Victoria (ship) - Crew

Crew

The voyage started with a crew of about 265 men aboard five ships. Of all these, only 18 men returned alive on the Victoria. Many of the men died of malnutrition. Beginning the voyage, Luis De Mendoza was her captain. On April 2, 1520, after establishing a settlement they called Puerto San Julian, in Patagonia a mutiny involving the captains broke out, but it was unsuccessful. Antonio Pigafetta's and other reports state that Luis de Mendoza was then executed along with Gaspar Quesada, captain of the Concepcion. Juan de Cartagena, captain of San Antonio was marooned on the coast. Duarte Barbosa, who had helped Magellan in facing the riot, then became the captain of "Victoria." According to Pigafetta, after Magellan's death on April 27, 1521, at the Battle of Mactan, remnants of the fleet tried to retrieve Magellan's body without success. Thereafter, Duarte Barbosa and João Serrão were elected leaders of the expedition. On May 1, 1521 they were invited by rajah Humabon of Cebu, of the Philippines to a banquet ashore to receive a gift for the king of Spain. There most were killed or poisoned, including Duarte Barbosa and João Serrão, who was brought by natives who wanted to exchange him for weapons, but was left behind. Pilot João Carvalho, who had survived the trap, then became the captain of "Victoria." In August, near Borneo he was deposed and Juan Sebastián Elcano became captain for the remainder of the expedition.