On the 6th of September, 1522, one of Magellan's ships "Nao Victoria" after the long circumnavigation returned in Sanlucar de Barrameda in Seville, Spain and was crewed by only 22 men out of the original 5 ships (Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepcion, Santiago and Victoria) and about 270 men that started the expedition in 1519. Only eighteen European survivors of the voyage and four Asians they had picked up en route. The rest had died, deserted, left behind as unworthy of sharing in the spoils of the rich cargo of spices. After traveling 42,000 miles, the ship was in terrible condition, with her sails torn and only kept afloat by continuous pumping out of water by the eighteen who returned to Seville in Victoria:
# ...Juan Sebastian Elcano - captain-general of Nao Victoria.
# ...Miguel de Rodas - petty officer of Nao Victoria.
# ...Francisco Albo - of Axio, boatswain of Nao Trinidad.
# ...Juan de Acurio - of Bermeo, petty officer of Nao Concepcion.
# ...Martino de Judicibus - of Italy, superintendent of Nao Concepcion.
# ...Hernando de Bustamante - of Alcantara, barber of Nao Concepcion.
# ...Juan de Zuvileta - of Baracaldo, page of Nao Victoria.
# ...Miguel Sanchez - of Rodas, seaman of Nao Victoria.
# ...Nicholas the Greek - of Italy, seaman of Nao Victoria.
# ...Diego Gallego - of Bayonne, seaman of Nao Victoria.
# ...Juan Rodriguez - of Seville, seaman of Nao Trinidad.
# ...Antonio Rodriguez - of Huelva, seaman of Nao Trinidad.
# ...Francisco Rodriguez - of Portugal, seaman of Nao Concepcion.
# ...Juan de Arratia - of Bilbao, seaman of Nao Victoria.
# ...Vasco Gomez Gallego - of Portugal, grumete of Nao Trinidad.
# ...Juan de Santandres - of Cueto, grumete of Nao Trinidad.
# ...Martin de Isaurraga - of Bermeo, grumete of Nao Concepcion.
# ...Chevalier Antonio Pigafetta - of Vicenza, Italy. passenger of Nao Trinidad.
On the 9th of September, 1522, three days after the eighteen gaunt men arrived, with candles in hand, walked barefooted to the shrine of Santa Maria de la Victoria in Seville to give thanks for their safe return. It was three years since they had commended themselves to the Virgin in that same shrine, on the eve of their departure as members of an expedition which was intended to reach the spice islands by sailing west, rather than east and somehow finding a way around or through the great landmass of America, sailed around the world on the remaining Nao Victoria that was built at a shipyard of Gipuzkoa, a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Basques being reputed shipbuilders like the Pilipinos and had good hardwood timbers as that of the Philippine hardwood that were used in the 300 years of the infamous Manila/Acapulco Galleon Trade.
Like the Nao Victoria, also from the Basque country Getaria, Gipuzkoa of Spain Juan Sebastian Elcano completed the first circumnavigation after Magellan and Duarte Barbosa's death in the Philippines, Elcano took command of the Nao Victoria from the Moluccas. At "Tierra del Fuego" the southernmost tip of South America, Elcano participated in a mutiny against Magellan before the armada discovered the passage through South America, now the "Strait of Magellan" before entering the Pacific Ocean. He was pardoned by Magellan after five months of hard labor in chains later was made captain of the galleon.
Juan Sebastian Elcano as the other crew after Magellan's death on April 27, 1521 at the Battle of Mactan, tried to recover their captain-general's body without success. Thereafter, Duarte Barbosa captain of "Victoria" and Juan Serrano of "Concepcion" were chosen leaders of the expedition, as Magellan wrote in his will that when he dies, his page Enrique de la Macca would be a freeman, both captain refused to give his freedom. Enrique sought out the disillusioned Raja Humabon and Datu Zula, convinced the two about his plot to get the Spanish goods and kill the crew, which the two leaders agreed. On the first of May, Magellan's crew were invited by Rajah Humabon for a banquet ashore to receive a gift for the king of Spain. During the dinner it appeared that a given signal, the native warriors attacked the guest, most were killed or poisoned, including Duarte Barbosa. Juan Serrano who was bleeding and his arms tied was dragged to the beach wanted to exchange him for weapons. Serrano pleaded to his friend pilot Joao Carvalho to ransom him. Fearing another treachery and perhaps thinking that he might be deprived of his command Carvalho refused to rescue Serrano, instead ordered the ships to to sail away. Serrano cursed Carvalho... "May God ask you for my soul on the day of judgement." Pilot Joao Carvalho, who had survived the trap, then became the captain of "Victoria." In August, near Borneo he was deposed and Juan Sebastian Elcano became captain for the remainder of the expedition.
After the successful first circumnavigation of Nao Victoria Juan Sebastian Elcano was awarded a coat of arms featuring a globe with the words expressing the spirit of his accomplishment... "Primus Circumdedisti Me" (Latin - "You went around me first") and a yearly pension, by King Charles I of Spain. In 1525, Elcano joined the Loaisa Expedition and was appointed Captain-General, commanded seven ships and was sent to claim the East Indies for Spain. Both Elcano and many other sailors died of malnutrition in the Pacific Ocean, few survivors reached their destination and a few of them managed to return to Spain. Elcano remained a bachelor but he had a natural son Domingo Elcano by Maria Hernandez Dernialde. In 1572 King Philip II of Spain awarded the male heirs of Elcano with the hereditary title of Marques de Buglas, Negros Island was originally called "Buglas" old Hiligaynon word thought to mean "cut off." To carry on the deliberation of the title of Marques de Buglas by King Philip II of Spain awarded the male heirs of Elcano, the current Marquis is the 17th in line and resides in Silay City, Negros Occidental.
- ka tony
the 5th of September '14
