[269] The original book contains numerous side notes indicative of the subject matter of the text. We omit such notes in our translated extracts.
[270] The above places are identified as follows: Cafa is the modern Kaffa or Theodosia, a Russian seaport on the Black Sea; Trapisonda is either the city or district of Trebizond or Tarabozan (called by the Turks Tarabesoon, and formerly Traplezus); Barcito (misprint for Bareito?), Lepo, and Damasco, are Beirut, Aleppo, and Damascus respectively.
[271] Argensola defines this title, which he also spells sangaje, as equivalent to "count" or "duke," and says that it may be derived from senchaq, a Turkish word meaning "captain."
[272] Argensola gives a description of the clove in book ii, pp. 52-54 of his work.
[273] The Dutch.
[274] Cañafístulo: referring to the drug known as senna, which is obtained from the leaves of several species of Cassia. According to Retana (Zúñiga's Estadismo, ii, p. 454*) the Bisayan name for this plant is ibabao (the ancient name of Samar Island).
[275] "Eagle" (Latin, aguila) is here a corruption of the Malay name agila, referring to the fragrant, resinous wood of a tree (Aguilaria agallocha) used for many centuries by Asiatic peoples, especially the Chinese, for incense; it is also called "Kalambak" and "aloes-wood." Calambuco is another species of this genus, its wood little fragrant, but used in cabinet work (Century Dictionary).
[276] True wealth and prosperity of the republic of Venice were largely due to its preëminence in the Oriental trade, carried on by the overland route through Asia, in caravans. By the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope the Portuguese opened the sea-route to India, by which the products of the East were carried to Europe more cheaply and in greater abundance; and the decline of Venetian prestige and wealth rapidly followed (in the sixteenth century).
[277] This probably refers to Giovanni Pietro Maffei, a noted Jesuit scholar and writer, and the book mentioned is his Historiarum Indicarum Libri xvi (Fiorenze, 1588). Maffei was born at Bergame about 1536, according to Moreri, but in 1533 according to Sommervogel. In 1563 he accepted the chair of rhetoric at Genoa, where he also acted as secretary of the republic of Genoa. August 26, 1565 (Sommervogel) he entered the Jesuit novitiate. He occupied a high place in the order until his death at Tivoli, October 20, 1603. Besides the book mentioned above, he wrote also a life of St. Ignatius Loyola, and a history of the pontificate of Gregory XIII, the latter of which was never published. His temper was irascible and his personality not very pleasing. He strove always to maintain a pure Latin style in his Latin writings.
[278] Argensola, like Morga, confuses the naming of the Philippine archipelago.