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Magellan and The First Circumnavigation

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At Cabo da Roca, Portugal, the westernmost point of the Eurasian continent, stands a monument that says: “Where the land ends and the sea begins (Onde a terra acaba e o mar come ça).” The monument is an ode to the great contri­butions made by Portuguese navigators, including Ferdi­nand Magellan.

 

In 1519, Magellan led a fleet westward, headed for the Spice Islands in Southeast Asia. Despite harsh weather and a mutiny, he rounded the tip of South America through a strait, completing the first circum­navigation of the world. 

 

“Magellan's Ships off Cape Horn” is a treasured oil painting in the Evergreen Maritime Museum’s collection. It depicts Magel­lan’s ship passing through the strait which now bears his name.

Magellan's Ships off Cape Horn / Steven Dews (1949--) / Oil on canvas / 74 x 48.5 cm / Collection of the Evergreen Maritime Museum
Magellan's Ships off Cape Horn / Steven Dews (1949--) / Oil on canvas / 74 x 48.5 cm / Collection of the Evergreen Maritime Museum