Monday, May 20, 2013

Was the first person to Travel round the world Malay

Enrique of Malacca was Ferdinand Magellan's slave and friend from Malacca. Enrique traveled to
Portugal with Magellan from Malacca in 1512.  He then accompanied Magellan on the 1519 expedition to find the "Indies" by sailing toward the West from Spain.  After passing through the southern most tip of South America Magellan arrived in Cebu (now part of Phillpines) .  Magellan was killed in Cebu/Mactan in 1521.  It appears Enrique escaped and also spoke the language.
If Enrique managed to get to Malacca before the surviving ship Victoria from Magellan's expedition  arrived in Spain in 1522, Enrique would be the first person to circumnavigate the world.

From the wiki
Enrique accompanied Magellan on all his voyages, including the voyage that circumnavigated the world in 1519-1521. He was left in Cebu on May 1 and there is nothing more said of Enrique in any document. Historians and trivia buffs have often speculated that Enrique was the first to circumnavigate the world. The official and generally accepted view is that Elcano and his sailors were first, but there is still much debate on the matter. De Malaca is only documented to have traveled with Magellan from Malacca to Cebu, 2500 km and 20 degrees of longitude short of completing the circumnavigation. It is not known if he ever had a chance to complete it.
In Harun Aminurrashid's novel Panglima Awang, it is said that Enrique's real name was Awang, and that he was one of the Sultan warriors (Panglima). The story states that Magellan told him to change his religion, or at least to change his name, in order to avoid bad treatment from the ship's crew for being a Muslim. Magellan himself gave him the name Enrique. The book also describes how Magellan treated Enrique not as a slave but as a friend, and defended him from the prejudice of other sailors. Enrique repaid this kindness with loyalty, and followed Magellan until his death. After Magellan's death, Enrique decided to stop sailing with the Spaniards, but continued to sail with other ships such as traders, and eventually landed in the northern part of Borneo (now Sabah). He was confident that he could sail around the world and reunite with friends that had become refugees of the Portugal-Malacca War. He then completed his circumnavigation of the world, and landed at Malay Peninsula.

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