On The Night Of The 1st November, Two Houses Were Set A-Fire On The
Other Side Of The Water, Which Were Soon Extinguished, But The Villains
Could Not Be Found Out.
This day I sent word to Mr Foster on board, to
look well to the ship and the boats, and to the behaviour of our people,
as I strongly suspected the two Spaniards of being spies, come to entice
away our men.
I sent him word likewise, that I understood the Spaniards
meant to invite him that day to dinner, but wished him to beware they
did not give him a higo.[38] He answered, that he had the same opinion
of them I had, and should therefore be mainly on his guard. He came soon
after on shore, and the Spaniards came to our house, where by much
entreaty they prevailed on Mr Foster and Mr William Eaton to go with
them to dinner at Zanzibar's house, along with Hernando and the other
two Spaniards. But these two Spaniards came to me, and desired me to
tell Mr Foster and those who went with him, to take heed they did not
eat or drink of any thing they did not see tasted by others, as they
were not to be trusted, which I communicated to Mr Foster and Mr Eaton.
Ximenes told me that Mr Adams had goods in his hands belonging to the
pilot-major, who had come in the hope of finding Mr Adams here, and
meant to wait his return. He said they had likewise brought letters from
the bishop and other fathers to the other two Spaniards, advising them
to return to Nangasaki, but which I think they will not do. I this day
sent our jurebasso to both kings and the other nobles, to give them
thanks for the kind entertainment we had received the day before.
[Footnote 38: From the sequel, this unexplained term seems to imply
treachery. - E.]
The 2d, some villains set fire to a house in the fish street, which was
soon put out, and the incendiaries escaped. It is generally thought
these fires were raised by some base renegados who lurk about the town,
and who came from Miaco: Yet, though much suspected, no proof has
hitherto been brought against them. There has, however, been orders
given to construct gates and barriers in different parts of all the
streets, with watches at each, and no person to be allowed to go about
in the night, unless he be found to have very urgent business. Another
villain got this night into the house of a poor widow, meaning to have
robbed her; but on her making an outcry, he fled into the wood opposite
our house, where the Pagoda stands.[39] The wood was soon after beset
all around by above 500 men, but the robber could not be found. At
night, when we were going to bed, there was a sudden alarm given that
there were thieves on the top of our house, endeavouring to set it on
fire. Our ladders being ready, I and others went up immediately, but
found nobody, yet all the houses of our neighbours were peopled on the
top like ours on similar alarms. This was judged to be a false alarm,
risen on purpose to see whether any one would be found in readiness. At
this very time there was a house set on fire, a good way from our house,
but the fire was soon quenched. The night before, three houses were set
a-fire in different parts of the town, but the fires were all
extinguished at the beginning, so that no hurt was done. At this time,
an order was issued to give notice of all the inhabitants dwelling in
every house, whether strangers or others; and that all who were liable
to suspicion should be banished from the dominions of the two kings of
Firando. Bars or gates were erected to shut up the passages at the ends
of all the streets, and watches were appointed in different places, with
orders not to go about crying and making a noise, as had been done
hitherto without either form or fashion. Yet, notwithstanding these
precautions, a villain set fire about ten o'clock this night to a house
near the Pagoda, opposite our house. He was noticed by the watch, who
pursued him in all haste, but he escaped into the wood above the Pagoda.
The wood was immediately beset by more than 500 armed men, and old king
Foyne came in person with many of his nobles to assist in the pursuit;
yet the incendiary escaped, and I verily believe he ran about among the
rest, crying stop thief as, well as the best.
[Footnote 39: This word signifies either the idol, or the idol temple,
or both. - Purch.]
On the night of the 4th, fire was set to several houses, both in the
town and country round. An order was now given, to have secret watches
in various parts of the town every night, and that no person should go
out during the night except upon important occasions, and then to have a
light carried before them, that it might be seen who they were. If this
rule be duly enforced, our house-burners will be put to their wits end.
I proposed these measures to the king and others above a week before,
and now they are put in execution.
On the 5th I received a letter from Domingo Francisco, the Spanish
ambassador, dated five days before from Ximenaseque, [Simonoseki,] and
another from George the Portuguese. The ambassador went over land from
that place to Nangasaki, and sent the letter by his servant, to whom I
shewed the commodities he enquired after, referring him for others till
the return of our general, but gave him an answer, of which I kept a
copy. The man chose two pieces of fine Semian chowters and eight
pieces of white bastas, paying seven tayes each for the chowters,
and two tayes each for the bastas.
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