Tuesday, September 01, 2020

Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe by Laurence Bergreen


Over the Edge of the World: 

Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe

Laurence Bergreen     

Published 2004  

Exploration    

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 


Well written, thoroughly researched, historically informative, and absolutely shocking! 

My goodness! What in the world?


When I finished reading this book, I told my husband that I felt like this was basically an extreme and belabored grocery trip around the world just to pick up a few pounds of coveted cloves. CLOVES! Move valuable than gold.


Of course, it was more than just about cloves. It was an anxious search for the strait that would direct Spanish explorers from the Atlantic Ocean through South America to the Pacific Ocean. And the voyage had a political end: to disrupt the Portuguese monopoly on the Spice Islands and capture it for Spain. 


Another navigator, like Columbus, with an outlandish idea to reach the Spice Islands in the Indian Ocean by taking a westerly direction, hoped to win over the Portuguese monarchy. The explorer was a Portuguese nobleman named Fernāo Magalhāes.  Three times he sought permission and aid from the Portuguese king, Manuel I, and three times he was denied. The rejection sent him to Spain, where the Spanish king, Charles I, eventually granted Ferdinand Magellan (his new Spanish name) five vessels and 260 sailors.


The voyage began August 1519, while the insufferable King Manuel threw a hissy fit!


The natural challenges, burdens, and difficulties of such a voyage were endless (they lost one ship in a storm before they reached the strait); imagine, however, the added strains of human sin. WOW! That compounded everything. 


The conflict between Portugal and Spain continued aboard and throughout the long voyage, as this was a mixed venture between a few Portuguese loyalists to Magellan and many Spanish sailors who resented the ex-patriot captain general.


There was mutiny, murder, and sodomy, which was met with Magellan's swift, harsh, inhumane justice of torture, death, and even marooning. Before they sailed the entire strait, the crew of one vessel, San Antonio, which carried most of the provisions, decided to ditch Magellan and return to Spain.


Author Bergreen stated that Magellan's navigational skills through hundreds of miles of unmapped archipelagos of the strait are the "single greatest feat in maritime history." It took almost a month to pass through.


Unfortunately, after reaching the Pacific Ocean at the other end of the strait, it was more than three months before they spotted the first Pacific island: Guam. By now they had lost thirty sailors to scurvy and starvation.


In the Polynesian Islands, the Europeans had a little conflict with the Natives. It was not until they landed in the Philippines that they met with a friendly king who gave them gold and ginger. Magellan demonstrated great showmanship that dazzled the king. The Europeans celebrated Easter on the island, which also impressed the king. Magellan committed to strengthening the island's loyalty to Spain by fighting the king's enemies, which was not a directive of Spain. 


Next, they visited the neighboring island of Cebu. Magellan attempted to convert the natives to Christ and had them baptized. In turn, they treated the Captain General as a god, and it went to his head. He truly thought he was divinely inspired. The christening ceremonies got out of hand when Magellan  insisted on baptizing those who did not want to be, and he had to threaten them to do so. In the end, over 2000 men and women were baptized, and Magellan claimed the Philippines for Spain.


By the time they came to another neighboring island, Magellan was on his own personal crusade, and he continued to threaten those who defied him. But the natives challenged Magellan, and the Europeans were out smarted; here, Magellan lost his life.


Bergreen said that "the only battle Magellan could not survive was the greatest of all: himself."


Relieved to be rid of Magellan, the remaining sailors elected a new captain general, or two. And yet they abused Magellan's slave, Enrique, and threatened to whip him if he did not obey. That proved to be a bad decision because the next stop was a bloody disaster. Enrique conspired with the natives and they surprise-attacked the Europeans after inviting them to dinner. Twenty-seven sailors died, and Enrique stayed behind rather than return to Spain. 


Meanwhile, remember the San Antonio? They just reached Spain, and they did not exactly tell the truth about what had happened. But it worked in their favor, and they were free. Unfortunately, Magellan was in major trouble, when and if he returned. Yet, in truth, everyone thought they were lost forever and did not expect anyone to return, let alone Magellan.


But they were wrong. 


At this point, one ship was so infested that they burned it after moving everything they could to the last two remaining vessels.


And one man remained who was most loyal to Magellan: Antonio Pigafeta, a young adventurer who only wanted to go on this voyage because he was so admiring of the Captain General. It is through his words that we even have this story at all.


Continuing on, they went from island to island, finding food and material goods, meeting all kinds of wealthy and civilized natives, some influenced by the Chinese culture and many who were just like the Europeans in their lifestyle.


At one point they were in the middle of a battle between two tribes, but because they did not understand what was going on, the Europeans went on the defensive and took hostages, including women. Pigafeta knew that Magellan would have never done this because it was divisive and what pirates did. He longed for Magellan's sense of duty.


