Magellan & Santiago
N 49° 14.232 W 122° 49.532
10U E 512700 N 5453839
The great explorer and his ship, located in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada.
Waymark Code: WM28T3
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 09/23/2007
Views: 70
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese born maritime explorer who, at the service of Spain, attempted to find a route to the Spice Islands of Indonesia. This voyage became known as the first successful attempt at world circumnavigation.
On August 10, 1519, five ships (Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepcion, Victoria, and Santiago) under Magellan's command left Seville.
Magellan sent the Santiago down the coast of present day Argentina on a scouting expedition where it was wrecked in a sudden storm. All of its crewmembers survived and made it safely to shore. Two of them returned overland to inform Magellan of what had happened, and bring rescue to their comrades. After this experience, Magellan decided to wait for a few weeks more before again resuming the voyage.
At 52°S latitude on October 21, the fleet reached Cape Virgenes and concluded they had found the passage, because the waters were brine and deep inland. Four ships began an arduous trip through the 373 mile (600 km) long passage that Magellan called the Estrecho (Canal) de Todos los Santos, ("All Saints' Channel"), because the fleet travelled through it on November 1, or All Saints' Day. The strait is now named the Strait of Magellan. Magellan first assigned Concepcion and San Antonio to explore the strait, but the latter, commanded by Gomez, deserted and returned to Spain on November 20. On November 28, the three remaining ships entered the South Pacific. Magellan named the waters the Mar Pacifico (Pacific Ocean) because of its apparent stillness. Magellan was the first European to reach Tierra del Fuego just east of the Pacific side of the strait.