The Story of Magellan and The Discovery of the Philippines Part 21

They settled down, causing a great wind, and put their great heads under their wings and went to sleep.

The boy was bright, and a plan of getting away from the tree came to him. He reasoned that if he could not fly the bird could, and what would be the weight of a little boy to a bird who could carry away an elephant?

So he marked the largest and most powerful bird with his eye, and crept up to it and got under his wing, and into his great feathers.

The bird was asleep and did not wake!

Morning came, and with the first red dawn, as we may fancy, the bird threw up his head and begun to stir. He lifted himself up and shook himself, but he did not shake off the boy, who was safely nestled among the little forest of its feathers.

The sun was brightening the islands, and the bird mounted up and flew away in search of food, carrying the little boy under his wing.

After traversing the sunrise air for a long time, the bird flew over a land of buffaloes.

He here descended to capture a buffalo, to bear him away to the mountainous tree for food. As he alighted on the back of the buffalo with a wild scream of delight, the little boy dropped out from under his wing, and so found his way to his own island.

It was the little boy that told this large story, quite like Sinbad's.

There were found mysterious fruits floating on the sea, which were supposed to have fallen from the tree.

"I have seen the bird myself," said a third Moorish pilot, and with the testimony of the little boy, and the three pilots and the floating fruit, this story ought to be as trustworthy as the one of Sinbad the Sailor.

The voyage back to the Cape of Good Hope and thence to the Cape Verde Islands was one for strange reflections. Del Cano now was the leader of the returning mariners. The expedition had gone out from the port of Seville amid shouting quays and towers, with some two hundred and seventy men. Only one s.h.i.+p was returning and she was bringing home hardly as many men as composed her own crew.

We can imagine Del Cano on deck, with the lantern of Magellan still swinging above him, talking with his officers on a tropical night off the African coast.

"Magellan has found an unknown grave," we may hear him say.

"But humanity will mourn for him, and honor him, and the grave matters not," answers a padre.

"We shall never see Mesquita again," continues Del Cano.

"We can not be sure," replies the padre. "We can know nothing that we do not see."

"We surely shall never meet Carthagena again. I can see in my memory those last biscuits and bottles of wine. He needs none of them now."

"He may have them all," answers the padre.

"We are yet rich in spices. We shall surprise the world when we drop anchor at Seville."

"And Seville may have surprises for us," says the hopeful padre.

They drifted on under favoring airs. The soul of Del Cano was lost to common events in the wonderful revelations of the sea. Should he reach Seville, he would be the living hero of the most marvelous voyage ever made by any mariner.

Such were the scenes and tales that crowded upon the mind of Pigafetta, who wished "to see the wonders of the world." The story of the Emperor of China's palace is a.s.sociated with objects so marvelous that the meaning of their names is lost to-day.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE LOST DAY.

When they reached the Cape Verde Islands, the sailors found that a very strange thing had happened.

They had lost a day--or, the islanders had gained a day!

They met the s.h.i.+ps from Seville there, and doubtless disputed with the traders in regard to what day of the week it was.

"This is the 6th of September," they said; "a day that we shall ever have occasion to celebrate."

"It is the 7th of September," said their joyous friends.

The sailors consulted with each other. All agreed that it was the 6th of September. Nowhere had they failed to make a daily memorandum. The people of Seville must have lost a day.

The solar year consists of three hundred and sixty-five days and six hours, and if one sails West three years one will gain a day, and if one sails East, one will lose a day.

If the reader will note the following dates of this wonderful voyage, he will solve the mystery of the "lost day:"

CHRONOLOGY OF THE FIRST VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

Magellan arrives at Seville October 20, 1518.

Magellan's fleet sails from Seville, Monday[A] August 10, 1519.

[A] The 10th of August was Wednesday, and Monday was the 8th of August: all the other dates of the week and month agree and are consistent with each other.

Magellan sails from San Lucar de Barrameda, Tuesday September 20, 1519.

Magellan arrives at Teneriffe September 26, 1519.

Magellan sails from Teneriffe, Monday October 3, 1519.

Magellan arrives at Rio Janeiro December 13, 1519.

Magellan sails from Rio December 26, 1519.

Magellan sails from Rio de la Plata February 2, 1520.

Magellan arrives at Port St. Julian March 31, 1520.

Eclipse of sun April 17, 1520.

Loss of Santiago.

Magellan sails from Port St. Julian August 24, 1520.

Magellan sails from river of Santa Cruz October 18, 1520.