He Sent Me Back For Answer, That I Was
Welcome, And That After Resting Myself For A Day For Two, I Should Be
Admitted To An Audience Of The Emperor.
The 7th of September we were
occupied in arranging the presents, and providing little tables of
sweet-smelling wood on which to carry them, according to the custom of
the country.
[Footnote 17: It is hardly necessary to remark, that this applies to
London in the year 1613, then vastly smaller than now, when Westminster
was a separate city, at some miles distance from London; the Strand,
Piccadilly, and Oxford Street, country roads; Whitehall a country
palace; and the whole west end of the town, fields, farms, or country
villas. - E.]
On the 8th of September I was carried in my palanquin to the castle of
Surunga, in which the emperor resides, and was attended by my merchants
and others, the presents being carried before me. In entering the
castle, we had to pass three draw-bridges, at each of which there was a
guard of soldiers. The approach to the presence was by means of a fair
and wide flight of stone stairs, where I was met and received by two
grave and comely personages; one of whom was Codske dona, the
emperor's secretary, and the other named Fongo dona, the admiral. By
these officers I was led into a handsome room, the floor of which was
covered by mats, on which we sat down cross-legged. Shortly after, they
led me into the presence-chamber, in which stood the chair of state, to
which they wished me to do reverence.
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