History

Magellan himself never circumnavigated the globe, having lost his life in the Philippines. Upon his death, leadership passed through a turbulent succession, ultimately arriving at Basque navigator Elcano, who captained the only remaining ship, Victoria, and the 18 survivors of the once 270-strong crew, back to Spain.

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We owe much of what we know about this historic expedition to the journal of one of those 18 survivors, Venetian scholar Antonio Pigafetta. His writings are a valuable firsthand account of maritime exploration in the early 16th century, for those interested.

Pictured is a 19th-century engraving depicting the discovery of what would come to be called ‘the Straits of Magellan’. Our boy is seen directing two small boats to shore with the ships anchored during the joyous days of the voyage, long before the excrement would encounter the ventilator, so to speak.