In this section I will give further background on certain events portrayed in Beyond the Farthest Horizon, distinguish between what is historical and what is fictional, and share some general “behind the scenes” information about the writing of the book for those who are interested. These notes will be most meaningful for those who have already read each chapter.

PROLOGUE—There is no record that Magellan and Columbus crossed paths, but Columbus was forced to put in at Lisbon in 1493 as portrayed. At that time, Magellan was serving as a page in the Queen’s court, so it’s quite plausible that he would have seen the Genoese explorer when he docked there.

CHAPTER 1: ARMADA—The 1505 armada, its mission and route, are well documented. Viceroy Francisco de Almeida and his son, Lorenzo, actually lived, but sergeant-at-arms Martin Freitas (named for a family I lived next door to as a child) and the pilot, Pedro da Silva, are fictional.

When I first entertained the idea of writing a novel about Magellan, I was unable to sleep one night when I began to visualize young sailors talking as they lay on the deck during their first voyage. I got up from bed and went to the computer to try writing out what I had imagined. That became the conversation between Magellan and Serrão that appears in section VII, and this initial passage survived several drafts fairly intact.

CHAPTER 2: KILWA—The sack of Kilwa took place as described. The Arab messenger Mohammed Ankoni is historical and assisted the Portuguese as they planned their attack. The old mariner Rodrigo is fictional. I needed a character to explain things to our young heroes (and readers), so he was invented to fill that role.

Several sources were useful in reconstructing the places and events from Magellan’s time in Africa. Among these were The Portuguese Period in East Africa by Justus Strandes and The East African Coast: Select Documents from the First to the Earlier Nineteenth Century by G.S.P. Freeman Grenville.

Some sources suggest that Magellan remained in Kilwa as part of the regiment that patrolled the coast. Other sources cite a letter from Viceroy Almeida to King Manuel that indicates Magellan sailed to India and returned to Africa later with Nuno Vaz Periera.

More to come soon.