Magellan needed to assert absolute authority without provoking Spain’s crown (since the mutineers were Spanish nobles). His punishment was carefully calculated:
When Espinosa boarded the Victoria , he handed Mendoza a letter. As Mendoza read it, Espinosa drew a dagger and stabbed him in the neck. Simultaneously, a second loyalist killed Mendoza’s deputy. The mutineers on deck were stunned. Espinosa’s men then cut the Victoria ’s anchor cables and sailed the ship back to the Trinidad . ferdinand magellan mutiny
The tension began long before the fleet reached South American shores. King Charles I of Spain had appointed Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese nobleman who had defected to the Spanish crown, to lead the Armada de Molucca . This appointment deeply offended the Spanish captains, particularly , who was the inspector-general of the fleet and captain of the San Antonio . Simultaneously, a second loyalist killed Mendoza’s deputy
The mutinies had significant consequences for Magellan and his crew: The tension began long before the fleet reached