The captain agreed with him, saying: “That’s a splendid idea.”
The captain returned to his abode in high spirits and told to the six seamen what the lad had said, and they all readily agreed to the plan, and were so stirred by the lad’s courage that they were ready to face any dangers or fears that might come to them.
Bunkichi at once ordered a man to paint on the sail of the ship: “Iurei-maru” in large Chinese characters, and at the cloth establishment of the Daikokuya, he ordered eight suits of white clothes.
“Bunkichi,” inquired the astonished master, “what is the use of those eight suits of white?”
Bunkichi laughed as he answered: “We may all be dead men before long, if we go out to sea in this storm. The chances of surviving are few, so we are already dead in heart. I have named my ship Iurei-maru. We are going to dress in white with the zudabukuro[[26]] and we shall stick triangular-shaped papers on our foreheads, as they do for the dead.”
[26]. The purse tied round the neck of the dead at a burial service in Japan.
“What horrible things you do!” exclaimed the wife, while the daughter, Chocho, with sudden inspiration, said: “I will sew your white suit for you.”
“I am most grateful,” replied the lad, “but I have already ordered others to do it for me.”
“Please let me do it,” said the girl. “It may be the last—” and at this Bunkichi consented with thanks.
The master, who seemed to have prepared beforehand, ordered sake and a set of little dishes of eatables to be brought forth, and then remarked: “As you have settled to start to-morrow I intend to offer you a congratulatory feast in advance, hoping that you may arrive at Yedo and have good luck and make a great profit.”