1656
November
Departure of the Avondster
Governor Yohyōe sent Interpreter Sukezaemon with 100 gold koban to exchange them for silver, which he will use on his impending journey to Edo. But when the silver was handed to him – a sum of 660 taels – the interpreter announced on behalf of the governor that it was Edo money, which is worth a little less here in Nagasaki, to wit, 2 mas and 5 candareens on each paper parcel or 50 ordinary taels. I shall have to agree to this strange deal for the time being and show gratitude for good payment.
3 I had just put some coolies to clean the island and the empty houses and warehouses, when Interpreter Hachizaemon came to announce that the eldest son of Yamashiro Nabeshima,1 ruler of the surrounding domains of Hakata and Hizen, was about to visit the island. We hastened to clean the best room, which Boucheljon had vacated yesterday, before his arrival, but even before we were ready we saw the young lord, accompanied by two opperbongioisen and a large suite of nobles, approach.
4 Around seven in the morning Governor Yohyōe left for Edo. The otona, or supervisor of this island and all the interpreters and other dependents accompanied him out of the city for about three miles. Most of them had to trot on foot behind him, so that it was late in the evening when they returned very tired to the city. Nothing else noteworthy happened. People are surprised that at this time of year we are still enjoying such pleasant and warm summer weather.
5 Continuing pleasant and warm weather. The wind is set fair for the Avondster.
6 In the afternoon, Kiemon, the incumbent governor, sent our interpreter Sukezaemon with
7 Sukezaemon came to return three large, red coral beads, which Boucheljon had given him for the governor to inspect. He said that, at the governors’ request, the largest of them, weighing just 8 mas, ordered before by Mito-sama, the Shogun’s great-uncle, had been valued by Sakuemon, the first burgemeester of this city, and he had set the price at 100 gold koban or 660 taels of silver. And although sold in this way this would give us a good profit, we feel that, had we been allowed to deal with it to our liking, it could have raised 200 koban because of its purity. The interpreter also said that the two pieces of white Dutch plush and the telescope, for which Yohyōe had sent a few days ago for inspection, were being taken to Edo. The plush would be given to Mino-no-kami, Lord of Odawara, at his request. He would pay us 20 taels a piece.
8 The governor sent our otona and Sukezaemon to fetch 3–4 pieces of teak wood, which have been lying here for some years and serve no purpose and have been written off. They went to the warehouse and selected five of the smallest but best pieces. Since 2 October, when we had the last severe storm, we have had warm and pleasant summer weather. All the trees which had lost their green leaves and half-ripe fruit through the hard wind, are now sprouting young leaves, even coming to bloom, as we have been witnessing with amazement in our small garden here with some figs, peaches, apricots and other fruit-bearing trees in this winter time. The Japanese give good reasons for this.
9 Last night there were downpours with lightning and heavy thunderclaps. But during the day the weather was pleasant and warm.
10 Continuing fine weather and a northerly wind. In the afternoon, a fairly large Chinese junk left for Quanzhou.
11 Pleasant summer weather and a clear sky. This morning several interpreters came to ask me when I intended to set off for Edo. I told them that it depended on Governor Kiemon and not on me, but I would busy myself with packing the goods that we have selected for gifts, so that everything would be ready. The interpreters replied that it would be well to have everything ready in time, but I should not be in too much of a hurry, no one would rush me, as long as I could be in Edo before their Shōgatsu or New Year.
13 In the morning the weather was fine and in the evening misty and rainy. Sakuemon, the first burgemeester of this city, sent Sukezaemon to me and requested that I oblige him with three chests of silver tomorrow. He would repay me when we arrived in Osaka. Because this favour has been extended before and he has never failed to pay and, furthermore, because we would otherwise have to carry so much cash with us and risk it at sea, I promised the burgemeester to hand him the silver against a bond.
14 Beautiful, warm weather. According to annual custom, I entertained the otona, our interpreters, the two oldest clerks and the owner of the large barge which will transport us to Osaka with their sons to a meal. Governor Kiemon got wind of this – so it seemed – and shortly before we sat down at the table, he sent Sukezaemon with a man from Hirado called Yosōemon, otherwise known as Brasman, who is fluent in Dutch.
15 For the third time the otona and the interpreters brought the lacquerers. On behalf of all, one of them stated that they had considered my latest bid to have the models for Bengal lacquered. But they could not accept such a low price as I had offered them on the 12th. Thus they requested me to raise my bid and to put it in writing and then they would see if they could lower their quote and we could come to an agreement. Otherwise they intended to leave for Miyako, where most of them live, tomorrow, for they had no other business here. Although I left it to the last moment to react to their quote, pretending that I was not interested, I noticed that they themselves were not exactly eager for the work. They would have left, but the otona and the interpreters interceded and asked me to offer a bid.
16 While we were having dinner, Interpreter Magobei came to notify me that Governor Kiemon intended to visit us for some diversion. We left the table and went to change and prepare some refreshments. After half an hour we were warned that he was on his way. We went to the land-gate and we saw His Honour approaching, accompanied by Shogunal Steward Heizō, an impudent hermit or priest and a large suite of servants. On the island, I welcomed him according to the custom of this nation, whereupon he nodded. He asked to see our garden and I escorted him there. He had a long look at the pall-mall and because none of them could play it, at his request I sent for two assistants, who, playing a game or two, provided him with some entertainment. Next he went to the smaller garden and we chased the large cassowary, which gave the governor much to wonder about, because of its clumsy jumps and because it dares to attack a human being, chase him and run him over.
17 Last night and in the morning the long-expected cold began to manifest itself, but during the day, when the sun shone, the weather was pleasantly warm. The governor sent Magobei to ask me if my small black boy, who had played with the cassowary yesterday in the governor’s presence and had been tossed about and kicked badly by this heavy animal, had suffered any injury or bruises. I told him that he had not and he said ‘that is fine, that is fine’ and went straight back to report to his master.
19 This morning the coolie-masters took the four sampans to the other side of the bay. Because the weather was fine, with the governor’s permission, I also went there with Oetgens, the junior merchants and a few interpreters to check that they beached the sampans properly and to enjoy ourselves in the mountains covered with green. But as soon as we had gone ashore, it started to pour with rain and we looked for a farm nearby and sheltered there. We had some breakfast and the weather cleared. We wanted to visit the burial ground where our dead are buried, but the bongiois who accompanied us would not agree. He said that we needed to return and we had to comply. Around three o’clock in the afternoon we entered our Japanese Rozengain3 again.
20 This morning a Chinese junk left for Nanking. Nothing else happened. The whole day overcast, hazy and warm.
21 Today it rained hard, but it was warm and quiet.
23 The whole night and up to this afternoon it rained. Yesterday and today the Chinese have towed several junks, which had been taken to the east side of the city to be repaired and cleaned, to the west side to load them as quickly as possible and to prepare for departure. The governor has notified them that they should all have left by the end of their 10th month, called Jūgatsu, of which today it is the 9th day. Otherwise they will be subjected to severe corporal punishment.
24–25 Nasty, drizzly and very cold weather.
26 Clear weather and a biting northerly wind. Three large Chinese junks, mainly loaded with coarse cotton wadding, have left for Anhai. In the afternoon, the governor sent our interpreter Sukezaemon to me to ask if I could lend him my red fur cap for a day or two, the governor had seen it and fitted it when he was here. He would have one made and use it during the winter. I gave the interpreter the cap. Fifteen minutes later he was back and said that the governor also requested the red cloth, silver trimming and lining that was needed to make it. I could oblige the governor with the cloth and the lining, but the trimming had to be supplied by one of our subordinates, for which he was thanked in Japanese fashion.
27 Fine, clear weather and a fresh north-easterly wind.
28 This afternoon the weather was fine and two of Coxinga’s junks left, the one for Anhai and the other for Tonkin. Nachoda Lipsien will follow in a few days with a much larger and sturdier junk, heading for Tonkin. I intend to send a letter to our residents there.
29 Clear, pleasant and quiet weather. In the afternoon, a large Anhai junk loaded with cotton and tin set sail, but in the evening the calm forced it to drop anchor around the bend of the bay.
30 Three Chinese junks have left for Anhai. Nothing noteworthy happened.
December
1 Fine, clear weather, but cold.
2 The governor put pressure on them to leave, thus in the morning four of Coxinga’s junks left for Anhai with a large quantity of cotton and some tin and copper. The wind was westerly, thus they were forced to drop anchor in front of the bend of the bay within our sight. Our interpreters could tell me that rumour had it that the mandarin4 intended to send some of these junks to the Manilas with cotton from Anhai. Large profits are to be made there on cotton. But they added that should he carry out this plan and the governors here found out, they would hold this against him and they might forbid him to export any cotton from here in future. In the afternoon, Heizō, the shogunal steward, sent Magobei for as much red French cloth and lining
3 Very cold and tempestuous weather, mingled with rain and hail. The westerly wind is blowing hard and the four Anhai junks, which left yesterday, are still anchored inside the bend of the bay, waiting for a favourable wind.
4 The cold weather has turned milder and the wind has veered northerly. The four junks set sail.
5 The wind was favourable and the weather pleasant. Five junks left for Anhai. They are all loaded with cotton, some zeekatten and other small stuff. Magobei told me for a fact that the cotton which the Chinese have exported this month is worth over 200,000 taels. But the citizens and the merchants here still have as much in stock and he cannot imagine that the remaining junks, of which a few are being repaired, will be able to carry it away. The square small house, which I mentioned on the 27th of last month, was set up yesterday and given a ceiling. Today the entrance was made by breaking through the wall made of straw and clay on the east side of the large room and putting in a small door frame so that tomorrow a closed tiled roof can be placed on it and it will be ready in three days.
7 The whole day a warm, southerly wind and much rain. But in the evening it veered westerly and blew hard. In between the light and dark weather, I saw two Anhai junks loaded with cotton set sail, pressed by the governor to do so, but they both had to anchor. The governor sent a bongiois and Sukezaemon to request me to promote a most improper task on his behalf. One of his best hunting dogs, a large bitch, recently suffered a bad injury around her nether parts when she had a litter of two puppies. So far no cure for it had been found and because the governor is very fond of this animal, he would like to have it attended to. Thus he had me told expressly that our senior surgeon, who seems to have already refused to attend to this dog, should be ordered to attend to the bitch and do his utmost to cure it. I politely told the interpreter that our medicines had been made to help and cure our weak and invalid people and not dogs. Moreover, in our country it was a terrible disgrace if a master had to apply his knowledge of human medicine, for which he had studied many years at great cost, to such an unclean, stinking bitch.
8 A cutting westerly wind, bringing much hail and cold, bleak weather. Seven Chinese junks, which had left one after the other, had to remain at the western exit of the bay.
9 Unchanged stiff westerly wind. The seven Chinese junks were still anchored at the same spot. A few bongioisen, who, according to custom, have to escort them, found the long wait in their small open barges tedious and yesterday they had gone ashore to a farmhouse for, so it seems, some distraction. But they consumed too much warm sake and they had began to argue about the use of their swords. To test it and settle the argument, they had slashed at each other and five of them had been badly wounded. According to the interpreters, one of them, half of whose back had been slashed open, was dying, but the instigator of this all had immediately, according to this country’s cursed custom, slit his own belly in such a way that his intestines had dropped out and he fell down to the earth dead.
10 Last night the seven junks put to sea on a north-easterly breeze. We have had fine, clear weather today, but in the evening we felt a stiff, piercing cold northerly wind.
11 Very quiet and pleasant sunny weather.
12 The pleasant dry weather continued. Around nine o’clock, one of the most famous Japanese doctors5 came upstairs to my room with a bongiois, the otona and all our interpreters. The doctor claimed that at his request he had received permission from the governor to go out into the city with our senior surgeon and to visit the druggist shops to look for some suitable herbs or medicines for Commissioner Chikugo-no-kami’s gravel, which bothers him a lot. I sent for the surgeon and asked him to comply.
13 Variable, windy, cold weather. The governor sent Yosōemon, the new interpreter, to me with a small monkey. He let me know that it had been his habit to sit with the animal near the fire and play with it. But the monkey often let its long tail hang in the fire and this gave off a terrible stench. Therefore, he would like our surgeon to cut off the tail close to its body and treat it till it was healed. This was done right away. It is all about a monkey’s tail. Who ever heard of such strange cures! First a skinny bitch, now a monkey, after this it will probably be a cat or an owl. But we shall oblige this touchy big cabessa in every way, even if he were to send injured billy goats, buffaloes and pigs to us. In the evening, two junks set off for Anhai in China, loaded with cotton.
