[262] A group of islands called Shidsi To, lying in 34 deg. 20’.—­Rizal.

[263] “Thirty-eight degrees” is probably an error for “twenty-eight degrees,” and these islands [the first ones mentioned in the above sentence] would be the Mounin-Sima Islands, lying between 26 deg. 35’ and 27 deg. 45’; and Lot’s Wife in 29 deg. 51’, and Crespo, in 32 deg. 46’, which [latter] are supposed by the Univers Pittoresque to be the Roca de Oro [rock of gold] and the Roca de Plata of the ancient maps.—­Stanley.

For these latter islands, see Vol.  XIV, p. 272, note 45.

[264] A fungous substance that grows in the sea, and contains signs of life.

[265] Probably the dogfish, a species of shark.

[266] Most of these places can be identified on the old maps of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and most of the names are retained today.  The island of Cedros is shown on a map of 1556 (Ramusio:  Vniversale della parte del mondo nvovamente ritrovata).  The island of Cenizas is shown, on the old maps, in about 32 deg., and Cedros in about 29 deg..  The Marias or Tres Marias Islands are Maria Madre, Maria Magdalena, and Maria Cleofas.  Cape Corrientes is south of La Valle de Banderas and Chametla.  Socatul is called Socatula and Zocatula.  An English map of 1626, engraved by Abraham Goos, shows the town of Ciguatlan, north of Aquapulco, which may be the same as Morga’s Ciguatanejo.  Los Motines cannot be identified.

[267] Acosta in his History of the Indies (Hakluyt Soc. edition, London, 1880) says of the courses between the Philippines and New Spain:  “The like discourse is of the Navigation made into the South sea, going from New Spaine or Peru to the Philippines or China, and returning from the Philippines or China to New Spaine, the which is easie, for that they saile alwaies from East to West neere the line, where they finde the Easterly windes to blow in their poope.  In the yeere 1584, there went a shippe from Callao in Lima to the Philippines, which sailed 2000 and 700 leagues without sight of land, and the first it discovered was the Iland of Lusson, where they tooke port, having performed their voiage in two moneths, without want of winde or any torment, and their course was almost continually vnder the line; ...  The returne is like vnto the voiage from the Indies vnto Spaine, for those which returne from the Philippines or China to Mexico, to the end they may recover the Westerne windes, they mount a great height, vntill they come right against the Ilands of Iappon, and, discovering the Caliphornes, they returne by the coast of New Spaine to the port of Acapulco.”