Elcano and the First Circumnavigation of the World Book 2
Copyright© 2026 by Mark West
Chapter 16
When dawn broke, the force of the wind reduced so that we were able to survey the bay that had proved to be our saviour. At first sight, it seemed as if this bay would be like the others we had explored before, and that there would be no exit leading to the South Sea. However, as sails were again raised, a cry came from a sailor on the San Antonio, “I spy a narrow passage to the west.” Our spirits lifted at the news of this discovery, and the two captains hurriedly conferred about their next course of action. The San Antonio would explore the narrow, while our nao would explore the bay more closely. So, with hope in our hearts, we watched as the San Antonio headed for the narrow passage and vanished from our sight. Our prayers for success went with the nao and its crew.
Our survey of the bay did not reveal anything of interest; only tall cliffs devoid of life, on which birds did not make nests, and there were none of the islands where seals could rest. We saw no signs of human activity, so we were soon again at anchor while we waited for the return of the San Antonio, with news whether good or ill.
And after two days of fruitless searching the bay, we were overjoyed by the sight of the San Antonio returning with flags flying. The news that she brought was indeed worthy of good cheer. The narrow channel contained salt water and not fresh water as had been the case of others that we had searched. Although Mesquita had been forced to turn back without catching sight of the ocean that he was sure lay beyond, he and Serrano decided that it was best to return to the point of rendezvous as agreed with Magellan and convey the good news to him. Therefore, we hoisted sail with all speed and both naos raised flags to alert the Trinidad and the Victoria of the discovery of a passage that appeared to lead to the South Sea.
When the news was conveyed to him, Magellan immediately ordered the four naos to follow the lead of the San Antonio through the narrow passage. With careful navigation, the fleet avoided the rocky cliffs that towered over us, and the huge masses of ice in the water that would have sunk any nao that had the misfortune to make contact against them until on November 1st we arrived at a point where the channel seemed to split in two. Although the San Antonio had been responsible for exploring the passage so far, Magellan decided to divide the fleet in two yet again. He sent the San Antonio to explore the channel to the east while he led the three remaining naos to the west. It was agreed that the San Antonio would return to this place and await to be reunited with the rest of the fleet on 5th November.
For four days we made our way through this channel, being careful to sail only by day. Nights saw us at anchor as it was too dangerous to attempt to navigate those dangerous waters by night. The channel widened as we pressed further in, but still there was no sign of the longed-for ocean. Finally, on the 5th day, Magellan had to abandon the quest for the open ocean. He had promised that he would return to meet the San Antonio and he could not abandon the largest ship of the fleet. However, Serrano suggested that the Concepción should return to meet the San Antonio alone. Although it had taken us 5 days to reach this point, Serrano believed that he could make the return journey in 3 days as he would not have to coordinate with the other two naos and he also knew what to expect from the waters he would navigate. Magellan agreed to this plan, and without delay, Serrano gave the order to hoist sails and steer back to whence we had come.
The journey was uneventful, although we saw evidence of two native camps, but both appeared to be deserted and we did not stop to investigate if they were inhabited. Instead, we continued under full sail to meet the San Antonio. We were still constrained to anchor by night for fear of colliding with the large bodies of ice that were everywhere. But with fair winds and no obstacles to delay us, we reached the rendezvous point in less than the three days Serrano had estimated we would need. But when we arrived, of the San Antonio there was no sign.
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