14 It has been very quiet, but in the evening a warm southerly wind rose and shortly after it poured with rain.
15 Before noon the wind was variable, but in the afternoon a stiff easterly wind rose and a Chinese junk left for Anhai. The time for my departure for Edo is nearing and I had the other rarities packed. I also had some barrels, jars and cellarets filled with the necessary provisions and set aside.
16 Lovely weather, but a cold north-westerly wind. In the afternoon, Hachizaemon came to my room and told me that he and all the other interpreters had gone to the governor to congratulate him on the first day of their 11th month, this is their custom. Because today is also the first anniversary of the death of the governor’s mother, he did not entertain the interpreters, our otona and several others, thirty- five persons in all, to any meat or fish,
17 This new moon promises to bring us great cold, because this morning the water had frozen to the thickness of more than a straw, but in the afternoon the sun had melted it again.
18 Fine, clear weather before noon, but then an easterly wind rose and shortly after heavy rain started to fall.
19 From midnight it has been raining heavily and it lasted all through the day. The wind veered to the south. It is said that this has not happened for many years during winter. We enjoyed the warm air it brought. In the afternoon, Magobei and Hachizaemon came to inform me that in eight or nine days two Chinese junks would leave, one directly for Siam and the other would also sail to Tonkin. If I wished to send any letters, I should have them ready by then. I told them that I would like to write a letter to the Governor-General in Batavia,
20 The northerly wind has been blowing hard and brought us its natural cold. Nothing noteworthy happened.
21 Cold and clear weather. Before noon all the interpreters came to my room with the otona. They said that they had just been to the governor and they had spoken to him about my impending court journey.
22 Drizzly weather.
23 Last night and today hard westerly wind and steady rain.
24 Very quiet and pleasantly warm summer weather.
25 Christmas Day. The weather was pleasant till noon, then it grew overcast and in the evening rain. A Chinese junk wanted to sail for Anhai with a load of cotton, but because of the northerly wind, it had to remain here.
26 Variable wind with an overcast sky. Two junks sailed into the bay. Hachizaemon said that
27 Very cold, nothing happened.
28 Same weather. A small trading junk from Anhai anchored in the bay. It brought 200 packs of medicinal herbs and other small stuff.
30 The whole day cold and misty weather.
31 Same weather. Today I signed and sealed the letter which I have written to the authorities in Batavia about the state of affairs here and what has happened since Boucheljon’s departure. Nachoda Rocquan will take it to Siam on a Chinese junk and I hope that it will be possible to forward it from there.
1657
January
1 Fine, pleasant weather. Sukezaemon sent us four large, live fish, a few beautiful pheasants, three barrels of sake and three trays with decorated curious flower stems as a New Year’s gift. He told us with many compliments that yesterday his daughter had been given in marriage to Shichibei, the interpreter and the son of the otona. He would have liked to have invited us to the feast, but it was not allowed. Thus he could only offer us the small gifts and asked that we prepare it to our liking and enjoy it together. We had no objections and accepted them gratefully.
3 Warm and pleasant weather. In the evening, I gave Magobei the letter I had written to the Governor-General. He will show it to the governor and then it will be handed to the nachoda.
4 The same fine weather. In the afternoon, on the governor’s orders, our senior surgeon went to the city with the Japanese doctor and all our interpreters and accompanied by a bongiois, to help look for more herbs and medicines.
5 Pleasant weather. When we left the table, we found the doctor waiting for us in the front room with a bongiois, the otona and all our interpreters. Like yesterday, they were going to look for herbs among the druggists with our surgeon. The bongiois said that the governor had given permission for some of our subordinates to go as well for some enjoyment. Thus Oetgens, two junior merchants and I went along, although none of us was looking forward to creeping in and out of those barns. But we went because it is considered a special favour. At the end our polite escort took us to the northern side of the city to visit a beautiful temple and we returned home in the evening.
6 Overcast and rainy.
7 Hazy, warm weather with some rain. Magobei told me that our appointed day of departure to Edo, which should be the day after tomorrow, had been postponed by the governor. It will now be on the second of their 12th month, which is the 16th of this month. We shall wait and see.
12 While we were sitting down to dinner, the governor sent Interpreter Hachizaemon to inform me that the barge which would carry us to Osaka would moor at the stairs of the water-gate of our small island in the evening. A certain Keiemon-dono has been appointed as our opperbongiois or escort. He, the two onderbongioisen and all the servants who have been appointed to escort us on the journey are busy preparing for this. The governor would like us to take care of all our business, so that we could leave together on the 18th, the appointed lucky day. I had the governor thanked for this announcement and let him know that we were ready to embark, should we have to do so tomorrow.
13 Very early the skipper of the barge came to announce that he had moored it in front of the gate last night. He would like to have the new prince’s flag to fly it at the back according to annual custom, so that everyone could see that this was the barge which would be carrying the Dutchmen to the Shogun. Shortly after we saw it flying with schanskleden draped around the barge. This is a sign that it is now earnest and we shall soon see the end of this sorry delay.
15 Fine, pleasant weather. The cassowary was taken to the barge in the afternoon. A Japanese servant will look after it. The barge will leave for Hirado early tomorrow morning. The men are very honoured with the charge of transporting the animal and asked for a piece of an old silk flag. I would have preferred to take the bird along in our own barge to avoid the extra expenses, but it seems that our fellow travellers, the bongioisen and the interpreters, are wary of any stench and devised the excuse that there was no suitable place for the bird on board our barge. This is not the first trick they have played on us and it will not be the last. In the evening, while we were having dinner, the governor sent for a red coral of three mas’ weight. Yesterday he asked for a piece of Dutch plush. Both had already been packed in the canasters, but we sent them anyway with Sukezaemon.
16 Clear, fine weather with an easterly wind. Nothing noteworthy happened. Two burgemeesters sent several packages to take along at the Company’s expense.
Court journey
18 I awoke at dawn and when I left my room I noticed to my surprise that my two travelling trunks, in which my new bedding, best clothes and linen had been packed, had been opened and set far apart. The contents were scattered on the mats as in a pawnshop. It made me suspect that a Japanese thief, who might have hidden on the island and had been looking for money, had been busy last night.
19 In the morning, we weighed anchor and sailed on a north-easterly wind. Around four o’clock in the afternoon we reached Hirado and dropped anchor in front of the Company’s old lodge. The next day we proceeded on our journey and we dropped anchor in several bays and harbours. On the 26th we reached Shimonoseki, where we took on supplies of water and fresh food. On the 28th we sailed through the narrows of Kaminoseki to the southern sea and after having passed between many islands we arrived safely.
In Osaka
30 in Osaka. Shirōemon, our landlord of old, had been notified over land from Hyōgo of our arrival and he came to welcome us. We transferred onto two covered pleasure boats and sailed up river to the city passing many high bridges. When evening fell we reached his house, our ordinary lodging. We spent the night there.
31 The interpreters went to both governors with our landlord to announce our arrival and to ask them when it would suit them for me to greet them with our gifts. Our gifts, the provisions and other luggage were brought ashore and stored in a fireproof warehouse. Around ten o’clock the interpreters returned and said that the governors were very pleased with our arrival.
February
1 Upon the presentation of the bond which Sakuemon, the first burgemeester, took out for the benefit of the Company on 3 November, our landlord Shirōemon handed me the 3000 taels which the burgemeester owes in gold koban and bu. The 1000 taels which Shirōemon himself owes the Company will be paid on our return from Edo. I had all the packs and canasters checked and counted to see what could be carried by men and what should be carried by horses. We spent half a day sorting and weighing everything to make the packs of equal weight. We shall need eighty-five coolies or bearers and forty-six horses. Thus I sent for the horse-owners and in the presence of our interpreters and the landlord we settled the price for each coolie and horse for the journey from here to Edo in the following manner:
2 I contracted for some litters and poles for the large alcatief and the cellarets and other breakable goods which cannot be carried safely on horses to be finished this evening. I intend to set off for Miyako one hour before dawn tomorrow. In the afternoon, the Nagasaki Governor’s factor came to visit me with several young noblemen. I entertained them as best as I could in Japanese fashion. After their departure, several important merchants visited me in my room, including two brothers who are citizens of Sakai. The younger one offered me a present of two pheasants. He told me that he intended to send some vessels with bar-copper to Nagasaki in three months which he would deliver to the Company, without asking whether we would accept it and at what price. I just told him that he was free to do so, but that he should not expect the Company to pay such a high price per picul as last year. He said nothing but laughed. Shortly after, our landlord’s father also came to offer me 500 piculs of copper without mentioning the price. He said that he would accept the price that we paid to the others. I have no doubts that the Company will be able to obtain a large batch of this profitable ballast this year. In the evening, our opperbongiois had Hachizaemon inform me that tomorrow is the anniversary of the death of this Shogun’s father.
3 Today we had nothing else to do but help the Japanese fast till the evening, after we had eaten and drunk heartily in the afternoon, in commemoration of the anniversary of the Shogun’s death.
In Miyako
4 Half an hour before sunrise we left Osaka. In fine warm weather we arrived in Hirakata in the afternoon, where we enjoyed some refreshments. Around five o’clock we arrived in Miyako at the inn of a certain citizen named Saburōemon. Hachizaemon went with him to the Grootrechter, Makino Sado-no-kami, to announce our arrival and to ask at what time we could appear before him tomorrow to present our gifts. Very late in the evening, the interpreter returned and said that after a long wait the secretary had finally told him that we should be at the court of the official at eight o’clock. Immediately we prepared a substantial gift, almost as large as those which are normally presented to the councillors in Edo, following the recommendations of Boucheljon before he departed. The presentation trays were ordered to be finished during the night.
5 At the appointed time we went there and we were shown to a waiting room where we sat down. We waited for an hour, our teeth chattering from the cold. Then we saw the gifts being brought inside and we were signalled to follow. When we entered a beautiful long hall, we were shown that we had to drop down near the first sliding doors, which we did. We saw this grand official sitting at least 25 paces behind us.
On the highway
6 Before dawn we left and in the afternoon we reached the hamlet of Minakuchi, where we spent an hour for refreshments. Then we travelled further and we reached Sekinojizō, where we spent the night.
8 At seven o’clock we split up in two covered barges which lay ready behind the house and we sailed to Miya across a large bay of the southern sea. We arrived in the afternoon, enjoyed a meal and climbed on our horses. We spent the night in Chiryū.
9 At dawn we left and travelled to Okazaki, where we enjoyed refreshments. We spent the night in Akasaka.
10 We lunched in Arai but dined and slept in Hamamatsu.
11 Early in the morning, in cold and windy weather, we went on and at noon we gave our bodies the necessary rest in Fukuroi and at night we had a good rest in Kanaya.
12 Early in the day we proceeded on our way and crossed the swift running Ōi-gawa at great peril. We had refreshments in Okabe and spent the night in a clean, large house in Ejiri.
13 Today is the Japanese Shōgatsu or New Year’s day. We left at daybreak and lunched in Yoshiwara. In the evening, we dropped down in Mishima and spent the night there.
14 On a clear day and with fine fresh weather, we started to climb the high mountains of Hakone with the help of fresh bearers and horses. Around ten o’clock we reached the top. We had breakfast in the city of Hakone and after an hour we travelled down the other half and in the plain below we reached the city of Odawara.
Arrival in Edo
16 We proceeded on our journey and had something to eat in Kawasaki. In the afternoon, around four o’clock – Thank God –, we arrived safely in the large shogunal city of Edo. While entering the city, we noticed a thick, black smoke from afar, signifying that there was a fire on the eastern side. The citizens, mainly shopkeepers, were climbing on top of the roofs of their houses to see which way the wind was blowing the flames and if the fire was coming their way. But when they saw that they were out of danger because of the great distance, they climbed down again, not seeming to care at all for the loss of their neighbours. When we went further into the city, we also noticed to our amazement that the 5000 houses which had burnt down in November of last year had been rebuilt neatly and curiously in this short space of time. After an hour’s ride, attracting much attention, we finally reached our customary inn. Hachizaemon went with Gen’emon, our landlord, to announce our safe arrival to Shogunal Commissioner Chikugo-no-kami and to the second governor of Nagasaki, Yohyōe. The interpreter returned late in the evening with the news that Yohyōe had not been at home, but he had spoken to the commissioner himself. He was very pleased at our arrival and had said that we would be very tired from the journey and should rest tonight and tomorrow. But we should notify him in writing early tomorrow what gifts we had brought for His Majesty and for him in fulfilment of his demand.
