Circumnavigation of the World

How 270 men became 18, the story of the world's first journey around the world

TARA FLANAGAN

Introduction

Ferdinand Magellan

In September 1519, five ships departed from Spain in pursuit of the discovery of the Spice Islands. 270 men were onboard as crew. Only 18 of these men would go on to survive with only one ship returning to complete the journey in what would become the first ever circumnavigation of the world.

Ferdinand Magellan was the captain of this journey. Known for his previous expeditions in India and Africa, he was a man who had always been fascinated with the popularity that successful voyages could give someone. This is what led to him wanting to be the first man to set sail to the Spice Islands from the west of Europe as it had always been journey's leading from the east. In the 15th century, spice was a valuable resource within the economy.

Despite having been loyal to Portugal and working for their fleet, his frustrations at having his westward journey opportunity shot down led him to divert to Spain where King Charles I granted permission and funding to Magellan's voyage to the Spice Islands.

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The Five Ships

There were five ships that Magellan and his crew travelled with for their journey. The ships contained the necessities needed for traveling by sea. This would have included navigational aids such as astrolabes, maps, compasses, charts and almanacs (Alchin, 2012).

There were five ships:

  • The Trinidad
  • The San Antonio
  • The Conception
  • The Victoria
  • The Santiago

The Trinidad

The main ship captained by Magellan himself. Despite being the head ship it was the most inexpensive one at a price of 270,000 Maravedíes which in comparison was 65% lower than the price needed to create the Victoria (Guamapedia).

The San Antonio

The San Antonio was the largest ship of the fleet. It was captained by Juan de Cartagena who was appointed despite lacking experience due to his good connections (Kinsella, 2019).

The Conception

Captained by Gaspar de Quesada, the Conception like the other ships was a caravel ship. This meant that the ship had 3 masts with square sails and a triangular sail. It weighed between 50 and 100 tons and varied in length from 45 feet to 100 feet (Alchin, 2012).

The Victoria

The Victoria was helmed by Luis de Mendoza. It is notable for the fact that the Victoria ended up being the only ship of the five to actually complete the main voyage (Mariners' Museum and Park).

The Santiago

Juan Serrano commanded the Santiago. Like the other ships, the Santiago would have traveled great distances from day to day during the journey. They could cover a distance up to 100 miles a day (Alchin, 2012).

THE TIMELINE OF THE CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF THE WORLD

A detailed breakdown of the 270's journey in chronological order

Video

How Magellan circumnavigated the globe - Ewandro Magalhaes

Historic Map showing travel points

Source Links

Alchin, L.K, Ferdinand Magellan Ships, (2012),  https://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/ferdinand-magellan-ships.htm 

Kinsella, P., Dire straits: the story of Ferdinand Magellan's fatal voyage of discovery, (2019),  https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/ferdinand-magellan-fatal-voyage-discovery-first-circumnavigation-globe-story-facts-timeline/ 

Image Sources

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Ferdinand Magellan