The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 27 of 55 / 1636-37 / Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century

by Unknown

[10] Marginal note: “One of the 6 left [the fleet] because it was heavy.”

[11] In the original manuscript the date “March 1” has been crossed out, and the above date inserted above the line.

[12] In the original manuscript the word “five” is crossed out and “good” inserted above the line.

[13] In the original manuscript, the figure “7” is crossed out, and “some” added above the line.

[14] Marginal note: “One was said to have been killed in Mican the day of the assault.”

[15] It will be found directly following the present document.

[16] Both these names are applied to the same island, Basilan being the modern appellation. It is the largest island of a group of the same name; numbering fifty-seven, nearly all of them very small.

[17] Meaning the shogun Iyémitsu, who reigned until 1649. He was an able and far-sighted ruler, who adopted many political and economic measures of great importance. See Griffis’s account of his reign, in Mikado’s Empire, pp. 285–287.

[18] This letter is published by Barrantes in his Guerras piráticas, pp. 289–303; he states that it was written to Fathers Diego de Bobadilla and Simon Costa, while they were traveling to Rome, but he incorrectly gives the writer’s name as Francisco Lopez, while Retana (Bibliog. Mindanao, p. 21) as incorrectly ascribes it to Alejandro Lopez. In Barrantes’s version, a postscript dated September 15 is appended to the letter, describing the gift of money offered to the governor by the Chinese on this occasion. This same statement will be found in “Events in the Filipinas, 1637–38,” post.

[19] Juan Lopez was born at Moratalla, Spain, December 27, 1584, and when fifteen years old entered the Jesuit order. In 1606 he departed for the Philippines, where he held numerous positions of trust in his order, and was for a time a commissary of the Inquisition; he was also sent to Rome as procurator of the Filipinas province. He also labored in the missions of Pintados and in Mindanao. Lopez died at Manila, September 3, 1659. See Murillo Velarde’s Hist. Philipinas, fol. 269 verso, 270.