Note 475 — PRIMO VIAGGIO INTORNO AL MONDO (continued 4)

Leonardo de Argensola (Vol. XVI, p. 221) derives Maluco from the word “Moloc” meaning “the capital.” Crawfurd says that the derivation and meaning of the word is unknown, although said to be that of a people and place in Gilolo. It has been applied as a collective name to all the islands of their district, but it is correct of only the five mentioned by Pigafetta (for whose ancient names, see Vol. XVI, p. 221). Varthema (Travels, Hakluyt Society edition, pp. 245, 246), gives a slight account of the district under the name of the “island of Monoch, where the cloves grow,” which Magalhães showed to Cárlos I (Guillemard’s Magellan, p. 102). Barbosa gives the first authentic account of the five Moluccas (which he names) in his East African and Malabar Coasts (Hakluyt Society edition), pp. 201, 202, 219, 220. See also Crawfurd’s Dictionary, pp. 283–285.