king gave Magellan the sole right to make discoveries for Spain in the South Sea for ten years. No one else might do this. Magellan was to have a share of the profits from trading with the natives. He was to become governor of the new lands. It took much patience and skill to make this contract with the king; for Magellan had many enemies.

Magellan Sails. The fleet sailed from Spain, August 10, 1519. There were two hundred and thirty-five men. The ships were filled with everything necessary for a long voyage over unknown seas. The names of these famous ships were: Victoria, La Trinidad, Concepción, San Antonio, and Santiago.

Stopping a few days at the Canary Islands, they reached Brazil in December. The sailors became discouraged as they sailed for months toward the south in search of a passage. At the mouth of the broad Rio de la Plata they thought they had found the desired opening to the west. Again disappointed, a mutiny broke out. Magellan was obliged

to punish several men with death. One of his captains and a priest he abandoned on the desert coast of Patagonia.

Wreck and Desertion. In April, 1520, the fleet stopped for the southern winter at Port St. Julian, south of the Rio de la Plata. The Santiago, which had gone ahead, was now wrecked. This misfortune greatly disheartened all. Still Magellan sailed

on.

November 1, 1520, he entered the strait which

now bears his name. He himself called it "Strait of all Saints." The San Antonio sailed ahead of the other ships to explore the strait. When she was out of sight of Magellan, her captain turned his ship toward Spain, and deserted his comrades.

The Pacific.-After a month's anxious battling with the currents and winds, Magellan entered the greatest of oceans. He called it the "Pacific" because of its quiet waters. No one then knew how broad it was. Had they known, they might not have dared to cross it. Their voyage across the Pacific, of three months and twenty days, was one of terrible suffering. Nineteen men died. They boiled their food in the salt sea-water. They ate rats and gnawed leather. In this long journey they passed two desolate, rocky islands, which in their grief they called "The Unfortunates."

Discovery of the Philippines.-March 6, 1521, they sighted some small islands. Many boats sailed to meet them from the shore. So they called these islands the "Isles of Sails." The natives were such thieves that they also called the islands the Ladrones, or "thieves."

Refreshed by the fruits and vegetables which they obtained here, they sailed westward till March 16th. On this day they saw a lofty island called Zamal (Sámar). This was probably near Cape Guiuan. The next day they landed on the island of Homonhon, or Malhon, then called Humunú. Here they built two huts for the sick, whom Magellan tended

with his own hands. A canoe with nine natives visited them here. These were the first Filipinos the Spaniards saw.

After a few days the Spaniards sailed to the island of Limasaua, just south of Leyte, where they traded and feasted with two Moro chiefs from Mindanao. They helped the natives harvest their rice, exchanged presents with them, and treated them as friends.

First Mass in the Philippines.-On the last day of March, 1521, they celebrated on the island of Limasaua the first mass said in the Philippines. Here Magellan erected a cross and took possession of the Islands. He plucked grass and broke off branches of trees. By this ceremony he claimed the land for the King of Spain. He named the islands the Archipiélago de San Lázaro. For many years, however, they were called the "Western Islands."

Magellan at Cebú. From Limasaua Magellan sailed to Cebú, taking with him one of the chiefs and several other natives. The chief of Cebú was Rajá Humabon. With him Magellan made a blood compact after the custom of those times. Each drank blood taken from the veins of the other and mixed with his own blood. Several days were used in making a treaty of peace. At first the chief of Cebú wished to make Magellan pay tribute. Magellan refused to do this. He told Humabon that he would destroy his towns if he did not submit to the Spaniards. The chief had heard of the

Portuguese, who had taken the Spice Islands, and knew how terrible the weapons of the Spaniards were. So he yielded.

Magellan landed many goods for trade with the natives. He told his men not to let the Cebuans know how much the Spaniards valued gold, for the natives were willing to give a great price for the trifles, like mirrors and bells, which the Spaniards sold.

Baptism of the Cebuans.-The Spaniards at once taught Humabon the Catholic faith. The chief and 800 of his subjects were baptized in one day. · An early writer says that within eight days all the people of Cebú and the near-by islands were baptized. All of the towns on Cebú now submitted to Magellan, who promised to help them fight their enemies.

Death of Magellan. The chief of the island of Mactan, just east of Cebú, was the sworn enemy of Humabon. He refused to accept the rule of the white conquerors. Magellan with sixty soldiers in armor sailed over to Mactan in the night. At daylight he was attacked by hundreds of natives. Twenty boat-loads of Cebuans went with Magellan, but he would not let them assist him, for he wished to show them how well the Spaniards could fight. His pride cost him his life. He was soon wounded in the leg with an arrow, and then in the face and arm with a lance. Then his left leg was cut with a bolo and he fell. Eight other Spaniards were killed. Only fifteen of the natives fell.