4f',H THE PROGRESS OF MARITIME DISCOVERY. 



adventurer, and returning directly to Spain. This dangerous 

 insurrection Magellan suppressed by an effort of courage no less 

 prompt than intrepid, and inflicted exemplary punishment on 

 the ringleaders. 



He now continued his journey to the south, and reached, near 

 53° south lat., the celebrated straits which bear his name. Here 

 again he had to exert his full authority to induce his reluctant 

 followers to accompany him into the unknown channel that was 

 to lead them to an equally unknown ocean. One of his ships 

 immediately deserted him and returned to Europe, but the 

 others remained true to their commander, and, after having 

 spent twenty days in winding through those dangerous straits, 

 they at last, on the 27th of November, 1521, emerged into the 

 open ocean, the sight of which amply repaid Magellan for all 

 the anxieties and troubles he had undergone. They now pur- 

 sued their way across the wide expanse of waters, of whose enor- 

 mous extent they had no conception, and soon had to endure 

 all the miseries of hunger and disease. But the continuous 

 beauty of the weather, and the steady easterly wind, which, swell- 

 ing the sails of Magellan, drove him straight onwards to the 

 goal, kept up his courage ; and induced him to give to the 

 ocean which greeted him with such a friendly welcome the name 

 of the Pacific, which it still, though undeservedly, retains. Dur- 

 ing three months and twenty days he sailed to the north-westj 

 and, by a singular mischance, without seeing any land in those 

 isle-teeming seas, except only two uninhabited rocks which he 

 called the " Desventuradas," or the " Wretched." At last, after 

 the longest journey ever made by man through the deserts 'of 

 the ocean, he discovered the small but fruitful group of the 

 Ladrones (March 6, 1521), which afforded him refreshments in 

 such abundance, that the vigour and health of his emanciated 

 crew was soon reestablished. From these isles, to which his 

 gratitude might have given a more friendly name, he proceeded 

 on his voyage, and soon made the more important discovery of 

 the islands now known as the Philippines. In one of these he 

 got into an unfortunate quarrel with the natives, who attacked 

 him in great numbers and well-armed ; and, while he fought at 

 the head of his men with his usual valour, he fell by the hands of 

 those barbarians, together with several of his principal officers. 



Thus Magellan lost the glory of accomplishing the first cir- 



