[38] On the death of Pedro de Acuna, Rodrigo de Vivero was appointed governor ad interim of the Philippines, by viceroy Luis de Velasco of Mexico.  He landed at Manila, June 15, 1608, and governed until April of the following year.  He was a native of Laredo (Santander), and was experienced in the political life of the Indies.  He introduced important reforms and laws among the alcaldes-mayor and corregidors.  He was given the title of Conde dela Valle, and made governor and captain-general of Panama.  See La Concepcion’s Hist. de Philipinas, vi, pp. 114-116.

[39] The following description of Japan it taken from Recuril des Voyages (Amsterdam, 1725), ii, p. 84:  “These islands look toward New Spain on the east; Tartary on the north, besides other countries unknown; China on the west, and unknown lands on the south; with a large sea between them.  They comprise 66 petty kingdoms, and are divided into three chief parts.  The most considerable, and the one always named first, is Japan, which contains 53 seigniories, or petty kingdoms, the most powerful of which are Meaco and Amagunce.  The king of Meaco has under him 24 or 26 kingdoms, and he of Amagunce 12 or 13.  The second of these three parts is called Ximo, and contains 9 kingdoms, chief of which are Bungo and Figeu.  The third part is called Xicoum, and contains 4 kingdoms or seigniories.”  J.J.  Rein (Japan, London, 1884), gives four divisions in modern Japan, namely, Japan proper, the Riukiu Islands, Chigima or the Kuriles, and Ogasawara-shima or Munito, commonly called Bonin Islands.

[40] A kind of silk grograin.

[41] Gabriel de la Cruz (in the Moluccas as early as 1605), together with Lorenzo Masonio (Laurent Masoni) wrote a relation entitled Relacion de la toma de las islas de Ambueno y Tidore que consigueiron los Holandes en este ano de 1605, which is published by Colin in his Labor Evangelica, lib. iv, chap. ii.  Masoni was born at Campolleto (Naples), February 27, 1556.  He entered the Jesuit order when already a priest, in 1582.  In 1586 he went to the Indies, where he died at Amboina, July 19, 1631.  He wrote also a letter from that island, which is published in Lettera annuae di Giappone (Roma, 1605), pp. 113-121; also in Hist.  Univers. des Indes orientales, by Antoine Magin (Sommervogel).

[42] The author of the present relation precedes the portion here presented, which appears to be complete, by a notice of the death of Father Antonio Pereira.  This notice appears to have been abridged by Ventura del Arco, who copied the document from the archives.  La Concepcion states (vol. iv of his history) that after Acuna had recovered the Malucos, all but two of the Jesuit priests there were ordered to Malaca.  This included Pereira, who was stationed on the island of Siao.  The authorities at Malaca contended that the care of these religious devolved upon the Philippines, hence they were ordered to go there.  Pereira