After that debacle, the sailors changed captains again. One of the ships ran aground and needed repairs. Many mistakes were made that would have been avoided had Magellan been alive. Out of desperation, the Europeans captured smaller native vessels and threatened them for food and directions to the Spice Islands. They even killed some of their captives in the interim. Pigafeta was so desensitized by death, he hardly wrote much about it. The morale of the men was beat, and they had lost sense of their mission.


Twenty-seven months into the voyage and they finally stumble into the Spice Islands. The emissary was a Muslim named Almanzor already familiar with the Portuguese, whom he did not like. It did not take long to convince Al that King Charles I was a better master, and he easily pledged allegiance to Spain. Great! Now could they please have all the spices so they could get the heck home?


But it's such a small world because a friend of a friend (a European) who lived on the island said they knew all about Magellan's quest to sail around the world in search of the Spice Islands. The Portuguese had been by to say they were looking for the fleet to stop them. Remember the tantrum King Manuel threw when he heard Magellan set out on his mission? He was determined to stop Magellan. So hurry up with those spices because the Spaniards are in Portuguese territory and this could end up in a war.


So Al said he'd get the cloves, which ran the world's economy -- they were used for medicinal purposes and flavoring -- and Al came through and produced over 1400 lbs. of cloves. He also asked the Europeans to promise to return. He really preferred the Spaniards to the Portuguese, and as a gift, he gave them a slave to give to the King of Spain.


On the day they meant to leave, one vessel had a leak, which would not have happened had Magellan been alive because he was so meticulous about these details. Al said he'd help fix the leak and take care of the sailors left behind. Meanwhile the other vessel, the Victoria, would begin its trek back to Spain, while the flagship, Trinidad, would follow after its repairs were complete.


Sixty survivors aboard the Victoria headed home without their fierce leader. "They had their spices but they lost their soul." All that mattered was survival.


And after three months, the Trinidad was ready to roll with fifty tons of cloves, more than enough to justify this desperate voyage. Apparently all we know is that many men died of scurvy, some were left behind, and it spent seven more months at sea going in the wrong direction until it returned to the Islands. By then, the Portuguese had arrived again looking for Magellan, imprisoned the sailors left behind, and showed no mercy to the emaciated crew aboard the Trinidad. Even Al turned on Spain and blamed them for his loyalty.


The Portuguese destroyed the Trinidad after stripping her of its precious cargo, including Magellan's logbook, which showed all he had done -- as well as providing proof that he was in territory belonging to Portugal. It is safe to say that no one survived from the flagship.


Back to the Victoria rounding the Cape of Good Hope, Pigafeta wrote that the survivors were not bold but humbled and grateful to God to be alive. But more scurvy took more men, and they still had to avoid the Portuguese.


On September 1522, 18 survivors sailed into Seville, Spain. They had enough cloves to turn a profit, which went directly to the crown and the financier of the expedition.


The end result: the world was larger, not smaller than thought: seven thousand miles were added; no more reason for superstitious ideas; and a new understanding: that man existed in a variety of ways -- all at a cost of over 200 lives.


King Charles did not care about the lost lives, or Magellan, or the Spice Islands. He only cared about the cloves. Later the survivors were given rewards and coat of arms. Magellan's name was still defiled because he defected from Portugal and sailed for the King of Spain, who did not care about him anyway.


Yet Pigafeta, who initially was ignored, pleaded for Magellan's valor and loyalty to Spain and the Church. He gave King Charles his journals. Bergreen states that it is "the most authoritative and eloquent chronicle of the voyage."


But Spain did not care, and Portugal was still embittered. Do you know who cared the most? England. They wanted men to copy Magellan's feat. And guess what? Fifty-eight years later, Sir Francis Drake completed the circumnavigation of the world for England.



In my opinion, Magellan, who called himself a Christian, had a warped understanding of the religion and faith. He baptized for the Catholic Church, not Jesus. Baptism is a public profession of faith after one comes to understand their need of a Savior, who is Jesus Christ. That individual desires forgiveness, seeks repentance and reconciliation with God, and believes that Jesus Christ died for his/her sins. Only then can they understand what baptism means and why they should do it. Magellan forced people to be baptized, and that didn't make one Christian, but rather a servant of the Catholic Church. 


Too bad they did not have FACT-CHECKERS in Sixteenth Century Europe. But do you remember what was happening in Germany while Magellan was circumnavigating the globe? Martin Luther was setting things right against the Catholic Church! Earlier, in 1517, he nailed his 95 Thesis to the church door of Wittenberg, and in January 1521 he was excommunicated from the Church in Rome, three months before Magellan lost his life with the point of a spear. The truth was about to set the Church and royalty on fire, and the world was about to change. No more of these useless baptisms. 


Whew! I cannot explain why I am this fascinated by explorers and their adventures. It's a strange attraction of mine. This book was well written and yet so many things I did not share, some of it R-rated. So if you like non-fiction, history, exploration, biographies, and well written chronicles, do not miss this one. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Share your thoughts...