The fleet of five âeuros ships - all prepared to withstand storms - left Seville on August 10, 1519 for the Andalusian town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda in southern Spain. Here, the ships were prepared for the long voyage, and checked and provisioned one last time. This is all the more difficult to predict as no one knows how long the expedition will last. Even if Magellan had in mind a voyage lasting several months, or even years.
Provisioning
The ships were loaded with 21,380 pounds (almost 10,000 kilos) of cookies âeuros, a staple food for sailors - enough for two years. Added to this were sacks of flour, beans, lentils, rice and dried vegetables. But also 5,700 pounds of salt pork (2,585 kg), 200 barrels of sardines, 984 cheeses, 450 cords of garlic and onions, 1,512 pounds of honey, 3,200 pounds of raisins and almonds. To which must be added large quantities of sugar, vinegar and mustard. Just before departure, seven live cows are taken on board, to provide milk and fresh meat for the first few days.
Finally, to boost morale, Magellan had the best Sherry wine purchased. In all, no fewer than 417 wineskins and 253 barrels were installed in the holds, representing two rations of wine per man per day for two years.
Finally, thousands of hooks, dozens of harpoons and a large stock of fishing nets complete the long list of supplies. The latter will be used to catch fish, which, like âeuros cookies, will be the main food on board.
The equipment
Magellan thought of everything, including the spare "parts" needed for the boats: anchors, ropes, wood, iron, lead, tree trunks, canvas, tar, pitch, wax, oakum...
Everything can be repaired or changed âeuros the rods, planks or sails âeuros or relined. Pincers, saws, drills, screws, hammers, nails, shovels and picks are added to the raw materials.
And the rest...
For lighting, 89 small lanterns and 400 âeuro pounds of candles are on board, not counting the candles for mass. For navigation, compasses, needles, hourglasses, astrolabes, dials and planispheres and all the instruments that cannot be replaced en route are placed in the cabins. For accountants, fifteen books are on board.
For the care of sailors, boxes of pharmaceuticals and surgical instruments are taken on board.
Finally, to entertain the crew, musical instruments were brought on board: five drums, twenty tambourines, a few violins, flutes and fifes.
For the trade
The main purpose of this voyage was to trade with the peoples of the Spice Islands. Magellan âeuros, referring to his previous journeys to India âeuros, has therefore provided plenty of material for barter. He knows the effect the mirror will have on the adults, who will be discovering their faces for the first time, and the sound of the bells that will amuse the children.
These include 20,000 bells, 900 small mirrors and 10 large ones (most of which will arrive broken), 400 dozen knives "made in Germany", 50 dozen scissors, as well as a wide range of accessories including colored handkerchiefs, red skullcaps, copper bracelets, combs, fake stones and glassware.
Turkish clothes will be promised to the great native chiefs, as well as pieces of velvet and cloth in various colors.
With this "junk", Magellan hoped to negotiate the precious spices that would be so dear to Europe. But he also had some less pacifist "gifts" in store, should the natives refuse to negotiate: 58 cannons, 7 long falconnettes (rifles), 3 heavy mortars, stone and iron cannonballs, as well as tons of lead to melt down other objects needed in battle. 1,000 spears, 200 pikes and 200 shields complete the war arsenal. Not to mention that half the crew is equipped with helmets and breastplates.
