Magellan’s Great Discovery

New Zealand Tablet, 12 June 1913, Page 51

Magellan’s Great Discovery

Fernando Magellan belonged to an ancient and noble family, and was born at Oporto, Portugal, about the year 1480. From boyhood he was noted for piety, bravery, and enterprise. He spent some years at the court of his native country, and afterwards served with distinction in the Portuguese army. In 1517 he turned his steps to Spain. _ Magellan’s mind was now filled with a mighty enterprise. A passage around Southern America, Magellan reasoned, would be a much shorter highway for commerce than the usual route by the Cape of Good Hope. Besides, if such a passage were discovered he could then sail around the world. This idea, it will be remembered, owed its origin to the genius of Columbus; but it remained for another great Catholic pioneer to carry it into execution. Magellan at once made his plans known to Cardinal Jiminez and King Charles Vi, and met with every encouragement. Accordingly a fleet of five, vessels having been put at his disposal, the little squadron set sail from San Lucar in September,' 1519.- The crew numbered two hundred and fifty men, and included several priests. After a rough passage of about two months, Magellan reached what is now the Bay of Rio Janeiro. ' " - Proceeding along the coast, keeping a .careful watch for every bay and inlet, he entered the River de la Plata on January 1, 1520, but, after; sailing up the river for some days, he concluded it was not the strait of which he was in search, and continued his course toward the south. He reached the port of St. Julian on March 3, where he resolved to winter. In this uncomfortable station he lost one ■of ■ his squadron, and the Spaniards suffered much from-the excessive rigor of the climate. The fleet left the Bay of St. Julian about the middle of October, and following the coast very closely, reached the Cape on the north-east of the Strait on October 21. After sailing for ,twenty days in this lonely, labyrinthine, but picturesque strait, to which he gave his own name, which is three hundred miles in length, and where one of his ships deserted him, Magellan beheld the boundless expanse of the Southern Ocean. I