We’re in Basque country. While munching on delicious pintxos in Bilbao’s Plaza Nueva, we’re soaking up some Basque history. As noted last time, the Basques were sea-going people from way back. Whale-hunting expeditions took them all the way from Spain and France to the shores of North America. But they were just getting started.
Researchers have established that Basques, genealogically speaking, are an isolated people. The same goes for their unique language, Euskara. Given those two facts, one might conclude that the Basques probably weren’t too keen on traveling far from home.
On the other hand, we know that 500 years ago, they were sailing all the way to North America to hunt whales. They even established a settlement at Labrador, Newfoundland to hunt whales. And that wasn’t the extent of it.
Pop Quiz!
Time for a pop quiz. Remember the old pop quiz? Those were two words no student ever wanted to hear. “Pop quiz? Noooo!”
Don’t worry. Those days are over. This pop quiz isn’t for credit. There’s only one question, and it’s multiple choice. Easy. The question is…
Who was the first person to circumnavigate, i.e., travel all the way around, the globe?
A). Circumnavi-what?
B). John Glenn
C). Ferdinand Magellan
D). Juan Sebastián de Elcano
Answer:
If you answered A), Circumnavi-what?, you know you didn’t do very well on this one. Don’t feel bad. It’s a big word. And one that doesn’t get used much these days.
If you answered B), John Glenn, that was a good guess. Not everyone would have come up with that. In fact, you might be the only one. Partial credit, for sure.
If you answered C), Ferdinand Magellan, good for you! It’s not the right answer, but you remembered what you learned in school, and that’s worth something right there. Definitely partial credit.
If you answered D), Juan Sebastián de Elcano, you are a clever one, and you are correct. You suspected that there was a trick – and there was. Of course it’s going to be an unknown Basque guy. But how did that come about?
The Expedition
Ferdinand Magellan started the expedition in 1510, departing from Seville, Spain with 3-5 ships and 200-280 men, depending on your source. Many of the crewmen were Basque. (Magellan was Portuguese).
Magellan headed south along the African coast, crossing the Atlantic to reach South America. After waiting out the winter in a Patagonian harbor, they found a passage through to the Pacific Ocean. Today we call it the Strait of Magellan.
The expedition continued on, sailing west across the Pacific ocean. They made it all the way to the highly sought-after Spice Islands.
While island hopping in the Philippines, Magellan and his landing party were greeted on one of the islands by attacking tribesmen. Magellan was killed on the spot.
By that time the expedition, due to fighting and starvation, was down to 110 men. They scrapped one ship and continued on under the command of a Basque named Juan Sebastián de Elcano.
Sail On
Elcano and crew left the islands and continued sailing west. They crossed the Indian Ocean, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and sailed north along the west African coast toward Spain.
Finally, in the year 1522, three years and one month after their initial departure, Elcano and a crew of eighteen men reached Seville on the only surviving ship .
So it was Juan Sebastián de Elcano and his remaining crew, not Ferdinand Magellan, who were the first people to circumnavigate the globe.
If that’s the case, why do we read about Ferdinand Magellan in the history books, but not about Juan Sebastián de Elcano? That’s not for me to say. There was a lot of “he said, she said,” going around for years after the voyage. It was surprisingly complicated. But maybe not really. Anyway…
I’m pretty sure of one thing. Basque kids today read about Juan Sebastián de Elcano in their history books.
To be continued…
Drawing of Magellan’s ships, credit: istockphoto/Luisa Vallon Fumi
