Primary Source: Pigafetta’s Testimony on the Route of Magellan”s Expedition
Source: Emma Blair and James Alexander Robertsons, The Philippine Island, Vol. 33
and 34, as cited in Miguel A. Bernad, “Butuan or Limasawa? The Site of the First
Mass in the Philippines : A Reexamination of Evidence”1981, Kinaadman: A Journal
of Southern Philippines, Vol III, 1-35.
1. Saturday, 16 March 1521 – Magellakn’s expedition sighted a “high land” named
“Zamal” which was some 300m leaggues westward of Ladrones ( now the
Marianas) Island.
2. Sunday, March 17 – “The following day” after sighting Zamal Isaland
they landed on “another island which was uninhabited” and which
lay “to the right” of the above-mentioned island of “Zamal”. (To the
“right” here would mean on their starboard going south or
southwest.) There they set up two tents for the sick members of the
crew and had a sow killed for them .The name of this island was
“Humunu” (Homonhon). The island was located at 10degrees North
latitude.
3. On the first day (Sunday, March 17), Magellan named the entire
archipelago the “Island of Saint Lazarus”. The reason being that it
was Sunday in the Lenten season when the Gospel assigned for the
Mass and the liturgical Office was the eleventh chapter of St. John,
which tells us to the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
4. Monday, March 18- In the afternoon of their second day on that island,
they saw a boat coming towards them with the nine men in it, An exchange of
gifts was effected. Magellan asked for food supplies and the men went away,
promising to bring rice and other supplies in “four days”.
5. There were two springs of water on the island of Homonhon, Also they saw
there some indications that there was gold in these islands. Consequently
Magellan renamed the island and called the “Watering Place of Good Omen”
(Acquada la di bouni segnialli).
6. Friday, March 22 – At noon the natives returned. This time they were in two
boats, and they brought food supplies.
7. Magellan’s expedition stayed eight days at Homonhon: from Sunday, March
17, to the Monday of the following week, March 25.
8. Monday, March 25 – In the afternoon, the expedition weighed anchor and left the
island of Homonhon . In the ecclesiastical calendar, this day (March 25) was the
feast day of the Incarnation also called the feast of Annunciation and therefore
“Our Lady’s Day.” On this day, as they were about to weight anchor, an accident
happened to Pigafetta: he fell into the water but was rescued. He attributes his
narrow escape from death as grace obtained through the intercession of Blessed
Virgin Mary on her feast day.
9. The route taken by expediton after leaving Homonhon was “toward the west
southwest, between four island: namely “Cenalo” is a Hiunanghan, Ibusson and
Albarien.” Very probably “Cenalo” is a misspelling in the Italian manuscript for what
Pigafetta in his map calls “Celanon” and Albo calls “Seilani”. Namely the island of
Leyte hiunanghan” (a misspelling of Hinungan) seemed to Pigafetta to be a
separate island, but is actually on the mainland of Leyte an island east of Leyte”s
southern tip. Thus, it is easy to see what Pigafetta meant by sailing “towards the
west southwest” past those islands. They left Homonhon sailing westward towards
Leyte, then followed the Leyte coast southward passing between the island of
Hibuson on their portside and Hiunangan Bay on their starboard, and then continue
southward, then turning westward to “Mazua”.
10. Thursday, March 28 – In the morning Holy Thursday, march 28, they anchored off an
island where the previous night they had seen a light or a bonfire. That island “lies in a
latitude of nine and two-thirds towards the Arctic Pole (i.e, North) and the longitude of
one hundred and sixty-two degrees from the line of demarcation. It is twenty-five
leagues from the Acquada, and is called Mazua.”
11. They remained seven days on Mazua Island.
12. Thursday, April 4- They left Mazua, bound for Cebu. They were guided thither by the
king of Mazua who sailed in his own boat. Their routine took them past five “islands”
namely: Ceylon, Boho;, Canigkan, Baibai, and Gatighan.”
13. At Gatighan, they sailed westward to the three islands og the Camones Group,
namely Porp, Pasihan and Ponson. Here the Spanish ships stopped to allow the king of
Mazua to catch up with them, since the Spanish ships were much faster that the native
balanghai- a thing that excited the admiration of the king of Mazua.
14. From the Camotes Islands they sailed southwards towards “Zubu”
15. Sunday, April 7- At noon they entered the harbor of “Zubu” (Cebu). It had
taken them three days to negotiate the journey from Mazua northwards to the
Camotes Island and then southwards to Cebu.
It must be pointed out that both Albo and Pigafetta’s testimonies coincide and
corroborate each other. Pigafetta gave more detail on what they did during their
weeklong stay in Mazua.
Primary Source: Pigafetta and Seven Days in Mazaua
Source: Emma Blair and James Alexander Robertson, The Philippine Island, Vols.
