He told King Charles I of Spain that he would find a new route to the East by sailing westward. Magellan was given command of a Spanish fleet consisting of five ships, the flagship Trinidad (110 tons), San Antonio (120 tons), Concepcion (90 tons), Victoria (85 tons) and Santiago (75 tons).

An Italian member of the expedition, Antonio Pigafetta, served as the official chronicler and wrote eyewitness account of the expedition, entitled "Primo Viaggio Intorno Al Globo Terracqueo (First Voyage Around the Terrestial Globe) first published in Italian in 1800.

The expedition set sail from Seville on Auygust 10, 1519, but dropped anchor at the mouth of Guadalquivir, San Lucar de Barrameda until Sept. 20, 1519 when they lift anchor and sailing once more to start the long and arduous journet with 237 men aboard the five ships.

The fleet sailed west, then southwest to South America. The first objective was to look for a passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific which they found now called Strait of Magellan in October 1520.

They crossed Africa, dropped anchor at the coasts of Brazil, Cape St. Agustine, Rio de Plata and the famous Bay of St. Julian along the desolate Patagonian coast where they stayed for five months and where Santiago was shipwrecked. They they proceeded along the coast and anchored at the river of San Antonio slipped away and returned to Spain, dropping out of the expedition.

Then they began a long voyage pver the Pacific and the three ships, Trinidad, Concepcion and Victoria sailed on steadily for three and two-thirds months without being able to reprovision, according to Pigafetta.

"At dawn on Saturday, March 16, 1521, we came upon a high land at a distance of three hundred leguas from the islands of Ladroni-an island named Zamal (i.e., Samar). The following day, the captain general desired to land on another island which was uninhabited and lay to the rights of the above-mentioned island, in order to be more secure, and to get water and some rest. He had two tents set up on the shore for the sick and had a sow killed for them.

"On Monday afternoon (March 18), we saw a boat coming toward us with nine men reached the shore, their chief went immediately to the captian-general , giving signs of joy because of our arrival. Five of the most ornately adorned of them remained with us, while the rest went to get some others who were fishing, and so they all came.

"The captain-general, seeing that they were reasonable men, ordered food to be set before them, and gave them red caps, morrors, combs, bells, ivory, bocasine and other things. When they saw the captain's courtesy, they present fish, a jar of palm wine, which they call uraca (i.e. arrack), figs more than one palmo long (bananas) and others which were smaller and more delicate, and two cocoanuts.

"They had nothing else then, but made us signs with their hands that they would bring umay or rice, and cocanuts and many other articles of food within four days.

"Cocoanuts are fruits of the palmtree. Just as we have bread, wine, oil and milk, so those people get everything from that tree. They get wine in the following manner. They bore a hole into the heart of the said palm at the top called palmito (stalk), from which distils a liquor which resembles white must. That liquor is sweet but somewhat tart, and (is gathered) in canes (of bamboos) as thick as the leg and thicker. They fasten the bamboo to the tree at evening for the morning, and in the morning for evening. The palm bears a fruit, namely: the cocoanut which is as large as the head or thereabouts....etc.

"Those people became very familiar with us. They told us many things, their names and those of some of the island that could could be seen from the place. Their own island was called Zuluan, and it is not very large. We took great pleasure with them for they were very pleasant an d conversable. In order to show them greater honor the captain-general took them to his ship

and showed them all his merchandise - cloves, cinnamon, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, mace, gold and all the things in the ship. He had some mortars fired for them, whereat they exhibited great fear, and tried to jump out of the ship. They made signs to us that the above said articles grew in that place where we were going.

"When we were about to retire, they took their leave very gracefully and neatly, saying they would return according to their promise. The island where we were is called Humunu (Homonhon); but inasmuch as we found two springs there oif clearest water, we called it Acquada da li buoni Segnialli (the watering place of good sings), for there were the first signs of gold which we found in those districts.We wound a great quantity of white coral there, and large trees wtih fruits a trifle smaller than the almond and resembling pine seeds. There were many islands in that district, ands therefore we called them the archipelago of San Lazaro, as they were discovered on the Sabbath of St. Lazarus. They lie in x degrees of latitude toward the Arctic Pole, and in a longitude of 161 degrees from the line of demarcation.

"At noon on Friday, March 22, those men came as they had promised us in two boats with cocanuts, sweet oranges, a jar of palmwine and a cock, in order to show us that there were fowls in that district. They exhibited great signs of pleasure at seeing us. We purchased all those articles from them. Their seignior was an old man who was painted (tattoed). He wore two gold earrings (schione) in his ears, and others many gold armlets in their arms and kerchiefs about their heads.

"We stayed there one week and during that time our captain went ashore daily to visit the sick, and every morning game them cocoanut water from his own hand, which comforted them greatly. There are people living near that island who have holes in their ears so large that they can pass their arms through them. Those people are caphri, that is to say, heathen. They go naked, with a cloth woven from the bark oif a tree (abaca?) about their privies, except some of the chiefs who wear cotton cloth embroidered with silk at the ends by means of a needle. They are dark, fat and painted. They annoint themselves with cocoanut and beneseed oil as a protection against sun and wind. They have very black hair that falls to the waist, and uise daggers, knives and spears ornamented with gold, large shields, fascines, javelins and fishing nets that resemble rezali; and their boats are like ours. (?)

"(On March 25th, Pigafetta fell overboard. Luckily, he was saved.)

That same day, we shaped our course toward the west southwest between four small islands, namely, Cenalo, Hiunanghan, Ibusson and Abarien.

"On Thursday morning, March 28, as we had seen a fire on an island the night before we anchored near it. We saw a small boat which the natives called baloto, with eight men in it, approaching the flagship. A slave belonging to the captain-general who was a native of Zamatra (Sumatra), which was formerly called Traprobana, spoke to them. They immediately understood him, came alongside the ship, unwilling to enter but taking a position at some little distance.

"The captain seeing that they would not trust us, threw them out a red cap and other things tied to a bit of wood. They received them very gladfly, and went away quickly to advise their king. About two hours later we saw two balanghai coming. They are large boats and are so called (by those people). They are full of men and their king was in the larger of them, being seated under an awning of mats.

"When the king came near the flagship, the slave spoke to him. The king understood him, for in those districts the kings know more languages than the other people. He ordered some of his men to enter the ships, but he always remained in his balanghai, at some distance from the ships until his own men returned; and as soon as they retured he departed. The captain-general showed great honor to the men who entered the ship, and gave them some presents, for which the king wished before his departure to give the captian a large bar of gold and a basket full of ginger. The latter, however, thanked the king heartily but would not accept it. In the afternoon we went in the ships and anchored dear the dwelling of the king."