17 Early in the morning we went to work and selected the gifts for His Majesty, the councillors and other nobles.
18 Hachizaemon came to my room very early and told me that last night after ten Chikugo-no-kami had sent one of his servants to ask him why I had not packed the gifts for the Shogun and the councillors yesterday and sent them to him for safe-keeping. He had offered me his fireproof warehouse. Did I not fear for fire or could I not imagine that the fire which I might have witnessed with my own eyes last night could also hit us and consume the gifts for His Majesty? I replied by asking him if he had not seen with his own eyes that yesterday my attention had been diverted from the intended task in hundreds of ways. Had I been able to set a foot out of my room, when all day long visitors were there looking at things, coming and going, fetching and bringing, let alone had I been given a chance to apportion the gifts?
19 Chikugo-no-kami sent for the remaining rarities. He also wanted to have all the goods we had brought for various nobles in fulfilment of their orders of last year. He would see to it that each would receive what was meant for him. Hachizaemon had been summoned by the commissioner very early and he returned around nine. He told me that His Honour wished to warn me that when the King of Owari sent for the large cellaret with 15 stone bottles and the crystal glasses and ventoses,9 I should hand them over. Therefore he would send them to our lodgings later. Shortly after lunch, Governor Yohyōe’s son, a proud young fellow about 14–15 years old, visited me. On account of his father, I offered him some pastries and tent wine, but at first he would not taste any. There was a big brat with him – who, so it seemed, was playing the buffoon in a Japanese way – who enjoyed it all the more. Our opperbongiois, who had brought them upstairs and who all the time was lying face down like a bloodhound in front of this young fellow, invited him groaning to accept the cup and to taste it. Finally he did, but he let the elderly nobleman crawl over to him to pour the wine in the glass. I think this is a strange and despicable manner compared to our European customs.
20 In the afternoon, the Lord of Yodo came to my quarters with a large suite of noblemen and servants.
21 In the morning Genba-dono, the father of the aforesaid wicked Uneme-dono, came to visit me with three other noblemen. One of them, a nobleman belonging to the court of Kinokuni, claimed that he had heard that I would be given audience by His Majesty on the 27th of this month. All of them congratulated me and drank to this good news. They spent two hours and left very pleased. In the afternoon, the two sons of Chikugo-no-kami again visited me. They asked to see some strings of amber. Four or five were shown to them. The younger one, whose name is Genzō-dono,10 removed one of the largest and finest beads, notwithstanding my telling him that his father had ordered me to keep them for His Majesty. He heeded me not, put it in his purse and left.
22 In the morning our senior surgeon was instructed to go to Chikugo-no-kami’s house after lunch. He went there with Junior Merchant Hogenhouck and Interpreter Hachizaemon.
23 Around ten o’clock our opperbongiois informed me that the brother of the Lord of Yodo, who visited us on the 20th, was downstairs in his room and would like to speak to me. I invited His Honour upstairs. He came with a large retinue. He detached himself from the others and sat against a sliding door. He said that he was very curious to see my sword and other strange things which we had brought. We showed him all the things that we thought would interest him, including three dried11 beautiful birds of paradise, one of which seemed to please him greatly. I offered it to him. He expressed his gratitude profusely and asked me to keep it with the others until I had been in His Majesty’s presence, then he would send for it. He hoped to see me again in the Shogun’s palace on the day of the audience, which he thought would be on the 15th of their Shōgatsu or the 27th of this month.
24 Uneme-dono came again to ask for some red coral, amber and other trifles for his lord, Mito-sama. I let him select a few things from what remained. Then he saw my diamond ring and pulled it off my finger. He bit into it as hard as he could, then he took a knife and began to cut and file it. I could not stand it any longer and took it from him. I told him that it might easily break. He replied: ‘How can that be possible. I cut Captain Happart’s stone longer and it did not break.’ Later, when I had to leave him for half an hour, he opened both my canasters, a cellaret and some cases. He threw out all that they contained and rummaged through them like a pig. He also removed two birds of paradise from under the table, which had been hidden there from him on purpose. Because of his rough handling of them, the head of one of them was pulled off. I returned shortly after and saw the mess he had made. I started to show him my displeasure, but he paid no heed. He said that he would take the bottle of sweet wine which he had found in my cellaret and he would send me a wild goose, which he had shot himself, in the evening.
25 Early in the morning Interpreter Hachizaemon was summoned to Chikugo-no-kami’s house. He returned with the wished for news that last night His Honour had received written orders from Councillor Izu-no-kami that we should prepare ourselves to go to the castle the day after tomorrow to be received in audience by His Majesty. We should go to his house together tomorrow at eight. He wanted to see us and instruct us how to behave when performing our duties at the Court. I urged the Japanese from whom we have ordered the presentation trays to have them ready by tomorrow evening. When the interpreter left, His Honour asked him why the fire hose had not been sent this year. He told him why and said that it would certainly come next year. In the evening, Chikugo-no-kami sent one of his servants to fetch all the strings of amber, the spyglasses and twenty pairs of spectacles. He wanted to select the best and the clearest and add them to some other gifts.
26 Today it was very cold. At eight o’clock we went to Chikugo-no-kami on foot accompanied by both interpreters and Gen’emon, our landlord. There we were taken to a small hall where we had to wait.
Audience
28 In the afternoon, I went out to present the gifts to the councillors and other lords both inside and outside the castle. But wherever we went, Brother Nobody was at home and their secretaries or major-domos accepted the gifts. They displayed much gratitude, but they knew well how to make excuses for their masters’ inbred arrogance, who will never show themselves to us. The one would pretend that his master had been summoned to appear before His Majesty just before we arrived, the other would say that he was poorly, the third that he had left for his domain, but we can easily shrug it all off. We spent the afternoon crossing the city and when dusk fell we returned to our inn. After dinner I sent for Hachizaemon. I told him that now that we had presented our gifts to the Shogun, the councillors and other lords and they had all been accepted by everyone and Governor Yohyōe having promised to help us if need be – he had heard him say so himself yesterday – would this not be a suitable opportunity to request the governor – as he had promised to do in Nagasaki and on the way here – namely
March
1 In the afternoon, I went alone and without any gift to visit our old Nagasaki Governor, Saburōzaemon. He was not at home and it was no use waiting for him, so I left a message with one of his servants and went back the mile I had traversed in vain. When I arrived back home, I found a large gathering of visitors, including Genba-dono, the father of the aforesaid impudent Uneme-dono, who was passing the time by making a shameful exhibition of himself dressing in our clothes, just like his son, and a few bongioisen and the children of some lords. They all said that they had come to congratulate me on the honour I enjoyed yesterday at the Court. My companions, who had remained at home, had entertained them properly. The older members of the group stood up, thanked us for the hospitality and left, but the children stayed for a long while. Around four o’clock the first reciprocal gift, five silk gowns, arrived. They were sent on behalf of Andō Ukyō-sama, whom we generally call the announcer, because he has to announce each person who wishes to prostrate himself before His Majesty.
2 Around seven in the morning Chikugo-no-kami summoned Hachizaemon. After two hours he returned. He reported that he had been asked if Mito-sama had sent for the 5 gantang of tent wine. When he said that he had not, Chikugo-no-kami had told him that we should see to it that they were kept for him. Chikugo-no-kami had also ordered him to inform us that we should report to his house at two in the afternoon, without giving him the reason. I notified my companions and told them that horses should be ordered and they should dress and be ready at that time. I intended to leave the norimono at home and go on horseback like my companions, but these rental horses are usually very skinny and groomed very poorly. Thus I proposed to our opperbongiois if Uneme-dono, our pain in the neck whom I have mentioned many times before, would be willing to lend me his horse, which he has offered to me in the past. He replied that he would undoubtedly be willing to do so, but he lived too far out of the city to send for it. He had a better idea. He would send a note to the son of his master Kiemon, the one who had visited us last night and ask him for his. He did so promptly.
3 At daybreak my cabinet containing all our cash was brought to me. I was delighted, because this had been one of my greatest worries. We saw that the southern part of the city was aflame like the northern part when we fled. Our opperbongiois sent a servant to Chikugo-no-kami to find out if there might be room for us at an inn. He himself also went to Yohyōe for the same reason. Both returned around noon and reported that both gentlemen had ordered that we should look out for one ourselves.
4 Early in the morning there was no sign of fire, but we learnt that the great high tower in the castle, on top of which were two massive dolphins covered thickly with gold, had collapsed yesterday before noon
5 Early in the morning we noticed that it had rained and that it was not as cold as before. In the afternoon, I settled with Gen’emon, our landlord. I paid him more than was due for fifteen days’ lodging, food and drink, the presentation trays, warehouse, rent for coolies and horses. But still our bongioisen and interpreters came begging on his behalf to give him 300–400 taels for he had lost everything he owned. This would enable him to rebuild and next year we would have a new suitable inn to stay in. I thought this request unfair at the moment and refused. For had we not followed his advice to store our goods in his warehouse, we might have saved some. According to our country’s laws, we could take legal action against him and not only would we not owe him 1 candareen for the rent of the warehouse, we could legally demand restitution for all that we had lost in his godown.
6 Around midnight we heard terrible screaming and shouting. We rose and saw people jostling in the streets and swarming like ants claiming that there was a fire in our neighbourhood, but when we looked out to see from which side it was approaching, we saw that it was the moon rising in all its fiery redness. We returned to bed and awaited the day. I sent both interpreters to Chikugo-no-kami and Yohyōe to thank them again for the good news. Meanwhile, we saw a case of charity which is rare among these unfeeling heathens: two men carrying a barrel with boiled warm rice were sharing it out among the poor people who had been lying in the street in front of our house under the bare sky for four days and nights in rain and cold. We could barely keep our eyes dry, seeing how these famished people, especially the children gulped down whole mouthfuls. Late in the afternoon, our interpreters returned and told me that the house where Chikugo-no-kami is staying is three miles from our lodgings. He had not been home, but Hachizaemon had spoken to Yohyōe and he had been given instructions that we could leave when we so wished and he would keep whatever was sent for us. In pursuance of the Shogun’s promise of yesterday, the interpreter brought us six bales of rice, which provided for everyone in this house, about eighty people in all. On his return from Chikugo-no-kami, the interpreter had been to see Genba-dono, one of Mito-sama’s noblemen.
7 It poured with rain and there was a strong wind. We hired horses so that we can leave this ruin tomorrow, should the weather be fine. After looking and searching everywhere, we have finally been able to purchase some paper coats and five inferior quality silk gowns. This will provide us with somewhat better protection against the rain and the cold. We have heard many rumours today of more fires in Miyako, Osaka and elsewhere, which have been started by arsonists. It does not seem likely. Hachizaemon told us that yesterday a high-ranking person at the shogunal court had been imprisoned on account of treason and arson. A further 130 people have been locked up. The councillors are meeting every day till late at night and guards are posted at all avenues, especially because the Shogun cannot keep a close eye on the Lord of Satsuma, yea even on the powerful Lords of Mito, Owari and Kinokuni, his great-uncles, mainly because they are keeping guard with many men around the city at the three main roads. In the evening, the interpreters received a pass from Chikugo-no-kami, which would obtain us horses, lodgings or anything else on the roads, should we be refused them. His Honour had added a note that it would not be possible to collect payment for some of the goods sold, because everything was still in disarray and most of the people had left the city. But for the items he and his people had received, he would draw up an account and pay us.
8 Much rain in the early evening and shortly after such a violent wind that the whole house shook and we feared that it would collapse. This lasted till three hours before dawn and was then followed by a bitter, intense cold which brought more suffering and pain to those poor, naked wretches sleeping in the street in front of our door. It had been our firm intention to set off today and first drift down the river which is close to our house, because we had been told that most of the bridges in the city have been burnt and then leave the city on horseback. However, after we were told that it would be impossible to get through, we had to stay to give the owners of our horses time to find a suitable passage. In the evening, I gave our landlord 8 koban for six days’ lodgings and to the cook of the bongioisen, who has looked after everything and did all the purchases, 80 taels for food and drink. I hope that we can leave early tomorrow morning without any further impediments.
Departure from Edo
9 Around seven o’clock in the morning we left in fair weather. We had to carry a sick servant. Our departure was a poor spectacle in contrast to our arrival when we had been dressed splendidly in honour of the Dutch nation and the General Company. We were led northwards through several burnt streets and finally, without being stopped by anyone, our bongiois took us through the first shogunal castle – the bridge in front of the gate had been burnt down, but it had been patched up again with bits and pieces – through which we rode for three-quarters of an hour before reaching the second gate through which we had to exit.
