The Road For The Most Part
Is Wonderfully Even, And Where It Meets With Mountains, A Passage Is Cut
Through.
This is the main road of the whole country, and, is mostly
covered with sand and gravel.
It is regularly measured off into leagues,
and at every league there is a small hillock of earth on each side of
the road, upon each of which is set a fair pine-tree, trimmed round like
an arbour. These are placed at the end of every league, that the
hackney-men and horse-hirers may not exact more than their due, which is
about three-pence for each league.
[Footnote 16: Suruga, Surunga, or Sununnaga, is a town in the province
of that name, at the head of the gulf of Totomina, about 50 miles S.W.
from Jedo. - E.]
The road is much frequented, and very full of people. Every where, at
short distances, we came to farms and country-houses, with numerous
villages, and frequent large towns. We had often likewise to ferry over
rivers, and we saw many Futtakeasse or Fotoquis, being the
temples of the Japanese, which are situated in groves, and in the
pleasantest places of the country, having the priests that attend
upon the idols dwelling around the temples, as our friars in old time
used to do here in England. On approaching any of the towns, we saw
sundry crosses, having the dead bodies of persons who had been crucified
affixed to them, such being the ordinary mode of punishment for most
malefactors. On coming near Surunga, where the emperor keeps his court,
we saw a scaffold, on which lay the heads of several malefactors that had
been recently executed, with the dead bodies of some stretched on crosses,
while those of others had been all hewn in pieces by the natives, trying
the tempers of their cattans, as formerly mentioned when at Firando.
This was a most unpleasant sight for us, who had necessarily to pass
them on our way to Surunga.
The city of Surunga is fully as large as London, with all its
suburbs.[17] We found all the handicraft tradesmen dwelling in the
outward parts and skirts of the town, while those of the better sort
resided in the heart of the city, not choosing to be annoyed by the
continual knocking, hammering, and other noise made by the artisans in
their several callings. As soon as we were settled in the lodgings
appointed for us in the city of Surunga, I sent Mr Adams to the imperial
residence, to inform the secretary of our arrival, and to request as
speedy dispatch as possible. He sent me back for answer, that I was
welcome, and that after resting myself for a day for two, I should be
admitted to an audience of the emperor. The 7th of September we were
occupied in arranging the presents, and providing little tables of
sweet-smelling wood on which to carry them, according to the custom of
the country.
[Footnote 17: It is hardly necessary to remark, that this applies to
London in the year 1613, then vastly smaller than now, when Westminster
was a separate city, at some miles distance from London; the Strand,
Piccadilly, and Oxford Street, country roads; Whitehall a country
palace; and the whole west end of the town, fields, farms, or country
villas. - E.]
On the 8th of September I was carried in my palanquin to the castle of
Surunga, in which the emperor resides, and was attended by my merchants
and others, the presents being carried before me. In entering the
castle, we had to pass three draw-bridges, at each of which there was a
guard of soldiers. The approach to the presence was by means of a fair
and wide flight of stone stairs, where I was met and received by two
grave and comely personages; one of whom was Codske dona, the
emperor's secretary, and the other named Fongo dona, the admiral. By
these officers I was led into a handsome room, the floor of which was
covered by mats, on which we sat down cross-legged. Shortly after, they
led me into the presence-chamber, in which stood the chair of state, to
which they wished me to do reverence. This chair was about five feet
high, covered with cloth of gold, and very richly adorned on its back
and sides, but had no canopy. We then returned to the former room, and
in about a quarter of an hour word was brought that the emperor was in
the presence-chamber. They then led me to the door of the room where the
emperor was, making signs for me to go in, but dared not even to look up
themselves. The presents sent from our king to the emperor, and those
which I offered as from myself according to the custom of the country,
had all been placed in a very orderly manner upon mats in the
presence-chamber, before the emperor came there.
Going into the chamber, of presence, I made my compliments to the
emperor according to our English fashion, and delivered our king's
letter to the emperor, who took it in his hand and raised it towards his
forehead, and commanded his interpreter, who sat at a good distance
behind, to desire Mr Adams to tell me that I was welcome from a long and
wearisome journey, that I might therefore rest me for a day or two, and
then his answer should be ready for our king. He then asked me if I did
not intend to visit his son at Jedo.[18] Answering, that I proposed
to do so, the emperor said, that orders should be given to provide me with
men and horses for the journey, and that the letters for our king should
be ready against my return. Then, taking leave respectfully of the
emperor, and coming to the door of the presence-chamber, I found the
secretary and admiral waiting to conduct me down the stairs where they
formerly met me, when I went into my palanquin and returned with my
attendants to our lodgings.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 12 of 243
Words from 11173 to 12200
of 247546
