Quotes from Laurence Bergreen

The suddenness of his death suggests that the arrow carried a poisoned tip.

Enraged, the other crew members

forcing Magellan to seek shelter. He ordered the fleet to reverse course

and head north, toward the shelter offered by Paranaguá Bay.

From Fonseca's point of view, this was hardly an advantageous contract, for it gave Magellan too much

Río de la Plata, a funnel-shaped river located on the coast of what is now Argentina.

power over the expedition. It would take Fonseca months, but eventually he would have his revenge on Magellan

But Protestant countries such as England ignored it for official purposes.

and exert the control over the expedition that had been denied him in the royal contract.

On August 11, 1520, Magellan carried out the sentence he had proclaimed for his nemesis, Juan de Cartagena

and the priest, Pero Sánchez de la Reina, who had conspired with the Castilian captain.

They had no longboat, no firewood, and scant clothing.

Their supplies consisted mainly of bread and wine, enough to last them the summer

Magellan finally gave the command to weigh anchor on August 24. After the harrowing five-month layover

Fernão de Magalhães, or Ferdinand Magellan. According to most accounts, he was born in 1480, in the remote mountain parish of Sabrosa, the seat of the family homestead. He spent his childhood in northwestern Portugal, within sight of the pounding surf of the Atlantic.

the Armada de Molucca put to sea.

In time, the treaty had the opposite of its intended effect.

they were determined to survive to the end of the voyage.

The strait still eluded them but, God willing, they would find it, and reach the Spice Islands

the armada sailed into the open waters of the Atlantic, the abandoned conspirators

Cartagena and the priest, watched the spectacle from their island prison.

By May 18, they went ashore again, in a different bay, where they waited fifteen days for the missing ships.

The two condemned men kneeled at the water's edge, crying and pleading for mercy as the ships grew smaller and finally vanished over the horizon.

With their maneuverable sails and impressive seaworthiness, caravels became the vessels of choice for exploration.