On the highway
10 We left at dawn and late in the afternoon we arrived in Ōiso, where we enjoyed refreshments for about an hour. Then we travelled further and at six in the evening we arrived in Odawara, where we hired fresh horses and bearers to carry us across the Hakone Mountains early tomorrow. However, it poured with rain during the night and then it began to snow and it continued the day after, thus we had to spend two days here waiting for better weather.
12 When we woke up we found that a layer of snow half a foot thick had fallen and it had also frozen hard. But we left at seven o’clock and in the afternoon we crossed the first mountains and reached the city of Hakone. Then we descended the mountains with great difficulty across dirty roads, because the snow was melting. We arrived in Mishima and went to a new, fine inn. Before we sat down to dinner we went to view a beautiful temple there.
13 At dawn we set off. We crossed the Fuji-gawa and about an hour later we reached Kanbara, where we enjoyed some refreshments. We travelled past mountains stretching along the coast and at dusk we arrived in Ejiri, where we found a note with some butter and some suikerbrood13 waiting for us. Shirōemon, our landlord in Osaka, had heard of the great fire in Edo and the loss we have suffered and had sent them with a Japanese who was travelling to Edo.
14 We moved on and crossed two high mountains. We lunched in Okabe and four hours later we easily crossed the swiftly running Ōi-gawa. In the evening, we arrived in Kanaya where we found a fine inn.
15 We moved on. Lunched in Fukuroi, where the sick servant whom we had carried from Edo died.
16 Because we had to travel thirteen miles, we left before sunrise. Before noon we reached Arai, where we rested a while. We went on to Futagawa, where the skipper of the barge joined us with some friends from Osaka. They brought some brandy from our landlord Shirōemon and also some butter and cheese. They told us that rumour had it that four of our people had been burnt. We had lunch and in the evening we reached Akasaka where we spent the night.
17 Because it poured with rain we had to spend the day in Akasaka.
18 We left in very windy and rough weather. We had some refreshments in Chiryū at a rich farmer’s and around five we reached Miya. We enjoyed some food and in the dark we embarked and sailed seven miles across a large bay to the city of Kuwana. We arrived safe around midnight. We had a good rest.
19 We left in cold and windy weather, with some hail in between. We lunched in Ishiyakushi and in the evening we arrived at our usual inn in Seki.
20 It was very cold when we left Seki. We lunched in Minakuchi and reached Kusatsu, which is 13½ miles, where we spent the night.
Arrival in Miyako
21 At our departure, we found that the water had turned to ice everywhere, but the wind had slackened off. We left at seven and around ten o’clock we reached Ōtsu, where we enjoyed some refreshments. In the afternoon, we arrived at our lodgings in Miyako. We were welcomed by several friends. They were all happy that our lives had been spared in the Edo fire.
22 Fine, sunny weather. Sado-no-kami sent us payment for the three14 pieces of taffachelas and later five gowns and 10 schuiten of silver as a reciprocal gift. He also let us know that we should not be sad about the goods we lost in the fire in Edo, but we should rejoice that we were still alive. We prepared for our departure and shortly after midday we left Miyako. Our landlord took us to see some beautiful temples as is the custom every year. He also entertained us sumptuously for an hour in one of the heathen priests’ houses, which was situated on a mountain outside the city. Then we mounted our horses and in the evening we arrived in Fushimi, which is three miles from Miyako. We got rid of the horses, for tomorrow we shall sail down the river to Osaka.
23 We sailed down the river in three barges.
Arrival in Osaka
24 Instead of the customary goods, which I could not give him on account of the fire in Edo, I had Hachizaemon present our senior escort their monetary value, namely 13 koban, as a gift. However, he returned them and let me know that it would be a great disgrace if he were to accept a gift from us at present, after we had lost everything. Nor would he be able to account for it to his master, the governor. But both onderbongioisen, to each of whom I sent 25 taels and a silk gown, accepted the gift eagerly and thanked me for it. We layed in a stock of food and drink and other necessities for the journey by sea. We had planned to depart tomorrow afternoon, because we are all longing to be back in Nagasaki so that we can put on clean clothes, but we shall not be able to leave before the day after, because, we are told, we have to wait for two young noblemen who are expected from Sakai and who will travel with us to Nagasaki. We are held back once again.
25 Beautiful weather. Keiemon-dono, our opperbongiois, sent Hachizaemon to inform me that, as we had to wait for the two young men, we could go out freely and visit the temple of Tennōji, which is situated far outside the city. We accepted his offer and in the afternoon, escorted by an onderbongiois, we went together with
26 Today I settled with our purveyors who have supplied us with food and drink. I have also paid our landlord for our board and have presented him with the goods which we had selected before we went to Edo. After lunch we said goodbye and left Osaka. Shirōemon and several other friends accompanied us to the barge which was waiting at the mouth of the river. We had to stay there because of a headwind.
27 The headwind kept us here, although it was pleasant summer weather.
28 Before dawn the wind was fair and we weighed anchor. We set sail with countless vessels and although it was calm, the current carried us past the old city of Hyōgo and in the moonlight on a stiff breeze we sailed into the Bay of Muro at midnight.
30 The wind shifted westerly and around two hundred barges set sail for Osaka, but we had to wait till the evening for the wind to subside. We rowed out of the bay and set sail and on a fine breeze we arrived at Ushimado.
31 We weighed anchor and set sail on a northerly wind, the current favourable. But after a while the current turned and we dropped anchor in a small bay, where we waited for three hours. In the evening, we set sail again and the current turned in our favour. It carried us during the entire night and on a strong northerly wind we could make good progress.
April
1 Easter. The northerly wind carried us through the Strait of Kaminoseki, but then it subsided and the current turned. We had to spend the night in the Bay of Murozumi.
2 We left at sunset and had to row because it was very calm. At midday the wind started to blow and we could use the sail. We made good progress and in the evening we reached the Bay of Mitarai, where we remained anchored till midnight. We left on a gentle breeze.
3 We had to row on till the afternoon and then Shimonoseki came within our sights. We sailed past, but then the wind veered and we had to drop anchor near the small village of Isaki, where steady rain and a headwind forced us to wait.
5 We rowed through a strait to a fine bay right across Kokura.
6 The sky was overcast and the wind had shifted to a favourable direction. Outside the bay there was a biting wind but when we reached Kajime-no-Ōshima, it blew favourably and we reached Yobuko around eight in the evening.
Arrival in Nagasaki
7 Around four in the morning we left Yobuko and around ten we passed Hirado. On a north-westerly wind we reached the Bay of Nagasaki and we dropped anchor in front of our small island. We went ashore at once and through the land-gate we arrived home, where our friends, who were all healthy and well, welcomed us.
8 Exceptionally fine and warm weather. Before noon we disembarked some provisions and other necessities which are usually stored on shore year after year. The barge will leave at the first opportunity and carry some timber to Edo. I have read the notes which Merchant Johan Oetgens has kept during my absence and I have inserted the most noteworthy ones here. Firstly, ten junks, which had been lying here empty during my presence here, have left at various times. Namely, on 19 January one left for Quinam; on the 20th, Nachoda Rocquan left for Batavia via Siam with a letter for Their Honours. On 4 February, the Chinese Wansick, who had first intended to sail to Batavia and would have taken a letter for us, sailed for Patani. He had to leave his receipt for 3000 reals, which had been given to him in Batavia, here as collateral for some debts. On the 5th, a junk sailed to Cambodia; on the 6th, a large junk sailed to Zhoushan in China.
9 A junk left for Nanking in fine weather and a northerly wind.
10 A biting northerly wind with an overcast sky. Some of our interpreters told me that two days ago letters had arrived from Edo stating that the Shogun intends to open his treasury and not only share out 2000 chests of silver among all the ruined Edo citizens, but also reimburse us ten chests of money for the loss of our goods. This is good news, but we shall await the tangible results.
11 Early in the morning, the otona came with all the interpreters to tell me that today, which is the 28th of their month, is a suitable day to go and thank the governor for his letter of commendation to promote an early dispatch from the Edo Court and furthermore, for the trouble he had taken to deliver our letters and the good care he had taken of our residents here. Thus I dressed and went with Oetgens and Verschuiren to the governor. We had to wait for some minutes in the ante-room and were then invited inside. After a deep bow, I had Hachizaemon express our gratitude. He gave a long reply, saying that, as soon as he had heard the bad news, he had been worried about us and the loss of our goods. But now he saw that we had returned hale and hearty.
12 Rainy weather during the day. Burgemeester Sakuemon lent us 1000 taels of silver for 5–6 months against an equal tael per cent interest a month, which will be used for our daily expenses here at the factory, because for reasons mentioned before we have not been able to bring any cash from Edo for the small things we sold.
13 Early in the morning I sent for the otona and the interpreters to consult them on some matters and to confer what course of action would be the best to obtain camphor and cowries this year, because time is passing quickly and we should know by now if we would receive any. But the messenger returned with the message that Magobei was ill in bed and the others were waiting for his recovery. Then they would all come.
15 Fairly fine weather. Nothing noteworthy happened.
16 A Japanese holiday called Sangatsu sannichi. On this day all the women in the country are allowed to come out of their hiding places and enjoy themselves, sail out and look for shells along the sea shore when the tide is out. Little joy, for as soon as they return home, they have to creep back into their shells, hidden away from everybody.
17 The joint interpreters came to my room, but after having waited for an hour for the otona, they rose and left.
18–19 Much rain and veering winds.
20 A junk left for Anhai. In the evening the governor sent the otona and four interpreters to ask me whether our surgeon had lost his books on medicine in the fire in Edo, or if he had brought them back. He would like to have it explained again and written down in Japanese with the surgeon’s help and that of a few Japanese doctors. But when they heard that all the books had been lost together with his medicine chest, they looked at each other and burst out laughing, as if to say that this relieved them of a lengthy, difficult and troublesome task. But they would report to His Honour this evening.
21 The governor had Magobei ask me how many pieces of Guinea-cloth we had left. I told him seven. He reported back and on his return he told me that he wanted five pieces to have something made for His Majesty. I handed them over, notwithstanding that we needed them ourselves for daily use.
29 A junk left for Anhai.
30 Fine weather. We are starting to feel a sultry southerly wind, which not only brings us the first summer fruits, but also lots of mosquitoes, flies and other such creatures.
May
1 Early in the morning I noticed a high maypole with a large flag on top in front of my window. Last night the assistants had erected it without my knowledge. There had been many questions and research about what they wanted to depict and I was somewhat apprehensive about further questions about it, but no one mentioned a single word about it.
2 Rainy weather.
3 Overcast in the morning. Then the wind rose from the east, veering southerly and in the evening a terrible storm rose with intermittent pelting rain, which shook the houses violently, but at nine it abated.
4 Our otona and interpreters, whom I have already called three times, came to my room. In the presence of Oetgens and the junior merchants, I asked them about the deliveries of camphor from Satsuma and the cowries which we should like as a trial from the Ryūkyū Islands. Magobei replied that this year little or no camphor would be brought from Satsuma, because the people there had quit making or burning this stuff on account of the small profits they made, which did not suffice to feed them. At present they were working in the mines. But he knew of some people who lived in the neighbourhood who would be willing to deliver about 300 piculs to the Company.
During my absence Oetgens had not been given any help to retrieve the stolen silverware in spite of the promises the interpreters had made, but it had been left till my return. They had said that if the silver was not found by then, they would inform the governor. Thus now I told them to their face that not only was this theft unacceptable, but it had been committed at night and constituted a formal break-in. Thus we could not keep quiet about it and I urged them to inform the governor, so that he could carry out an investigation and the thief could be caught and given his just punishment. They promised they would do so, but first they had to consult Burgemeester Sakuemon, without whose advice they could not present the matter to the governor.
Finally, we asked the otona, who supervises our purveyors, cooks and other servants, why at present we have to pay such high prices for our daily provisions, especially fish and vegetables and also firewood, coal, lamp oil and other such things. Our monthly consumption was now excessive.
5 A junk left for Anhai on an easterly breeze.
6 Very fine weather. The interpreters told us that Governor Kiemon intends to visit the island to enjoy himself in our garden in this pleasant weather and to have some sparrows and swallows caught – this place is teeming with them – as feed for his falcons.
7–8 Nothing noteworthy happened.
9 We saw three criminals being carried on horseback past the island to the place of execution. Two of them are said to have committed arson and they will be crucified. The third one has injured a citizen here with his sword and he will be beheaded.
10 The fine weather is continuing. This afternoon we entertained the otona and the interpreters with their sons in our garden beneath the green fig trees and grapevines. We treated them to a well-prepared, young, fat billy-goat, but some of our fussy guests did not care for it. They seemed to prefer their own bean soup and lean greens – which they had brought along – to our delicious food. We did not mind.
