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Paris Carr
Professor Knapton
World History
February 10, 2020
Sir Drake’s and Magellan’s Voyage in the 16
th
Century
When sailing across oceans, one must face challenges, especially if one is scouting
through a route for the first time and without a map to follow. Ferdinand Magellan was a well-
known voyager of his time. He set out in 1517 after Spain agreed to pay for his journey. He was
faced with dangers of all kinds while on his voyage. He faced starvation when they were on the
Pacific Ocean, having packed very little food for the journey. Most crew members succumbed to
hunger while the others had to eat leather, sawdust, and rats. They also faced issues with bad
weather at sea. Many of his crew members died of diseases, especially when they turned towards
the south; it became too cold for them. The seas also proved to be a little too rough for them to
handle ("Dangers and Problems Magellan Faced by Anushka").
Francis Drake was also faced with some challenges at sea. As he headed home from his
circumnavigation journey, he met with Spaniards, who were furious (Edina Public Schools).
Unfortunately, they were in his way to get to England. This, however, proved to be more than
just a hurdle as it helped him change the route to go on the route used by Magellan. Thus, this
rendered Drake the first man to circumnavigate the whole world from his previous half
circumnavigation. Another challenge Drake faced on his voyage was when some of his ships hit
a coral reef when they were at the Indian islands. One of the ships got stuck in the coral and later
on sank. The waters at the Magellan Straits were somewhat difficult to navigate through, so all
the other ships sank, leaving only Drake's ship standing.
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Traveling to a new place, one that has never been set foot by another, one is likely to
encounter new things, be it animals or plants or remnants of whatever inhabited the place.
Magellan, in his quest for fame and fortune, made some significant discoveries. He discovered a
modern-day Strait of Magellan, where he also passed through in 1520 ("Discoveries"). He was
also the first person to land in Tierra del Fuego or Land of fire owing to the much smoke he saw
in the area. Additionally, he also discovered the Philippines on his way to the spice island. He
mostly credited for discovering the sea route from Spain to the spice island (Editors). Magellan
