[2] The Order of Mercy was a military order, founded in 1212 by Jaime of Aragon; it had for its object the redemption of captives from the Moors.
[3] Murillo Velarde states (Hist. de Philipinas, fol. 126 b) that in 1640 and 1641 the Dutch waited near the Embocadero to seize the Acapulco galleons, but that these vessels escaped safely to Cavite by taking a different route; this was in consequence of warnings given them, by a system of fire-signals at the Embocadero, planned by the Jesuit Francisco Colin.
[4] An allusion to the solemn public procession made annually on that day, in which the banner of the city was carried; this was in celebration of the defeat of the Chinese pirate Limahon.
[5] A contemporary description of this earthquake is furnished in a rare pamphlet (Manila, 1641), containing a report of this occurrence made by the order of Pedro Arce, bishop of Cebu; part of it is reprinted by Retana in his edition of Zúñiga’s Estadismo, ii, pp. 334–336.
[6] That is, when the moon again occupied the position that it had at the time of the earthquake.
[7] See Diaz’s detailed account of this earthquake (Conquistas, pp. 474–483). He states that the number of persons killed in this catastrophe was not positively known, but was reported to reach six hundred, only eight of whom were citizens of note, and two were religious. Corcuera was at the time a prisoner in the fortress of Santiago, and showed great courage. In the province of Cagayan, a landslide buried a Mandaya village, and the plains were deluged by the eruptions of water-volcanoes.
[8] That is, having more metal at the breech, to strengthen the piece.
[9] Ticao is a long and narrow strip of land, lying between San Bernardino Strait and Ticao Passage, northeast of Masbate Island. Its shores are steep, and furnish many good anchorages. The population is mainly Bícol.
[10] Probably for palanquetas, meaning cross-bar shots.
[11] Maestre de Campo is a mountainous island thirteen miles southeast of Mindoro, and is a conspicuous landmark for vessels in those waters.