12–14 Nothing noteworthy happened.
15 A bongiois and an interpreter took our surgeon out into the city to attend to a distinguished elderly citizen and see if he could cure him of a certain old injury on his back.
16–20 Our surgeon went to this patient twice a day and he did all he could, but because the flesh all over his back had been consumed by cancer and had rotted away to the bone, the patient died this morning.
21 The Lord of Hirado has returned from Edo and arrived here last night. He sent for 5 gantang of tent wine. He had Sukezaemon apologize on his behalf that we should not hold it against him that, during his absence, his foolish servants had refused to help us when we went to his house seeking accommodation for the night during the Edo fire. If he had been at home, he would have invited us in. I replied in the required manner and thanked him, although it has come out that it is contrary to the truth.
23 In the morning, with the governor’s permission, I went for a boat ride with the junior merchants and assistants. We were dropped off at the northern side of the bay and we went around the back of the city along the mountains past the place of execution to the eastern side of the city. Along the road we viewed several Chinese and Japanese temples and also various strange graves. After we had eaten some food in one of the priests’ houses, we returned to our lodge in the evening.
24 It rained the whole day.
25–27 Nothing noteworthy happened.
28 A junk left for Anhai loaded with cotton and small stuff.
31 Nothing noteworthy happened.
June
1 I warned a few tardy caserossen that I shall notify the governor if they do not come within eight days to repair our houses and the warehouses.
2–3 Nothing noteworthy happened.
4 The Lord of Arima arrived in the bay with eight large hayafune and four average barges. They dropped anchor close to the city. The vessels had been decked out all around with red and white schanskleden, which was a fine sight. After the lord had spent two hours ashore with the governor, we saw him leave and continue his journey to Edo.
5 I have waited in vain for the governor’s decision to carry out an investigation into our stolen silverware among the Japanese. Today I asked the otona and the interpreters why they had not kept their promise to take the matter to the governor so that an end can be put to the matter. They replied that Burgemeester Sakuemon thought it was now too late to request the governor’s help.
6–8 It rained day and night. This badly hinders the people who are at present harvesting their grain.
9 Sukezaemon told me that the governor has received news from Edo that on 5 Shigatsu or our 18 May, the bride-to-be of the young Shogun, a daughter of the Dairi’s second-in-rank, left Miyako.15 His Majesty will marry her shortly. But as an expression of the sadness and grieving for the enormous suffering caused by the Edo fire, this time the ceremonies will not be performed with the customary great pomp and circumstance.
10 While we were at table, four coolie-masters came upstairs and informed me that two of our sampans, which are kept on the west shore of the bay, have been badly damaged by worms. We shall have to take care of this as soon as possible.
11–15 Nothing noteworthy happened.
16 The great feast called Gogatsu gonichi has been celebrated. On this day, throughout the country, as many white flags as there are male heirs or sons are flown in front of each house in commemoration of a great victory which the Japanese gained over the Chinese here many years ago. Hachizaemon brought me 4 taels and 3 mas of silver sent by Councillor Izumo-no-kami’s son from Edo for the pistol which Governor Yohyōe inadvertently broke into pieces when we were there.
17 Rain, with a hard south-easterly wind. Nonetheless, at noon the governor sent a certain great priest,
18 The wind abated, but the rain continued.
19 The weather cleared in the afternoon, but in the evening the rain started to pour down again.
20–25 Downpours with an easterly wind.
26 Fairly fine weather with a northerly breeze. The governor sent our otona and the interpreters to inform me that a ship had been spotted off shore yesterday. The interpreters congratulated me, although this unexpected news appeared strange to me and I could hardly believe it, for our ships are not expected for another month. They assured me that it was true, for the ship had first been spotted off the coast of Arima and later off the island of Amakusa. The lord had sent a message to the governor. We assume that if it is not a ship which has been sent here from Canton or Cambodia, it might be one heading for Tayouan which has been driven away by bad weather or, like the yacht the Arnemuiden last year, had gone adrift off Tayouan. We are looking forward to further news. In the afternoon, the interpreters returned and told me that the governor would also like to ascertain the facts, the sooner the better and therefore he would like to send a barge there. But it was already three o’clock and calm. They agreed with us that we should send the barge early tomorrow.
27 Early in the morning, Merchant Johan Oetgens, a bongiois and three interpreters sailed out to look for the ship, but on their return in the evening they reported that they had gone ashore in the afternoon and had climbed to the top of the highest mountain of Nomo, but had not seen a ship or anything like it.
Arrival of the Rode Vos
29 Oetgens went with two interpreters. Around three in the afternoon they returned and reported that the ship was the galliot the Rode Vos, which had been dispatched by President Frederik Coyett from Tayouan to Tanshui and Chilung with Merchant Daniel Six as commissioner and Merchant Pieter Boons. Boons would be authorized by Six as opperhoofd of those places and should carry out the written instructions he had received. After he had executed his commission, he left, but on the way he was struck by such terrible weather, that he felt he was looking death in the eye. It was impossible to sail back to Tayouan and he had been forced to sail hither. We saw the galliot approaching in the dark, but because the weather was calm, it had to remain in front of the bay.
30 It was very calm. The crew of the galliot, thirty-one heads in all, rowed the galliot into the roads. On the orders of the governor, I promptly went there to carry out the ordinary inspection and the mustering of the crew. I was told that it carried thirty lasten of coal and 356 Tanshui elk hides. At first the Japanese inspectors wished to unload them and bring them ashore to see if anything was hidden beneath, but they changed their minds and left them on board. They did seal the hatches according to custom, removed the rudder and had it brought ashore with all the munitions. In the evening Six came ashore and showed me his commission, his instructions and other papers.
July
2 The governor sent the interpreters with a clerk to note down whether the fortress at Chilung had previously been occupied by the Spanish or the Portuguese; also in which year we had conquered it; how far from Tanshui it was situated; and its size. He also wanted to know how many men were occupying both places at present; which advantages we derived from there and other matters. We were told that the governor needed to know all the details for he had to write to Edo. We had also been told that there were some old damaged swords and muskets under the coal in the galliot. We informed the interpreters so that when the galliot was unloaded and the Japanese found these items they would not become suspicious and cause us any problems.
3 Nothing noteworthy happened.
5–7 Unpleasant, rainy weather with an easterly wind.
8 Early in the morning we saw a large Chinese junk, which had dropped anchor close to the island during the night. It is the first of this southern monsoon. A little while later we were told that it came from Anhai and had a rich cargo of silk and silk piece-goods. These Chinese brought the news that other Chinese, who had arrived in Anhai from Cambodia shortly before their departure, had told them that our people in Cambodia were well and that by presenting the King with 50 chests of silver they had won themselves the sole right to buy and export all the hides which were available there. We find this hard to believe.
9 We have received 2000 copper chests. They were promptly marked with a branding iron and stored in a warehouse.
10 Our interpreters told us that the factors and servants of the copper suppliers had a mandate to settle the price of copper with us, but because two of their principal masters were expected shortly, they would prefer to wait for two or three days.
11 Another large junk arrived from Anhai, loaded with cassia lignea and sappanwood.17
13 Overcast with a stiff southerly wind. Another Chinese junk sailed into the bay.
14 Wind and rain. Another junk arrived from Cambodia last night. Our interpreters say that the Chinese on board had told them that five days ago they had been chased by one of our ships. After they had lowered their sail, our people had taken 7 piculs of wax from their junk. If this is true and they complain about it, it will cause us problems here. Our four sampans which are kept on the west shore of the bay have been repaired. When I checked the account, I found a charge of 79 taels for labour costs. I thought this excessive and sent Oetgens and Messteecker to inspect them with the merchant and the master of the Vos. After an hour they returned and reported that more than forty new boards and a lot of other new timber had been used and the sampans had been properly repaired, thus the quote for the work was not exorbitant, as I first thought.
15 The stiff southerly wind and rainy weather continued. The interpreters brought five factors or servants of a few of the important Miyako and Osaka merchants to us for the first round. We asked them for the price of copper. They gave a quote of 13 taels a picul. We offered them 9.5 taels. They conferred and then rejected it, wanting 12 taels and 7 mas. We offered 10 taels. They considered this too low and we offered 10.5. They would not accept, claiming that copper was now very expensive on account of the Edo fire. We had expected them to make this claim. They would not deliver below 12 taels, we could bank on that. They stood up and left.
16 The unsettled weather which has lasted for more than a month has begun to change. Magobei told me that he knew a merchant who might supply us with 400–500 piculs of camphor if we paid him 10 taels a picul. He would not give it for a candareen less. I told him that I could not go higher than 9 taels, as I have told him many times before. In that case he could bring the man to me.
17 Clear weather but exceptionally hot.
Arrival of the Domburg
18 Shortly after midday, I was told that a ship had been spotted. Oetgens went there with two interpreters. We saw the ship enter the bay in the evening. Our friends told us that it was the yacht the Domburg, which had left Tayouan on the 10th of this month. She brought a cargo of hides and sugar, worth 39,388 guilders and a letter dated the 8th from the President and the Council of Formosa. They were well and lived in hopes that the Chinese trade would pick up soon. We also received a copy of a letter from Batavia, dated 15 May, sent via Siam, informing us that all our ships which sailed from here last year, arrived safely. There was other good news, including the triumphant and long-wished for conquest of the city of Colombo on Ceylon.
20 According to custom, the ship was inspected and the crew was mustered. We started to unload and all the hides and a good batch of sugar were brought ashore. The Chinese who arrived here on a junk from Cambodia on the 14th claimed that on the way they had been assailed by a certain yacht and some wax had been taken from them. We now learnt that this action had been undertaken by the officers of the yacht the Domburg which arrived yesterday. At the request of the interpreters, who would like to know the true details before they inform the governor, we questioned the first mate of the yacht in their presence. For this very reason the officers who had come from Batavia had been removed from the ship by President [Coyett] and had been kept [on Tayouan] as a precaution. His answer was that they had caught up with the junk between the Paracel Islands and the coast of Quinam and had forced it to lower its sails to see if it was an unfree or hostile vessel or not. To this end the masters had been taken from on board and had been questioned on the yacht. But when it was found that it was one of Coxinga’s junks, they had let it sail away the next day without doing it any harm. The wax, namely seven pieces or about 4–5 piculs. which they are supposed to have taken from the Chinese against their will had been presented to them voluntarily. When the interpreters heard this, they began to laugh and shake their heads. They said that this story did not tally at all with what the Chinese said, but we should not expect any trouble as long as it remained hidden from the governor.
21 It poured with rain today and we could not unload more goods from the Domburg.
22 The bongioisen came early to open the water-gate so that we could unload the yacht. But we had unloaded just twelve chests of sugar on the sampan when it began to pour again and this lasted till the afternoon, thus we had to stop.
23 Fine, dry and clear weather. We unloaded the Domburg except for twenty chests of sugar.
24 We brought the remaining sugar on shore and we unloaded 356 Tanshui elk hides from the Rode Vos. In the light of the moon a Chinese junk from Anhai sailed into the bay.
25 The weather has been hot and nothing noteworthy happened.
26 For the second time we tried to settle on the price with the copper merchants, but we could not reach an agreement, for they insisted on 12 taels a picul for a long time, then they finally went one mas lower. We, conversely, would not offer more than 11 taels and 2 mas. Thus we parted company on a difference of 7 mas. According to our interpreters they would come and go for another two or three times before they would come to an agreement. In the meantime, we regret that we have to let precious time pass, which we could easily have spent on taking delivery, weighing and packing this metal.
27 The governor sent Sukezaemon with eight white coral beads strung together to find out if any of our surgeons knew this material, for His Honour had been told that they had been turned from the rib or
28 The copper merchants came for the third time to settle the price. We could not come to an agreement with these distressingly slow and irresolute people, even though we now offered 11.3 taels a picul, which is one mas less than we paid last year. Thus now we parted company on a difference of 5 mas.
29 Very hot and oppressive weather.
30 Two opperbongioisen came with Burgemeester Shirōbei to air some stuff consisting of schanskleden and other things for the barge which have been stored here for many years. It is said that they used to belong to the Lord of Karatsu and after his death they had been accepted by His Majesty.
31 After having received permission, both masters of the yacht the Domburg and the galliot the Rode Vos went out into the city with one of our interpreters to look for a cheek, some planks and other timber.
August
1 The weather continues to be unbearably hot.
2 Our interpreters told us that yesterday a servant of Shirōemon, our landlord in Osaka, arrived on a barge bringing a batch of new sake, room mats which we had ordered and the remade balances for the factory. They will be brought ashore tomorrow.
