Filling Faith by Force: A Reflection Paper
(Cdt Homer Sales)
One of the most important voyages in the world and history of exploration is its
first circumnavigation in 1519 which was led by Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan under
the authority of the young King of Spain, Charles I. The Spanish expedition set sailed
from Sanlucar de Barrameda in search of the Spice Islands. The five-ship fleet namely,
the Trinidad as the flag ship, San Antonio, Victoria, Concepcion and Santiago left
Spain with about 270 men.
The crew stopped off in Tenerife and undergo changes during the expedition.
They followed the African coast of Cape Verde and Sierra Leone, embarking from
there on the journey across the Atlantic Ocean. They reached the coast of Brazil
stopping between in the bay of Santa Luzia. They encountered Americas indigenous
people and traded items for food. As they continue, they reached the Plata estuary
where they explored the area around the river hoping to find the passage to the South
Seas. Then, they reached Port St. Julian in southern Patagonia where Magellan
mutiny by other ships captains but he suppressed it harshly. Shortly, Santiago ship
sunk while exploring a river.
Despite the unfortunate event, they continued and sailed until the fleet found
the entrance to the strait and began to travel across it. Through a labyrinth of islands,
they sailed around the Cape of Eleven Thousand Virgins where they saw bonfires that
had been lit by the indigenous people, naming the archipelago the Tierra del Fuego or
Land of Fire. A few days later, San Antonio ship deserted, leaving the expedition
behind. It went back in Seville claiming not to know what had happened to the rest of
the fleet.
Trinidad, the Concepcion, and the Victoria found the passage to the South Seas
at Cape Desire which was named as Strait of Magellan, a maritime route that connects
the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean. It took the three ships’ expeditions 38 days to cross
it. For 100 days, they sailed across the largest ocean and named it the Pacific, seeing
no land other than a few isolated islands. The ship’s crew were hot and hungry and
beginning to see signs of severe vitamin deficiency. Having reached the Mariana
Islands, they saw dry land and afterward, they arrived in the Philippine Islands.
Ferdinand Magellan spent months sailing around the numerous islands, making
acquaintances with the indigenous people and attempted to convert the inhabitants to
Christianity. They reached Cebu but involved in various local disputes, and some of
his men dying in battle along with several others. More similar violent events followed
leading to more casualties.
The fleet left the island and later arrived in Borneo but by then, there were not
enough number of crew to operate three ships, so they decided to burn Concepcion
ship and continue their quest to find the Maluku Islands with just two ships. While
traveling this uncertain route, Juan Sebastian Elcano was appointed captain of the
Victoria ship. After years of sea-loathing, they finally reached their destination: the
Maluku Islands. They decided that the ship Trinidad should return to Spain but forced
to remain in Tidore because of unsuccessful leak repair. Elcano began the return
journey based on what he thought seemed to be the most practical western route.
The fleet stopped off in Timor, resuming their journey west in the Indian Ocean
along the Portuguese separation line. They traveled in isolation for several months
without stopovers. They rounded the Cape of Good Hope and for several months they
left Timor as they sailed far from the coast to avoid capture by the Portuguese. Many
months passed without setting foot on a land, they stopped off in the Cape Verde
Islands for provisions. Since the islands were Portuguese, they did not mention that
they had come from Maluku Islands, but they were found out and some of their crews
were captures. However, the Victoria managed to flee back to Spain. The first
circumnavigation of the globe proved without a shadow of doubt that the earth was
round as Juan Sebastian Elcano himself stated in this letter to the Emperor Charles V.
The real challenge that the expedition had encountered was the complexities
of human relationships. As they have dealt with indigenous people in Patagonia, the
Philippine Islands and other nearby regions filled with political and cultural tensions.
For example, Ferdinand Magellan interaction with local leaders in the Philippine
Islands to convert local rulers to Christianity but when the tribal chiefs expressed
dissent, Magellan used forceful tactics. He threatened the rebellious chiefs with death
if they would not submit to the King of Spain’s authority and promised that the king
would bring more forces to make him the most powerful ruler in the entire region. This
occasion reflects inferiority complex as they imposed power and control to the
indigenous people of many islands they have visited. The colonialism pre-started
where the mission of conversion for God was intertwined with in the search and
fulfillment of gold and glory of the King. Thus, Magellan Expedition’s efforts to spread
Christianity were depicted in series of events that showed both religious zeal and
coercion.
