A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 9 | Page 7

on which agreement their people came aboard our ship, and
voluntarily performed its duty as readily as any of our own mariners.
We steered N. by W. the pilots reckoning that we were thirty leagues
from Firando. One of the boats which came to us at this time belonged
to the Portuguese who dwelt at Nangasaki, being Christian converts,
and thought our ship had been the Portuguese ship from Makao; but, on
finding we were not, made all haste back again to advise them, refusing
every entreaty to remain with us.
[Footnote 5: The island of Tanao-sima is probably here meant, being
the most southerly of the Japanese islands. It may be proper to remark,
that the termination sima, in the names of islands belonging to Japan,
obviously means island, like the prefix pula in the names of islands in
the Malay Archipelago.--E.]
[Footnote 6: There is a considerable cluster of small islands south from
Tanaosima, between the latitudes of 29° 30' and 30° N.--E.]
[Footnote 7: Xima, or sima, only means island. Perhaps Mashama may
be that named Kaba-sima in modern maps, and Amaxay may possibly
be Amacusa, these islands being in the way towards Nangasaki.--E.]
[Footnote 8: This seems the same island called before Amaxay, or
Amacusa.--E.]
[Footnote 9: Cochinotzu is the name of a town on the south-west
peninsula of the island of Kiusiu; but Cochinoch in the text seems the

sound leading to Nangasaki, and the straits of Arima appear to be the
passage between the north side of Amacusa and Kiusiu.--E.]
§6. _Arrival at Firando, and some Account of the Habits, Manners, and
Customs of the Japanese_.
We came to anchor about half a league short of Firando, about three
p.m. of the 11th June, 1613, the tide being then so much spent that we
could not get nearer. I was soon afterwards visited by Foyne Sama, the
old king of Firando, accompanied by his nephew, Tone Sama, who
governed the island under the old king.[10] They were attended by
forty boats or gallies, some having ten, and others fifteen oars of a side.
On coming near our ship, the king ordered all the boats to fall astern,
except the two which carried him and his nephew, who only came on
deck, both dressed in silk gowns, under which were linen shirts and
breeches. Each of them wore two cattans, or Japanese swords, one of
which was half a yard long in the blade, and the other only a quarter of
a yard. They wore neither turbans nor hats, the fore part of their heads
being shaven to the crowns, and the rest of their hair very long, and
gathered into a knot behind. The king seemed about seventy-two years
of age, and his nephew, or grandchild, twenty-two, who governed
under him, and each was attended by an officer, who commanded over
their slaves as they directed.
[Footnote 10: As the Portuguese, who first visited Japan, chose to
designate the sovereign of that country by the title of emperor, they
denominated all its provinces kingdoms, and their governors kings.--E.]
Their manner of salutation was thus: On coming into the presence of
him they mean to salute, they put off their shoes, so that they are
barefooted, for they wear no stockings. Then putting their right hand
within the left, they hold them down to their knees, bending their
bodies, then wag or swing their joined hands a little to and fro, making
some small steps to one side from the person they salute, and say _augh!
augh!_ I immediately led them into my cabin, where I had prepared a
banquet for them, and entertained them with a good concert of music,
to their great delight. I then delivered the letters from our king to the
king of Firando, which he received very joyfully, saying he would not
open it till Ange came, who would interpret it. Ange, in their language,
signifies a pilot, and by this name was meant one William Adams, an
Englishman. He had come this way in a Dutch ship from the South

Seas, about twelve years ago; and, in consequence of a mutiny among
the people, the ship was seized by the emperor, and Adams had
remained in the country ever since. After staying about an hour and a
half, the king took his leave, bidding us welcome to the country, and
promising me kind entertainment.
He was no sooner ashore than all his nobility came to see the ship,
attended by a vast number of soldiers, every person of any note
bringing a present; some of venison, some of wild-fowl, and some of
wild-boar, the largest and fattest we had ever seen, while others brought
us fish, fruits, and various things. They greatly admired the ship, and
seemed never to be satisfied