The Story of Magellan and The Discovery of the Philippines Part 22

Magellan makes Cape of the Virgins, entrance of straits October 21, 1520.

Desertion of San Antonio November, 1520.

Magellan issues from straits into the Pacific, Wednesday November 28, 1520.

Magellan fetches San Pablo Island January 24, 1521.

Magellan fetches Tiburones Island February 4, 1521.

Magellan reaches the Ladrone Islands, Wednesday March 6, 1521.

Magellan reaches Samar Island of the Philippines, Sat.u.r.day March 16, 1521.

Magellan reaches Mazzava Island, Thursday March 28, 1521.

Magellan arrives at Zebu Island April 7, 1521.

Death of Magellan at Matan, Sat.u.r.day April 27, 1521.

Arrival of San Antonio at Seville May 6, 1521.

Arrival of Victoria and Trinity at Tidore, Friday November 8, 1521.

Victoria sails from Tidore December 21, 1521.

Victoria discovers Amsterdam Island, Tuesday March 18, 1522.

Victoria doubles the Cape of Good Hope May 18, 1522.

Victoria arrives at San Lucar, Wednesday[A] September 6, 1522.

[A] According to ship's time.

They sought provisions of the Portuguese colony at Cape Verde.

The Portuguese persecution of the expedition, which Magellan had made for Spain, did not cease even here. The Victoria sent out boats for rice. One of the sailors could not restrain his joy, and told the Portuguese who he was and whence he came.

The jealousy of the Portuguese was aroused again.

"The expedition carries glory to Spain," said they. "Did not the King tear the arms from Magellan's door?"

One of the boats sent out for rice did not return. The Victoria knew why they were detained, and sailed away while she could, to bear the glorious news of the discovery to Seville.

CHAPTER XXV.

IN THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF VICTORY.--PIGAFETTA.

The Victoria cast anchor in the Port of Seville on September 8, 1522.

Joy filled the city on that day, and heralds went forth to proclaim the news.

What news it was!

That Magellan had found a new way to the Pacific.

That he had discovered the Pacific to be a mighty ocean.

That he had sailed over it and found a new ocean world.

That he was dead.

That he had made immortal discoveries, and that one of his ships had sailed around the world.

The hero of the day was Del Cano, the commander of the Victoria.

There was a most beautiful church in Seville, called Our Lady of Victory. To that the returning mariners were summoned to give thanks for their discovery on the day after their arrival, September 9, 1522.

Bells rang out on the shining air. The remnant of the happy crews entered the church amid the joyous music to hear the songs of thanksgiving for victory:

"We praise thee, O G.o.d!

We believe thee to be The Father everlasting!"

They had returned in the Victoria, and the service had to them a special significance in the church of that name.

Mesquita must have heard the acclaiming city.

To the prisoner who had waited in hope, the trumpets of the heralds must have been sweet after his release! Juana, the demented Queen, was yet watching by the tomb in view of her window, hoping at each dawn of the morning that she would find that the dust had awakened to life again.

Charles was mapping Europe; his fire of ambition was glowing, and the news of the new fields of the ocean that these discoveries had brought to him filled him with pride and exultation.

He resolved on giving Del Cano and his mariners a splendid reception, after the manner that Isabella had received Columbus.

Del Cano was now the living representative of Magellan. In publicly receiving him with heralds, music, and festival he would do honor to Magellan, whose name was now immortal. So Charles spread his tables of silver and gold to those who had lived on the open sea on sc.r.a.ps of leather, and magnanimously welcomed as knights of the sea those who had followed the sun around the world.

Spain opened the prison doors of Mesquita.

How must Del Cano have welcomed Mesquita as he came forth from his prison, vindicated on these festal days!

Mesquita was a hero now, and a hero among heroes, for he had been a martyr to the cause. The people's hearts overflowed toward him.

So the islands of the new ocean world came to be the possessions of Spain, and from Philip, who succeeded Charles, were called the Philippines. They were to be governed, robbed, taxed, and, in part, reduced to slavery for the enrichment of Spain for nearly four hundred years. Then Spain was to vanish from their history in the smoke of Admiral Dewey's guns, and over them was to float the flag of the republic of the West.

It is a strange allotment of events that these islands should introduce the republic of the West into the Asiatic world. A half century ago the subject of Europe in Asia excited the attention of mankind, but no one ever dreamed that a like topic of America in Asia would ever become one of the political problems of the world.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Pigafetta presenting the history of the voyage to the King of Spain.]