3 We have received the aforesaid goods. Nothing else happened.
4 We are almost melting from the overwhelming heat and stuffiness. There is no wind at all.
5 Our interpreters brought the copper merchants to my room for the fourth time. They have been reinforced with two of the oldest and most prominent merchants, who arrived from Osaka two days ago.
6 Yesterday and today a strong easterly wind blew, bringing some rain. This refreshed the barren soil and we enjoyed some pleasant coolness. We have weighed and packed the copper that was brought yesterday in four separate places. We made such good progress that by the evening we had taken delivery of 1055 piculs and had them ready for shipment.
7 We have received 1196 piculs of copper from several persons and they have been packed and stored properly, so that we shall be able to load a good batch on the Domburg as soon as possible. We have had an overcast sky and a stiff southerly wind. We hope that it will blow forth the other ships which are expected and bring them here safely.
8 Notwithstanding the extremely hard winds with intermittent rain, we did not suffer any delay in the weighing of our copper and today we received over 1200 piculs.
9 The harsh, showery and windy weather continued today and it prevented us from loading any copper on the Domburg, but we did not let the daatsen on shore be idle and we weighed a good batch of this mineral in four special places.
Arrival of the Erasmus
10 Around half past seven we saw a dispatch boat approach very fast and moor in front of the steps of the governor’s residence. This led us to think that it must be bringing further news of our ship, which the Chinese saw off shore yesterday. Indeed, a short while later the governor sent us confirmation with Sukezaemon. Oetgens went there with a bongiois and an interpreter. On his return in the afternoon, we learnt that it was the yacht the Erasmus, sailing from Cambodia with a cargo of hides, sappanwood and buffalo-horns, worth 40,412 guilders. It had run into a fierce north-easterly storm four days ago and they had been in no small danger of losing their mainmast and other spars. They had been badly damaged though and were useless. The master thought that they could be repaired for the time being with a couple of good cheeks. Around four in the afternoon, the yacht dropped anchor in front of the water-gate.
Arrival of the Hercules
11 I went on board to carry out the mustering. While we were doing so, I learnt that this morning another ship had been seen close to the shore. Thus I hurried back ashore and on the governor’s wishes I promptly sent a barge with the usual letter of instruction. Meanwhile, we started to unload the yacht and by the evening we had brought a good batch of hides, buffalo-horns and sappanwood ashore. Our friends who had gone out this morning, returned at ten at night. They told me that the ship which had been spotted this morning was the Hercules, sailing from Siam, with an assorted cargo worth 68,951 guilders. The ship had also been loaded in Batavia – to spread the risk – with silk, worth 136,573 guilders, which was also received in good condition.
12 At noon the ship came sailing in on a fine southerly breeze and dropped anchor next to the other ships. In the afternoon the Erasmus was discharged of its Cambodian cargo. We promptly sent copper as ballast in place of stone. Meanwhile I learnt that another ship had been seen off shore. Thus I sent two barges out at three o’clock, but the men returned at nine reporting that they had climbed on top a high mountain to look for the ship, but had seen nothing. Two junks have dropped anchor in front of the city, the one from Quinam and the other from Anhai.
13 Around six in the morning, Governor Kiemon sent the otona with all the interpreters to ask me why instead of the flutes, which usually sailed to Japan, this time such large yachts and square sterned ships had been sent, for last year His Honour had seen just one flute, namely the Koning David, among the eight ships that were here. He had been told that this year no other flute was expected, but only such large war yachts as were here at present. I replied that the flutes which had been used for some years for the trade here, such as the Witte Valk, the Witte Paard, Kampen, Hillegersberg, the Pelikaan, Koning David and others, had been worn out and and were dilapidated with age. The others which were still somewhat serviceable and could be used in calm waterways were only employed to carry stone and wood for the construction of Batavia.
14 I went to the Hercules very early and mustered the crew. We began to unload at once.
15 A junk arrived on a stiff westerly wind from Siam via Anhai. It is loaded with buffalo-horns, cowhides, namrak, elephant’s teeth and boreh-boreh. The Siamese cargo has been unloaded from the aforesaid ship.
16 The governor sent another pass with a prince’s flag to me. It has been issued by Van Rijck in Siam to the nachoda Lacqua of the junk which arrived yesterday. Today is the Japanese Shichiseki or Sterrefeest, on which day these people celebrate the wedding of two stars, one male and one female. Apparently the governor and his bongioisen will attend the wedding. We could spend just half a day unloading and loading the Hercules.
18 While we were at table, news came that two ships had been spotted off shore. We think it might be Boucheljon, who has been commissioned to replace me and whom we are expecting from Batavia with two yachts. Merchants Oetgens and Six and the master of the Domburg promptly sailed out at the governor’s request, but on their return in the afternoon, they were rather annoyed, having made a fruitless trip for the third time in a row. As soon as the outer guards on the high mountains see something, they try to outdo each other by being the first to report it and they must again have taken two junks, which arrived an hour after they had sailed out, for Dutch ships. One of the Chinese junks brought Nachoda Wansick, who last year accused us falsely of having taken his junk in the Malacca Straits and who left on 4 February for Patani. This time he brought various small goods and many rare live birds, worth around ten chests of money. In the evening the remainder of the copper was loaded on the Hercules. It has now 3000 piculs of copper as ballast. We hope that we can load a good batch of grains.
19 I was told that a sailor on the Erasmus, Pieter Huijbrechtsz, of Dordt, died last night. With the governor’s consent he was taken in a coffin to the west side of the bay and buried properly in the presence of Junior Merchants Meijndert Messteecker and Jan Verschuiren.
Arrival of the Bloemendaal and the Haas
20 Very early a Chinese junk arrived from Tonkin. It brought a letter from Merchant Nicolaes de Vooght, dated 25 July, notifying us of the death of the old King
Arrival of the Groene Molen
21 The Bloemendaal has been mustered and we began to unload. At noon, we saw the Groene Molen come sailing in.
22 I sent Sukezaemon to the governor to ask if we could sell the lead, which the ships have loaded in Batavia as ballast, because previously we have not been permitted to sell it to anyone but the Shogun’s factors. The reply was that he would inquire first whether His Majesty needed it and he would let us know his decision. Meanwhile, this will hinder us in having our copper loaded. The governor sent a message that another ship had been spotted. I sent a barge with Messteecker and Verschuiren. The Bloemendaal has been unloaded and we have stowed 500 piculs of copper next to the lead, which we cannot unload for the time being. Then we carried out the inspection together with the bongioisen. The mainmast has been lifted from the Erasmus and brought onto the island. It will be repaired as soon as possible. It was past nine in the evening before our friends returned and reported that the ship which they had gone to meet was the galliot the Urk, which had left Batavia for Tayouan on 12 June in the company of the flute the Breukelen. They had not been there themselves, but had seen it far off and heard her fire three shots. On their way they had seen a vessel anchored below the Papenberg and had seen a Dutchman with a black hat on it. Thus they had sailed there and had spoken to the man. He had told them that the officers of the aforesaid flute had taken a Chinese junk off Siam and had handed over eleven Chinese to the officers of the galliot with the intention of taking them to Tayouan, but they had been separated off the coast of Formosa in severe weather.
Arrival of the Urk
23 Today is the Japanese Bon or Feast of the Dead. We could not proceed with the unloading and the mustering of the yacht the Haas or the flute the Groene Molen. Early in the morning, at the governor’s insistence, another barge was sent out to help bring in the galliot the Urk. Meanwhile, the governor sent for some of the rarities which Boucheljon has brought, namely the ostrich, some helmets, the Dutch saddle and bridle, some telescopes, spectacles, red coral and amber, which he would like to see. When the interpreters returned them in the afternoon, His Honour sent to ask and had it noted down, whether it was true that last year the war with Bantam had caused such an enormous famine in Batavia that a great number of people had died, as he had been told. Furthermore, how had the war started and how long had it been going on and might go on? Did we not attempt to make peace with the Bantam Javanese? What was the size of Jacatra, when had we obtained it and with what right and other such wholly unexpected, strange questions. I replied truthfully to as many questions as I could.
24 Hachizaemon came to tell me that permission had been granted for the master to go on board to fetch all his books and maps. Nonetheless, the governor would like me to interrogate the master and some other persons strictly about this matter,
1. Question: On which date did they sail from Batavia on this vessel? Reply: On 12 June, or 1 Gogatsu.
2. With how many ships did they sail? With four ships: Hergersom, Wachter, Breukelen and Urk.
3. What was their destination? Directly to Tayouan.
4. Had they been given written sailing instructions? Yes.
5. Had these contained orders to attack and take Chinese junks? They stated no, but they could attack Portuguese, Bantamese and other hostile vessels, which sailed to or from hostile places, except for the constable who claimed not to have seen or read the instructions.
7. Had they seen any junks during the journey? On 29 June or 18 Gogatsu they had chased one, but had not taken it.
8. When and where had the flute the Breukelen taken the Chinese junk? The day after, between the islands of Lour and Condor.
9. Where did these Chinese come from and what was their destination? They said they had come from Cochin and they were said to be heading for Quanzhou.
10. Why had they seized the junk, for had they not, like the persons questioned, been ordered not to do so? As they had understood, it was because they had not been able to show a pass and that there had been rumours that it had come from a Portuguese, Quinamese, or other hostile place.
11. How many Chinese and what goods had they found on it? About fifty heads and some Spanish money, the goods consisted of lakenen, tin, pepper, rattan and other small stuff.
12. What goods and how many Chinese had they, the persons questioned, taken over from the crew of the Breukelen from the captured junk? They said eleven Chinese, two metal pieces, eight swords, three pieces of red laken and 15 bundles of tin. The master declared that he had handed over a document so that on Tayouan these goods could be restored to the people to whom they belonged.
13. Had the persons questioned chased any other junks after they had taken on board the Chinese? They had chased three others, the first on 6 July or 25 Gogatsu, but had discovered on its capture that it came from Siam and possessed a proper pass and they had let it pass unmolested, the second on 14 July or 4 Rokugatsu and the third on 17 July, but they had not managed to capture them.
14. Where and why had they separated from the Breukelen? Off the islands of Macao on 17 July or 7 Rokugatsu on account of severe weather.
16. What had induced the persons questioned to come to Japan with the eleven Chinese? They said only a shortage of water, as noted in their resolution of 29 July. But later on, when they were halfway, they had encountered a stiff northerly wind and they had tried to return to Formosa. They had even had the southern cape in their sight, but strong southerly winds had hindered them from sailing further. Thus they had to follow their previous resolution and sail hither.
17. Were the Chinese pleased or not when they heard that they would be taken to Japan? They replied that they were very upset and had urgently requested to be set ashore an island.
18. How did they treat the Chinese on the voyage? They said that they had been treated like the common sailors, without causing them any trouble.
19. At which place in Japan had they first put in? They said that they had stranded off the Satsuma shore.
20. Why had the Chinese been locked in the fore-cabin when they arrived off Satsuma? They said that this had been done at their own request, from fear that when they were seen by the Japanese, they might be taken from on board and badly treated.
21. Why had one of the Chinese, under the pretext of wanting to relieve himself, jumped over board off Satsuma and had swum to a Japanese barge? They said that they did not know why.
25 We have mustered the yacht the Haas and promptly started to unload. We have also weighed more copper. Our interpreters have made two or three fair copies in Japanese of the interrogation.
26 Because the persons questioned had stated that the captured junk had sailed from Cochin on the coast of India19 and had not been heading for Japan but to another place on the coast of China, at the governor’s request, I had various charts taken from the ships in the roadstead and had to point out to the interpreters Coutchin or Cochin, which we rather believe to be Cochin China or Quinam and also Patani, Ligor, Siam and several other places. They will show them to the governor. In the afternoon the interpreters returned and questioned me about whether I would be willing to sign a promise before my departure from here for Tayouan, that the officers of the aforesaid flute the Breukelen would be sent to Japan next year to receive their appropriate punishment here for seizing the Chinese junk. I told them plainly that this was beyond my power, but if the aforesaid officers were found to have transgressed our country’s laws in this matter, they would not escape their punishment there. The interpreters noticed that they would not achieve their goal and put some other questions to me on behalf of the governor. Boucheljon and I gave them the following replies:
Question: Did we think that, according to the declaration of the aforementioned crew members, the captured Chinese junk came from the Portuguese city of Cochin on the coast of India or not? Reply: We could not believe this, because no Chinese junks went to trade in that faraway region,
Question: Was there more Malay country outside Malacca, or a region where the people spoke Malay? Reply: Yes, such as Ligor, Johor, Sangora, Outjangh Salangh,20 Patani and more such places.
