No such place as Oringgaw is to be found in modern maps of
Japan.
Jedo is situated at the head of a deep gulf of the same name, in
the south-east corner of Japan. About the distance indicated in the
text, there is a town and bay named Odavara, on the western side of
the gulf, and in the direct way back to Surunga, which may possibly be
the Oringgaw of the text. - E.]
[Footnote 23: The characters have by some been thought to be those of
China, but I compared them with Chinese books, and they seemed to me
quite different, yet not letters to compound words by spelling, as
ours, but words expressed in their several characters, such as are
used by the Chinais and as the brevity manifesteth. I take them to be
characters peculiar to Japan. - Purch.
In a marginal reference in the plate given by Purchas, the lines are
said to read downwards, beginning at the right hand. It may possibly be
so: But they appear letters, or literal characters, to compound words
by spelling, and to be read like those used in Europe, from left to
right horizontally. In a future portion of our work, the subject of the
Japanese language and writing will be farther elucidated; when, we
believe, it will appear that they have two modes of writing, one by
verbal or ideal characters like the Chinese, and the other by
literal signs like all the rest of the world. - E.]
Letter from the Emperor of Japan to the King of Great Britain.
Your majesty's kind letter, sent me by your servant Captain Saris, who
is the first of your subjects that I have known to arrive in any part of
my dominions, I heartily embrace, being not a little glad to understand
of your great wisdom and power, as having three plentiful and mighty
kingdoms under your powerful command. I acknowledge your majesty's great
bounty, in sending me so undeserved a present of many rare things, such
as my land affordeth not, neither have I ever before seen: Which I
receive, not as from a stranger, but as from your majesty, whom I esteem
as myself, desiring the continuance of friendship with your highness:
And that it may consist with your good pleasure to send your subjects to
any part or port of my dominions, where they shall be most heartily
welcome, applauding much their worthiness in the admirable knowledge of
navigation, as having with much facility discovered a country so remote,
not being amazed by the distance of so mighty a gulf, nor the greatness
of such infinite clouds and storms, from prosecuting the honourable
enterprises of discovery and merchandising, in which they shall find me
to encourage them as they desire. By your said subject, I return to your
majesty a small token of my love, desiring you to accept the same as
from one who much rejoices in your friendship. And, whereas your
majesty's subjects have desired certain privileges for trade and the
settlement of a factory in my dominions, I have not only granted what
they desired, but have confirmed the same to them under my broad seal,
for the better establishment thereof.
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