There Came This Day A Dutchman In One Of The Country Boats, Who
Had Been At The Island Of Mashma,
Where he sold good store of pepper,
broad-cloth, and elephants teeth, though he would not acknowledge to us
that
He had sold any thing, or brought any thing back with him in the
boat; but the Japanese boatmen told us he had sold a great quantity of
goods at a mart in that place, and had brought his returns in bars of
silver, which he kept very secret.
The 21st the old king came aboard again, bringing with him several women
to make a frolic. These women were actors of comedies, who go about from
island to island, and from town, to town, to act plays, which are mostly
about love and war, and have several shifts of apparel for the better
grace of their interludes. These women were the slaves of a man who
fixes a price that every man must pay who has to do with them. He must
not take a higher price than that affixed, on pain of death, if
complained against. At the first, he is allowed to fix upon each woman
what price he pleases, which price he can never afterwards raise, but
may lower it as he likes; neither doth the party bargain with the women
for their favours, but with the master. Even the highest of the Japanese
nobility, when travelling, hold it no disgrace to send for these panders
to their inn, and bargain with them for their girls, either to fill out
their drink for them at table, as is the custom with all men of rank, or
for other uses. When any of these panders die, although in their life
they were received into the best company, they are now held unworthy to
rest among the worst. A straw rope is put round their neck, and they are
dragged through the streets into the fields, and cast on a dung-hill to
be devoured by dogs and fowls.
The 23d, there arrived two Chinese junks at Nangasaki, laden with sugar.
By them it was understood that the emperor of China had lately put, to
death about 5000 persons for trading out of the country contrary to his
edict. Yet the hope of profit had induced these men to hazard their
lives and properties, having bribed the Pungavas, or officers of
the sea-ports, who had succeeded those recently put to death for the same
offence.
The 29th, a soma, or junk, belonging to the Dutch, arrived at
Nangasaki from Siam, laden with Brazil wood and skins of all kinds. On
their arrival, they were said to be Englishmen, as, before our coming,
the Dutch used generally to pass by the name of English, our nation
being long known by report in Japan, but much scandalised by the
Portuguese jesuits, who represent us as pirates and rovers on the sea.
In consequence of this report, the Japanese have a song, which they call
English Crofonio, shewing how the English take the Spanish and
Portuguese ships, which, while singing, they act likewise with catans,
and so scare their children, as the French used to do theirs with the
name of Lord Talbot.
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