Question: Were Spanish matten accepted currency in all these regions both among the Malay and the Portuguese? Reply: Everywhere.
Question: Would the Governor of Tayouan return the captured junk with the goods to the owners if it were found to be a free junk? Yes, should it indeed be found to be a free junk.
Question: What punishment did we mete out to those who attacked and seized innocent people at sea against orders? If they were found guilty, some were fired from service and driven to poverty, others were imprisoned and clamped in iron chains and others were put to death.
After they had translated this document, had changed it and apparently changed it in our favour and we both had signed it, they left in the evening. From all this it is clear that not only our interpreters, but even the governor here is on our side, for they keep trying to catch out and disprove the eleven Chinese men’s claim that they had not come from a popish place and had not been heading for Japan. The Spanish coins and the tin that they were carrying and the fact that one of the Chinese had spoken some Malay have given them serious cause for this. Conversely, we have to suffer and endure much scorn from the common riff-raff, who come on the island every day to load and unload. Last night the coolies who work for us had no scruples about throwing dirt and stones at the windows upstairs where the sailors are kept in a large room and to shout at them ‘You Dutch dogs and pirates, tomorrow you will be beheaded or crucified with your arms stretched.’ We can do nothing but keep quiet and be patient.
27 The crew of the Groene Molen has been mustered and we began to unload. In the afternoon, our interpreters came striding up again and returned both translated documents, mentioned on the 24th and the 26th instant. On behalf of the governor, they ordered that yesterday’s document should be signed by me and Boucheljon. We did so promptly. But the older document, which was now two fathoms long because the names of the crew members had been added, should be signed by these crew members. Thus the men had to come upstairs one by one and sign the document. In the evening the interpreters returned and said that the governor wanted to know whether we had captured more junks and had taken them to Tayouan and had restituted them to their innocent owners. Neither Merchant Six, who has lived there more than seven years, nor I could think of an example. They further asked if something like this had not happened in Batavia recently, for the governor had been told for a fact that four or five years ago we had seized one of Coxinga’s junks and had taken it to Batavia, but our Governor-General had to return it later. Furthermore, he had to pay double the price for the pepper and other goods which had been seized. We replied that we knew of this case and it was quite different. It was true that some goods had been taken from this junk, because it had come from Quinam and was therefore not free and our ships had taken the goods to Batavia, but our people had let the junk and the Chinese on it
28 Today we have not heard anything about this distressing problem. It will be left to rest until further orders come from Edo, whither the statements have been sent today. In the meantime, we have loaded copper on the Groene Molen, so that she now has 1000 piculs. When the copper was being dispatched, of every 10, 11 or 12 chests, at least one had to be broken open at the water-gate in the presence of the bongioisen who were on guard and the copper had to be thrown out in front of them. Beforehand, hardly one out of every 100 chests was broken open and inspected by them. Because the copper had to be packed again, work was progressing very slowly and we lost a lot of time. None of us know what new whims these are or what they intend with this close inspection. In the evening the governor sent Hachizaemon and Shichibei with good and welcome news.
29 Copper has been loaded on the Domburg. Nothing else happened. The governor returned a pikeman’s weapon, which he had sent for to view. He let me know that if Yohyōe, who is expected any day, wished to have it, we should let him have it.
30 The yacht received 2000 piculs of copper. Had the bongioisen been willing, the Erasmus would have received a further 700 piculs. Because the officers and sailors of the Urk, who are kept confined in a warehouse on the island, have humbly requested that they be allowed back on board, or at least be given some more room downstairs to walk about, we have allowed them out with restrictions as to where and how far they can go on the island.
31 We have shipped a further 700 piculs of copper to the Erasmus, so that the six ships in the roadstead have taken on a total of 9000 piculs. We still have 2095 piculs ashore, which have already been weighed and re-packed.
September
1 The governor sent Hachizaemon at nine in the evening to inform me that a ship had been spotted close to the shore. He had received three messages one after the other. He would like me to send a barge tomorrow for confirmation.
Arrival of the Koukerken and the Ulysses
2 Around six o’clock I sent a barge to the ship which was supposed to be close to the shore. At around ten o’clock we saw the ship come sailing in, but before she dropped anchor in front of the city, our friends who had been sent out returned to my room and told me that it was the yacht the Koukerken, carrying a meagre load of some silk and silk piece-goods from Tonkin via Tayouan. There she had received 200 chests of Formosan powdered sugar. The cargo is worth 109,687 guilders. About an hour later we learnt that the large flute the Ulysses, also hailing from Tayouan, was near. I sent another barge and in the afternoon it came with the ship into the bay. Praise the Lord that all the ships have arrived safely. They number, together with the two galliots that had been driven away, ten in all. The flute brought a good quantity of sugar and hides from Tayouan, worth 50,539 guilders and the remainder of the goods, namely 1800 cowhides and 305 piculs of sappanwood, that had been left in Siam on account of lack of space in the Hercules. From the letter from the Governor and the Council of Formosa, dated 22 August, we learnt among other things that the Chinese junk which the Breukelen had misguidedly taken off Pulau Capas had been taken to Tayouan very late and had foundered afterwards.
3 I went to the Koukerken very early and mustered the crew. We started to unload and loaded some copper. We found two packs too many among the Tonkinese silk which was brought on shore. In the evening the governor had the master of the Ulysses explain to him how the Chinese junk came to founder off Tayouan and how many lives and what goods were lost. But the master declared that he did not know and could not give him the correct information. He pointed out two sailors on his ship who, he said, had been on the junk when it foundered. The sailors were promptly fetched from on board and brought ashore. On the governor’s orders they were questioned in our presence, as follows:
Question: Had they both been on the captured junk when it foundered? Reply: Yes.
Question: On which day and whereabouts had it foundered? Reply: On 7 August behind the castle of Tayouan, not far from the Pinecones.
Question: How many people had perished or drowned? Reply: Seven, namely six Dutchmen and one Chinese.
Question: How many Dutchmen and how many Chinese had been on the junk altogether? Reply: Twenty-one Dutchmen and twenty-five Chinese.
Question: How did it come about that the junk foundered? Reply: Because of severe weather and because the anchor cable snapped, or it was said, cut by the Chinese.
Question: To whom had the junk belonged, where did it come from and where was it heading? Reply: They had heard that it was one of Coxinga’s junks, which had come from Johor and was heading for Amoy.
Question: Would the Governor of Tayouan not pay Coxinga for the junk and the goods or otherwise compensate him? Reply: They had heard that he would and that Coxinga would receive ample compensation.
Question: Where were the person in charge – that is the master – of the Breukelen and his crew at present? Reply: In Tayouan, they were locked up in the castle and were not allowed out.
Question: What punishment would they suffer? Reply: They did not know.
The interpreters were busy till late at night translating this interrogation and making a fair copy. Nonetheless they went to him to show it to him.
4 At daybreak our interpreters came with the interrogation, to have me and Boucheljon sign it as is customary. Afterwards they produced some maps, on which we again had to point out Johor, Malacca and Amoy. Furthermore the place whereabouts the junk had been seized. This is very annoying at this time when we have to devote our attention to discharging, loading copper and doing more useful things. Around ten o’clock, Magobei and Sukezaemon returned from the governor and told me that the document would be sent to Edo today. Thus we need not fear any more problems till a reply has come.
5 This morning I mustered the crew of the large flute the Ulysses and we started to unload. The skins and more than 400 chests of sugar were brought ashore. The eleven Chinese who were brought here on the Urk and who have been lodged in the city have presented a petition to the governor – apparently at the instigation of several of our enemies –, in which they claim damages from our people here. The governor is said to have thrown the petition back at them, saying: ‘I have been appointed governor and judge of this city, not of Chinese and Dutchmen. If you want to claim anything from them, you should address the government in China and not this one.’ Those ill-advised, poor souls had to accept this decision and walk away.
6 We have been busy unloading the sugar from the large flute. Nothing else happened.
7 We have been busy all day unloading sugar from the large flute. Progress is slow.
8 The flute has been unloaded and inspected. We began to select some coarse goods for the first sale, hoping to put them on display in two days and to start trade the next day. The governor seems to agree.
9 On behalf of the governor, the interpreters noted down which coarse goods we have selected for the first sale, for His Honour, who had been pressing us for an early trade, was now of the opinion that we should wait for another five or six days till more merchants had arrived. But because this year we have to sail earlier than last year, we should start trading now. Thus I requested His Honour again to allow us to start in two days.
10 Early in the morning the repaired mainmast of the Erasmus was put to water and towed to the Hercules, which will assist in stepping the mast. The governor sent two bongioisen to select the best rayskins from among the imported ones for His Majesty, as is done every year. Last night and today it poured with rain. In the afternoon this was followed by squalls from the north. Three of our ships dragged their anchors, but within an hour we saw them return to their former position.
11 Burgemeester Sakuemon came on the island with several deputies to select 100 pieces of Guinea-cloth, some taffachelas and several other small things for His Majesty. It rained the entire day, in the evening it started to blow hard from the south-east. By nine o’clock the wind had gathered force and turned into a terrible storm, which lasted the whole night. It pounded the houses and the fences and several were damaged. The large fence surrounding the island has been blown to the ground in several places.
12 Early in the morning we learnt that last night’s storm had also caused some damage to our ships, which had been too close together and had drifted past each other’s bows. The Bloemendaal has suffered the most damage, caused by the Urk – which is a real pest – which hit her headknee and smashed it to pieces. Because we find that the time for our trade is passing fruitlessly while waiting for merchants to come from up country and, moreover, this year the last ship has to sail from here ten days earlier than last year, namely on 27 October, this morning we had our interpreters humbly request the governor, who at first pressed us and now wants us to postpone trade,
13 We have weighed 345 piculs of copper that were brought onto the island a few days ago. The governor sent our interpreters to notify me that last night more merchants from Miyako had arrived over land. More will follow by sea. Thus he advised us to begin selling the coarse wares next Saturday. We had him thanked and made preparations to begin trade on that day.
14 At daybreak we started to remove various kinds of skins from the warehouses and display them on the street. After the sales notices had been affixed everywhere according to custom and the governor had given his consent to open the gate, in the afternoon a crowd of people,
15 Early in the morning the sailors and the master of the Urk, except for two sick ones, were taken on one of our sampans to the ships Hercules, Erasmus, Domburg and Bloemendaal. At noon we went to the auction house and held the first sale of sugar, sappanwood, sandalwood, various kinds of hides, namrak, buffalo-horns, rayskins, putchuk, catechu, pepper and other coarse wares. The Formosan sugar, the Siamese cowhides, the sandalwood and the catechu fetched excellent prices, but the other goods, in particular the ones from Cambodia, did not yield much.
16 We delivered 15 lots of the goods we sold yesterday. We received a letter from Commissioner Chikugo-no-kami from Edo,
17 We have been busy all day sorting the Bengal and Tonkinese silks and displaying them in the warehouses. Meanwhile, we have delivered some sappanwood, namrak, cowhides and other goods which we sold in the first sale.
18 We have brought out the chests with the lakenen and other Dutch woollen goods. We had them opened and displayed. We have also delivered the goods which we sold last Saturday, except for the sugar, sappanwood and the Cambodian nuts.
19 At noon, when the merchants had come on the island to view the goods we laid out yesterday, it started to rain, first gently but later on heavily, so that everyone had to help carry the deerskins, which had been laid out on the street, back into the warehouses, before they had been viewed properly.
20 Last night and today it poured with rain and there was thunder and lightning. This has put us back another day in our deliveries of sugar and sappanwood. When the merchants were inspecting the Cambodian skins, which were displayed yesterday, they found some from Manila. They objected to purchasing these, claiming that both we and the Chinese had been forbidden to import these into Japan, much less sell them to the Japanese. In order to prevent any problems arising in case more were found among the lot that they might buy, I notified the interpreters and they informed the governor. Rightaway he wanted to know how we came by those skins, had they been brought from Manila to Cambodia and had our people there bought them, or had they themselves fetched them from that city.
21 It was dry and we delivered the Bengal bariga silk and most of the other goods sold. We discovered that sixteen pieces of the taffachelas gingham, which had been displayed in a well-secured upper warehouse together with some treated Spanish leather, had been stolen during the viewing yesterday, even though four Dutchmen had kept watch there all the time and two sailors standing at the door had frisked the viewers when they left. Thus we cannot imagine how this distressing theft has been committed. Moreover, I was also told in the evening that a hole had been made in one of the warehouses below, in which the cinnamon and the cloves were stored, but because the hole was just the size of a fist, we need not fear a great loss, but I had the cloves taken to another empty warehouse.
