I Blamed The Jesuits, And The Old King
Agreed With Me, And Told Me He Would Take Care That No More Of Our
People Should Be Carried To Nangasaki, Except They Stole The Ship's
Boats, As The Others Had Done, Of Which I Gave Notice To Mr James
Foster, Our Master.
Foyne at this time issued an edict, strictly
forbidding any of the Japanese from carrying away any of our people,
without previously making it known to him and me.
The 23d I was informed of a great pagan festival to be celebrated this
day, both kings and all the nobles being to meet at a summer-house
erected before the great pagoda, to see a horse-race. I think there must
have been above 3000 people assembled together on this occasion. All the
nobles went on horseback, each being accompanied by a retinue of slaves,
some armed with pikes, some with fire-arms, and others with bows and
arrows. The pikemen drew up on one side of the street, and the shot and
archers on the other, the middle being left open for the race. Right
before the summer-house, where the king and nobles were seated, was a
large round target of straw, hung against the wall, at which the
archers running at full career on horseback discharged their arrows.
The street was so crowded, that neither the present we sent, nor we
ourselves, could get admission, so we passed along the street and
returned by another way to our house. Late at night, the brother of
Zanzibar's wife came to our house, bringing me a present of a haunch of
venison and a basket of oranges, being accompanied by Zanzibar himself.
About ten at night, the Chinese captain, our landlord, came to inform us
that the king had ordered a tub of water to be kept ready on the top of
every house, as the devil had given out that the town was to be burnt
down that night: Yet the devil proved a liar: We got however a large tub
on the top of our house, which held twenty buckets of water; and all
night long people ran about the streets calling out for every one to
look well to their fires, so that it was strange and fearful to hear
them.
This report of burning the town was still current on the 24th, and every
one was making preparations to prevent it. I made ready fifteen buckets,
which cost six condrines each, which I filled with water and hung up
in our yard, setting a large tub beside them full of water, besides that
on the house top. I gave orders likewise to get two ladders ready for
carrying water to the roof, and provided nine wine casks filled with
tempered clay, ready for daubing up the doors of the gadonge, [godown
or fire-proof warehouse,] if need should require in consequence of a
conflagration, from which dire necessity may God defend us. All night
long, three or four men ran continually backwards and forwards in the
streets, calling out for every one to have a care of fire, and making so
horrible a noise, that it was both strange and fearful to hear them.
On the 25th, the Chinese captain, our landlord, was taken sick, and sent
for a piece of pork, which I sent him, and immediately afterwards I went
to visit him, carrying a small bottle of Spanish wine. While I was
there, Semidono and our guardian's father-in-law came likewise to visit
him. The king sent me word, by Miguel, our jurebasso, that he had a bad
opinion of Hernando Ximenes our Spaniard, and that he meant to have run
away when lately at Nangasaki. But I knew this to be false, as he had
then free liberty to go where he pleased, and did not run away. I had
another complaint made against him, that he was a notorious gambler, and
had enticed several to play, from whom he won their money, which I
believe rather than the other accusation. I find by experience, that the
Japanese are not friendly to the Spaniards and Portuguese, and love them
at Nangasaki the worse, because they love them so well.[36] In the night
between the 24th and 25th, some evil-disposed persons endeavoured to
have set the town of Firando on fire in three several places, but it was
soon extinguished, and no harm done; but the incendiaries were not
discovered, though doubtless owing to the conjurers and other base
people, who expected an opportunity of making spoil when the town was on
fire.
[Footnote 36: This is quite obscure, and may perhaps allude to the
efforts of the Jesuits at Nangasaki, to convert the Japanese to a new
idol worship, under the name of Christianity. - E.]
The 26th of October, Mr Melsham being very sick, Zanzibar came to
visit him, and urged him to use the physic of the country, bringing with
him a bonze, or doctor, to administer the cure. Mr Melsham was very
desirous to use it, but wished our surgeon to see it in the first place.
So the bonze gave him two pills yesterday, two in the night, and two
this morning, together with certain seeds; but, for what I can see,
these things did him no good. God restore his health! At this time, all
our waste-cloths, pennants, brass sheaves, and other matters, were sent
aboard, and our ship was put into order to receive our general, whose
return was soon expected. Last night another house was set on fire by
some villains, but was soon extinguished with very little harm; yet our
nightly criers of fire continue to make such horrible noises, that it is
impossible for any one to get rest. The Chinese captain still continued
sick, and sent to beg some spiced cakes and two wax-candles, which I
sent him, as I had done before. Mr Melsham now grew weary of his
Japanese doctor and his prescriptions, and returned to our surgeon Mr
Warner, to the great displeasure of Zanzibar and the bonze.
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