33 and 34, as cited in Miguel A. Bernad, “Butuan or Limasawa? The Site of the
First Mass in the Philippines: A Reexamination of Evidence” 1981, Kinaadman: A
Journal of Southern Philippines, Vol.III, 1-35.
1. Thursday, March 28- In the morning they anchored near an island where they had
seen a light the night before a small boat (boloto) came with eight natives, to whom
Magellan threw some trinkets as present. The natives paddled away, but two hours
later two larger boats (balanghai) came, in one of which the native king sat under an
awning of mats. At Magellan’s invitation some of the natives went up to the Spanish
ship, but the native king remained seated in his boat. An exchange of gifts was
effected. In the afternoon that day, the Spanish ships weighed anchor and came closer
to shore, anchoring near the native king’s village. This Thursday, March 28 was
Thursday in Holy Week, i.e., Holy Thursday
2. Friday, March 29- “Next day, Holy Friday,” Magellan sent his slave interpreter went up
ashore in a small boat to ask the king if he could provide the expedition with food
supplies, and to say that they had come as friends and not as enemies. In reply the
king himself came in the boat with six or eight men, and this time went up to
Magellan’s ship and the two men embraced. Another exchange of gifts was made. The
native king and his companions returned ashore, bringing with them two members of
Magellan’s expedition as guests for the night. One of the two was Pigafetta.
3. Saturday, march 30- Pigafetta and his companion had spent in the previous
evening feasting and drinking with the native king and his son. Pigafetta
deplored the fact, although it was a Good Friday, they had to eat meat. The
following morning (Saturday) Pigafetta and his companion took leave of their
hosts and returned to the ships.
4. Sunday, March 31- “Early in the morning of Sunday, The last of March and
Easter day”. Magellan sent the priest ashore with some men to prefer the Mass.
Later in the morning Magellan landed with some fifty men and the Mass was
celebrated, after which a cross was venerated. Magellan and the Spaniards
returned ot the ship fot the noon-day meal, but in the afternoon they returned
ashore to plant the cross on the summit of the highest hill. In attendance both
at the Mass and the planting of the cross were the king of Mazua and the king
of Butuan.
5. Sunday, March 31- On the same afternoon, while on the summit of the highest hill,
Magellan asked the two kings which ports he should go to order to obtain more
abundant supplies of food than were available in the island. They replied that there
were three ports to choose from Ceylon, Zubu, and Calagan. Of the three, Zubu was
the port which the most trade. Magellan then said that he wished to go to Zubu and
to depart the following morning. He asked for someone to guide him thither. The king
replied that the pilots would be available any time.” But later that evening the king of
Mazua change his mind and said that he would himself conduct Magellan to Zubu but
that he would first have to bring the harvest in. He asked Magellan to send him men to
help with the harvest.
6. Monday, April 1- Magellan sent men to ashore to help with the harvest, But no work
was done that day because the two kings were sleeping in off their drinking bout the
night before.
7.Tusday, April 2 and Wednesday April 3- Work on the harvest during the “next to
days,” e.i., Tusday and Wednesday, the 2nd and 3rd of April
8. Thursday, April 4- They leaveMazua, bound for Cebu.
Using the primary source available, Jesuit priest Miguel A. Bernad in his work Butuan or
Limasawa: The Site of the First Mass in the Philippines: A Reexamination of Evidence
(1981) lay down the argument that in the Pigafetta account, A crucial aspect of Butuan
was not mentioned- the river. Butuan is ariverine settlement, situated on the Agusan
River. The beach of Masao is in the delta of said river. It is a curious omission in the
account of the river, which makes part of a distinct characteristic of Butuan’s geography
that seemed to be too important to be missed.
The Age of Exploration is a period of competition among European rulers to conquer
and colonize lands outside their original domains. Initially, the goal was to find
alternative routes by sea to get Asia, the main source of spices and other commodities.
Existing routes to Asia were mainly by land and cost very expensive. A sea route to Asia
means that Europeans couls access the spice trade directly, greatly reducing costs for
traders. Spain’s major foray into the exploration was through Christopher Columbus,
who proposed to sail westward to find a shortcut to Asia. He was able to reach
Americas, which was then cut-off from the rest of the known world.
Spain colonized parts of North America, Mexico, and South America in the sixteenth
century. They were also able to reach the Philippines and claim it for the Spanish crown.
Later on, other European rulers would compete with the activities of exploring and
conquering lands.
It must also be pointed out that later on, after Magellan’s death, the survivors of his
expedition went to Mindanao, and seemingly went to Butuan. In this instance, Pigafetta
vividly describes a trip in a river. But note that this account already happened after
Magellan’s death.
