Ferdinand Magellan Victorious Victoria Manila Galleons

Manila Galleons [ click here for larger image ]       Although Magellan's expedition ended tragically in the Philippines for the great navigator, it resulted in the eventual inauguration of very lucrative trade between Spain and Asia. Galleons were built in Manila in increasing sizes. They ranged from relatively small ships depicted in this drawing which carried less than one hundred passengers and crew, to huge ones in order to accommodate the burgeoning business.      At the height of the galleon trade, ships built in the Philippines could transport as many as 400 people in addition to bulging cargo. The long journey from Manila to Acapulco, Mexico took almost a year for heavily laden ships and was wrought with hazard: typhoons, pirates, mutiny, disease, and shortage of food. On their return trips, the galleons frequently anchored off Guam to take on provisions and discharge cargo. It was Guam's contact with the world beyond its reef.      These galleons plied the Pacific for 250 years (1565-1815). They followed the course sailed by those before them so strictly that for over two centuries they passed the Hawaiian Islands without being aware that they existed. The first European visitor to reach Hawaii was British Captain James Cook in 1778.      In an ironic twist, the last galleon to sail was named the Magallanes and, like its namesake, stopped on Guam for provisions before sailing on to the Philippines and disappearing into the pages of history.