MAGELLAN

magellan, ferdinand (in sp. fernando magallanes, in port. fernao de magalhaes) (c. 1480-1521), the first circumnavigator of the globe, was born at sabrosa in the villa real district of the traz-os-montes province of portugal. he was a son of pedro de magalhaes, and belonged to the fourth order of portuguese nobility (_fidalgos de cota de armas_). he was brought up as one of the pages of queen leonor, consort of king john (joao) ii "the perfect." in 1495 he entered the service of manuel "the fortunate," john's successor, and in 1504 enlisted as a volunteer for the indian voyage of the first portuguese viceroy in the east, francisco d'almeida. he sailed on the 25th of march 1505; was wounded at cannanore on the 16th of march 1506; was then sent with nuno vaz pereira to sofala to build a portuguese fortress at that place; returned to india early in 1508; and was again wounded at the battle of diu on the 3rd of february 1509. at cochin (aug. 19, 1509) he joined diogo lopes de sequeira on his famous voyage intended for the spice islands, when the portuguese almost fell victims to malay treachery at malacca. in this crisis he fought bravely and skilfully (though it is not true, as often asserted, that he discovered the malay plot); and before the 10th of october 1510 he had been rewarded for his many services with the rank of captain. he again distinguished himself at the taking of malacca by albuquerque (july-aug., 1511), and was then sent on by the viceroy with antonio d'abreu to explore the spice islands (moluccas). leaving malacca at the end of december 1511, this squadron sailed along the north of java, passed between java and madura, left celebes on their left, coasted by the gunong api volcano, touched at bura, and so reached amboyna and banda. at the last-named they found such abundance of spices that they came straight back to malacca without visiting ternate, as had been intended. magellan returned to portugal in 1512. on the 14th of july of that year he was raised to the rank of _fidalgo escudeiro_; and in 1513 he accompanied a portuguese expedition against azamor in morocco. the city was taken on the 28th-29th of august 1513; but magellan was subsequently wounded, and lamed for life, in a sortie; he was also accused of trading with the moors. the accusation was subsequently dropped, but magellan fell into disfavour with king manuel, who let him understand that he would have no further employment in his country's service (after the 15th of may 1514). magellan formally renounced his nationality, and went to offer his services to the court of spain. he reached seville on the 20th of october 1517, and thence went to valladolid to see charles v. with the help of juan de aranda, one of the three chief officials of the india house at seville, and of other friends, especially diogo barbosa, a portuguese like himself, naturalized as a spaniard, who had acquired great influence in seville, and whose daughter he now married, he gained the ear of charles and of the powerful minister, juan rodriguez de fonseca, bishop of burgos, the persistent enemy of columbus, the steady supporter of his great successor. magellan proposed to reach the spice islands of the east indies by the west; for that purpose he hoped to discover a strait at the extreme south of south america, and is said to have declared himself ready to sail southwards to 75° to realize his project. ruy faleiro the astronomer, another portuguese exile, aided him in the working out of his plan, and he found an invaluable financial ally in christopher de haro, a member of a great antwerp firm, who owed a grudge to the king of portugal. on the 22nd of march 1518, magellan and faleiro, as joint captains-general, signed an agreement with charles