Category Voyages

               Jacques Cartier set sail on a second voyage on May 19th, 1535 with three ships and one hundred men to Canada. Cartier’s instructions were to explore further inland, and to discover the riches rumoured to exist in the kingdoms of the newly explored land.

               Jacques Cartier sailed up the St. Lawrence’s as far as Quebec and established a base near a native village.

               He learnt from the natives that there were two rivers leading further west to the interior. They went search of the rivers, and reached Sainte-Marie. Unfortunately, the river was blocked by rapids.

               Jacques Cartier’s fleet then started preparing for the winter, stacking food and firewood. Throughout the winter, the French fleet lay frozen solid at the mouth of the St. Charles River, under the Rock of Quebec. To add to their struggles, scurvy broke out, killing many crew members.

               In May 1536, Cartier decided to return to France. He took the chief of Donnacona, a native village, to France to narrate the tales about the ‘Kingdom of Saguenay’, said to be full of treasures.

               Thus, Jacques Cartier returned to France after long days of voyage.

          Jacques Cartier was a French explorer. He claimed what is now Canada for France. Jacques Cartier was the natural successor to Verrazzano.

          Cartier’s orders for his first expedition were to search for a passage to the Pacific Ocean in the area around Newfoundland, and possibly, find precious metals.

          He left Saint-Malo on 20th April 1534, and reached the coast of Newfoundland 20 days later. Jacques Cartier was the first European to map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River.

          Cartier also is credited with accidently naming Canada. The name ‘Canada’ comes from ‘kanata’, the indigenous word for ‘village’ or ‘settlement’. The indigenous people used the word to describe the village of Stadacona, present-day Quebec City which Cartier misinterpreted. Thus, Canada got its present name.

          During his second voyage, Jacques Cartier sailed up the Saint Lawrence River for the first time. The voyages by Cartier were undoubtedly great. 

            Giovanni da Verrazzano was an explorer who became the first European to sight New York and Narragansett Bay, while sailing across the Atlantic to explore the American coast and to try and discover a westerly passage to Asia.

            In March 1524, the explorer set out on a voyage in his ship La Dauphine. He reached Cape Fear on the Florida peninsula. From there Verrazzano sailed northwards exploring the eastern coast of North America.

            Giovanni Verrazzano made many discoveries during his voyage. The most significant one is the present day New York harbour. He is also credited with completing all the mapping of the east coast of America as he could piece together the north and south.

            Giovanni Verrazzano identified that North and South Americas were two separate continents and they were joined together by a narrow strip of land. Verrazzano returned to France on 8th July 1524.

            Verrazzano undertook two more voyages to the Americas. During the second voyage, he made landfall on the Lesser Antilles. He anchored his ship off one of the islands and when he went ashore, he was captured, and killed.

          After travelling three-quarters of the way around the globe, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan was killed in Philippines. With the loss of their leader, the remaining crew voyaged back to Spain on board three ships, under the command of Juan Sebastian Elcano.

          Even though their deceased commander was Portuguese, the expedition sailed under the Spanish flag. Because of this, the fleet was fearful of confronting Portuguese ships on their way back. The Portuguese would show no mercy when they discovered the ships. The ships were therefore, forced to sail to the south of the main trade routes, so that they did not encounter Portuguese ships.

          On their way, because of manpower shortage, one of the ships was burnt. The crew then travelled in two ships: the Trinidad and the Victoria. The ship Trinidad was captured by the Portuguese. The Victoria, under the command of Juan Sebastian Elcano, arrived back in Spain in September 1522. 

            Magellan had to sail with the wind after entering the Pacific Ocean. It took many days to make landfall.

            The fleet ran out of food, and many crew members were affected by scurvy. However, they retained sufficient drinking water to stay alive.

            After overcoming many hurdles on the way, Ferdinand Magellan, finally sighted an island on the horizon. It was the Isle of Guam where Magellan made landfall and stocked up his food supplies.

            Later, they arrived on an island called Cebu, where Magellan befriended the local chieftain. The native chief in awe of Magellan’s superior ships and weapons, asked Ferdinand Magellan to attack his enemies on the nearby island of Mactan.

            Ferdinand Magellan agreed considering himself stronger. Unfortunately, his intuition misfired. The hero was brutally killed in that minor island skirmish.

            Ferdinand Magellan never completed the circumnavigation of the Earth. With the loss of Magellan, Juan Sebastian took control of the ship and sailed for Spain with the remaining crew. 

               Ferdinand Magellan accidentally discovered the Pacific Ocean. This is how it happened. Magellan’s ships went through a long passage which he called ‘All Saints’ Channel’ now named the Strait of Magellan. The Strait of Magellan, a navigable sea route, is the most important natural passage between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.

               For thirty-eight days, and over 482 kilometres, Magellan’s ships battled day and night through the straits. After sailing through the dangerous straits, Magellan and his crew entered the Pacific Ocean with three ships. Thus, Magellan became the first European explorer to reach the Pacific.

               On first seeing the majestic ocean, Magellan was taken aback because it was so calm. He named it ‘the Pacific’, because of its pacifying stillness, and peacefulness.

               Magellan and his crew were the first Europeans to reach Tierra del Fuego just east of the Pacific side of the strait.