations and on September 20,
1919. a little fleet of five vessels cleared the mouth
of the Guadalquivir and passed out to sea on the
eliminating voyage of the great age of discovery.
The ships and their commanders were as fol-
lows:
Trinidad, 40 tons-Captain, Gen. Ferdinand
Magellan; pilot, Estevan Gomez.
San Antonio, 120 tons-Captain, Juan de Carta-
gcna.
Conception, 90 tons-Captain, Gaspar Quesada.
victoria, So tons-Cnptain, Luis de Mendoza.
Santiago, 20 tons-Captain, Juan Serrano.
The crews of these five ships we're a mixture of
many nationalities-a peculiarly fitting compile
ment. since the voyage was much less a gain for
n single nation (s was the discovery of the new
world) but rather a contribution TO the fund of
human knowledge and an Introduction of the world
TO all the people who live upon 1t. There were
about $50 men on board.
OF the four captains only one proved faithful.
The others had plotted treason even before the
ships sailed and while they knelt at the final mass
before going on board. Magellan was warned and
was unafraid.
The little armada left the Canaries on October
3. 1919. and ran down the African coast for sew
eral weeks. buffeted by heavy storms, while food
and water grew scarce.
On November % the ships reached the coast of
Brazil near Pernambuco. Through February and
March they followed the coast southwark, and
finally found shelter in the harbor of st. Julian
and settled down there TO pass the winter on the
last day of March. On the next day, which was
Easter, the smoldering mutiny broke out.
The way in which Magellan crushed that for
midable uprising in his own ranks is the best
indication of the character Of the commander that
has been left to us. When the mutineers had
three of the five ships in their control. Magellan
made a raid on Mendoza's ship. the Victoria.
and that captain met his death with n dagger
thrust in the throat. The two other ships were
blockaded. Strong parties then boarded the San
Antonio. and that ship was captured. The third
shin. the Conception. thereupon surrendered.
Quesada was beheaded and q%uartered. Carta-
pena of the San Antonio and a guilty priest, Pero