22 Notwithstanding that Governor Kiemon had informed us two days ago through Burgemeester Sakuemon that the Cambodian skins could remain in bundles till the arrival of Governor Yohyōe, he sent his people on the island today to open all the bundles to remove all the Manila deerskins. Because there are more than 40,000 skins, progress was slow. In the meantime, we weighed the Bengal cabessa and the Tonkinese silk amidst continuous arguing and delivered them with several other goods to the buyers, one of whom, who had bought 10,000 rayskins, wished to reject a large batch of them, because he was not pleased with them.
23 Around nine o’clock I went with Hachizaemon to the house of the governor. After half an hour’s wait I was called in to appear before His Honour. I thanked him most heartily for the help he had recently given us after the fire in Edo by providing us with suitable lodgings and offering us his own food. I also requested his help and favour in future. He replied that we had suffered some losses in the fire, but we had fortunately come out of it alive and had returned to our people in Nagasaki. As he had promised us in Edo on our departure, he had brought the reciprocal gifts of the Shogun and the councillors, consisting of gowns and money. As soon as the barge had arrived from Shimonoseki, they would be delivered to me on the island. He did not mention one word about our outstanding debts in Edo. In the afternoon, the merchants came for the Bengal cabessa silk. Oetgens himself weighed it off and delivered it to them, but they kept insisting on a surplus weight and wanting more and more on each weighing to our disadvantage. Beyond the bounds of all fairness, they even wanted to force him to give it and he stopped and closed the warehouse. Later on, when he started to weigh the silk again, after much bickering, one of our young interpreters named Yosōemon, otherwise called Brasman, had appeared in the same warehouse and had asked Oetgens to be more generous with the weight, because he had no more than 3 piculs there, but Hachizaemon and his mates were among the group and maintained that there were at least 40 piculs.
24 Last night we had terrible weather with thunder, lightning and downpours. The rain continued today and we could not sort and display the goods which we have selected for the third sale. At the insistence of the interpreters and at the request of Burgemeester Sakuemon, we have planned the gifts which we have to present here every year to both governors, Intendant Heizō and others. As soon as the weather improves, we shall go and present them.
25 Today was a fine, clear and fresh autumn day. We have taken more Bengal silk and other goods from the warehouses and put them out for viewing. We have also put the goods which we shall take to Edo this year as gifts in a separate place and placed Boucheljon in charge. We have also been busy till late in the evening taking out the gifts which we have planned for both governors of this city and dividing them properly. Tomorrow we shall distribute them to the recipients – of whom the governors have been given proper notice – according to annual custom. All the while, we have also been busy weighing and taking receipt of copper, which is now being brought in small lots now and again.
27 From midnight till midday the rain fell steadily and the wind blew from the south-west. At two o’clock in the afternoon I went to the auction house, where we held our third sale. The Bengal silk and the Dutch piece-goods made a little more than at the last sale. The Cambodian deerskins and the mountain goat skins sold for rather more than we had imagined, but the Siamese jammama or elk hides and the three kinds of deerskins remained unsold, on account of some misunderstandings and disputes about the bidding slips.
28 We have delivered the Bengal cabessa silk and most of the other goods we sold yesterday. In the evening the young Lord of Hakata came to visit us unexpectedly with a large entourage of noblemen and servants. He only asked to see some rarities. Thus we showed His Highness the fire hose, the ostrich, and various parrots and lory birds, and also some of the black boys. After he had looked at them for a while, he went back outside and he sailed to the Bloemendaal on his hayafune in the twilight. After dinner, I sent for the subordinates of this factory,
29 We weighed off the gifts of silk for our otona, interpreters and clerks and handed them over in the evening. According to yesterday’s resolution, we announced at the same time that on 10 or 11 October we would like to dispatch four ships, namely two to Batavia and two to Tayouan. Therefore we requested they propose this to the governors tomorrow and request their consent. We intend to carry the eleven Chinese – who were brought here in captivity on the Urk – back to their fellow countrymen in Tayouan. We promised to treat them well and to provide them with food and clothes during the journey. Because the Urk and the Rode Vos cannot be loaded with anything and are of no use to us, we also asked them to request the governors that both ships may also sail with the others. The authorities in Batavia have ordered us to inquire whether it would be possible to obtain permission from the governors to export some gold and a goodly sum of money at a low interest. We informed the interpreters of this matter and asked them to request this as well.
30 Early in the morning, Governor Yohyōe sent for me. I went there and I found him sitting in the gallery in the company of Governor Kiemon. With great ceremonial, I was handed the Shogun’s reciprocal gift of thirty silk gowns and from the three councillors 20 schuiten of silver each, 60 schuiten in all. With regard to the councillors this is quite meagre, for previously they also used to give us some beautiful gowns worth more than 20 schuiten of silver, thus we have to help carry the damages of the Edo fire even in excess of our own sad losses.
October
1 We have been busy all day bringing out and inspecting the remainder of our commodities,
2 Drizzly weather all day. We could not display our goods. In the afternoon a junk from Anhai dropped anchor in the bay. It brought some trifles worth around two chests of money.
3 Fine and clear weather. We were able to display the last of our goods.
4 At last we received a reply from the governors to our requests of last Saturday. We were allowed to dispatch our ships as early as we could, but the Urk had to remain here till the final decision came from Edo. The eleven Chinese who had come here on the flute were given the choice whether they wished to return on our ships or on their own junks, which are also ready to leave. According to the interpreters, the Chinese would rather sail straight from here to Anhai with their own people than go first to Tayouan on our ships. With regard to the chests of silver which we would like to borrow on interest now and when we needed them from the merchants and the citizens here, the governor could not give his consent, because two years ago it had been discussed with the councillors in Edo
5 A citizen offered us 100 piculs of camphor at 11.5 taels a picul. But we could not reach an agreement on his first visit and we parted without having achieved anything, as is the custom here.
6 We were busy a long time negotiating the price with the aforesaid camphor seller. Finally we settled for 10 taels a picul for the 100 piculs.
7 Following our resolution of 28 September, our ships have to be dispatched to Batavia and Tayouan on the 11th instant and as that day is nearing, we have requested the governors for permission to open the water-gate tomorrow morning so that the remaining copper and other commodities can be shipped off. They gave their consent.
8 We had the sampans brought in front of the water-gate very early and shipped a good batch of copper to the Ulysses. But because this flute does not have a porthole, the copper had to be lifted, which took a lot of time.
9 The flute has received the last of her copper. Of the 14,100 piculs which have been bought and received this year, she loaded 3500 piculs. In the evening the governors sent for the old shogunal orders. We sent them straightaway. We do not know their intentions.
10 After we had received permission for the second time, just sixty grain merchants came to negotiate on the price of wheat and rice for Batavia and Tayouan. For a bale of common wheat of 31 gantang, we settled for 8 mas and 5 candareens and for the largest bales of 40 gantang, 1 tael and 2 candareens. But we could not agree on the price of the rice for Tayouan.
11 Because five of our ships have to sail to Batavia and Tayouan tomorrow, this morning the governors gave us permission to load two yachts today, one sailing to Batavia and the other to Tayouan. There will be enough time tomorrow morning to load the other two flutes, one of which will sail to Batavia and the other to Tayouan. In the afternoon it started to pour with rain, which prevented us from loading wheat and other perishable goods.
Departure of the Rode Vos, Haas, Groene Molen, Koukerken and Ulysses
12 Around seven in the morning Interpreter Shichibei came hurrying into my room and told me that Boucheljon and I had been summoned by the governors.
13 We have been busy preparing the next dispatch to Tayouan with the yachts the Hercules and the Erasmus. To that end we have packed some tobacco and the coarse gowns that have been ordered for the garrison there.
14 Today the great feast has been celebrated. No Japanese has shown himself on the island, being occupied with viewing the usual processions, dances and other displays of merriment.21
15 The sailors of the Urk, who had been divided over the ships, have been placed on their own ship with the governors’ consent. The ten sailors of the Hercules who had been ordered to guard it, have returned to their own ship. But Junior Merchant Meijndert Jansz Messteecker, who was in charge of the exchange, reported that the aforesaid ten sailors had entered the hold and had had a go at two leaguers of Company wine which had been loaded for Tayouan and had committed other thefts. We shall investigate this and report our findings to the governor in Tayouan. In the afternoon, both governors went to the Hercules without wishing any of us to accompany them. They spent a quarter of an hour viewing her and then returned home.
16 Today was another holiday. This has hindered us in the loading of our other ships which are sailing to Tayouan. In the afternoon, on behalf of Governor Kiemon, who will be leaving for Edo and who, rumour has it, will not return here, Sukezaemon and Magobei came to ask if I could arrange it to leave two or three days before the set day of departure on the last ship. I replied that this was impossible,
17 We have loaded 3000 bales of rice and 80 packs of tobacco on the Hercules.
18 On the orders of the governors, two of the Chinese interpreters and two of ours have inspected the Urk. They looked to see whether our sailors were hiding any other goods, apart from the three pieces of red laken, the sixteen packs of tin, some arms and other small things, which had been taken from the Chinese and had been returned to them. In the presence of Messteecker, they found the following things in the sailors’ chests. [List, enumerated, cotton, tin, tea, Chinese gowns, calambac, trousers, stockings, a cushion, belt, hair net, bird’s nests, mats, sitting rug.] All of which the inspectors wrote down and took ashore and showed to the governors as an exceptional prize and was returned to the eleven Chinese amidst loud cheers and laughter. The Erasmus has received a further load of rice and tobacco today.
19 Around eight in the morning, when the weather was very calm and hazy, we felt a terrible earthquake, but it did not last more than 7–8 minutes. This is the first and only which I have experienced here so far.
Departure of the Erasmus, Hercules and Urk
21 In the afternoon, both interpreters Sukezaemon and Magobei came again on behalf of the governors to ask whether I could pay Nachoda Wansick, who keeps insisting on restitution of the 3000 reals which he has paid as security in Batavia, before my departure or should he ask for it in Batavia. Because they brought a certain Kyūbei, a Chinese interpreter, with the bond issued by the cashier Mr Wijnant Rutgers, we kept our promise of the 4th instant and in the presence of Sukezaemon, Magobei and Hachizaemon, we handed the Chinese interpreter 2685 taels, which is the equivalent of 3000 reals at 51 stivers a piece. We were given a proper receipt signed by the nachoda on the back of the same bond, which I shall take to Batavia and have the debt cancelled.
22 Sukezaemon came for payment of a sum of 9 taels and 6 mas on behalf of some citizens of Satsuma, who had supplied the crew of the Urk with fowl, rice and vegetables. Because the crew have told us that they had been given a liberal supply of food in that domain, I gave him the money. In the evening I started to prepare for my departure and, in the presence of two junior merchants, I gave a proper transport of our provisions to Junior Merchant Cornelis Mulock, who will replace Junior Merchant Meijndert Jansz Messteecker, who will also be leaving, as steward.
24 The water-gate was opened and we started to load rice on the Domburg. Meanwhile, I settled with the interpreters who had fetched some small goods for both governors.
25 Rice has been loaded on the Bloemendaal. Both yachts are now ready to sail.
26 In the evening I closed our trade books and found that this year we made a profit of just 50 per cent. I transported the effects, worth 44,897 guilders to Boucheljon. Tomorrow I shall leave for Tayouan with both yachts. The diary ends with a summary of the commodities which forty-six Chinese junks imported into Nagasaki between 1 March and 22 August 1657.
Sic. The Lord of Hizen at this time was not Nabeshima Yamashiro-no-kami (Naohiro), but his father Nabeshima Shinano-no-kami (Katsushige). As Katsushige’s eldest son had died, Naohiro, the second son, took the place of his deceased brother.
The text has Jan Verschuiren Pieterszoon, which must be an error. The patronymic should come before the family name.
One of the Banda Islands, used by the VOC as a place of exile.
Coxinga.
Mukai Genshō.
Setsubun.
Actually his grandsons. See 21 February.
See 21 February.
Cupping glasses.
Sic. They were Chikugo-no-kami’s two grandsons. See 13 February 1655.
Stuffed?
This is the surgeon, Hans Juriaen Hancko.
A kind of bread containing sugar.
Sic. Five pieces.
She was the daughter of Prince Fushimi-no-miya Shinnō Sadakiyo. He held the second rank of nihon of the title Shinnō.
President Frederik Coyett’s wife was Suzanne Boudaen. She was the older sister of Francois Caron’s wife Constantia.
The original gives ‘chiampanhout’. Probably an error.
Verpoorten died in October.
The Malabar Coast.
Phuket.
The Kunchi Festival.