Then Bunkichi said, as he laughed: “You don’t know what you are saying. We have been all along dead men in white suits, and for dead men to have been alive is an absurdity!” Then all, for the first time, burst out into merry, hearty laughter.
Captain Kichidayu turned to Bunkichi, saying: “Master, what a voyage! In a couple of days and nights we sailed the distance which takes about ten days at other times. That we have come here safely through this storm is due to your contrivance of laying the timbers crosswise on the boat; but for that we should certainly have capsized.” Then he turned to the sailors and added: “What say you, my men? Is there any one who could beat him in wit or in courage?”
“No, there’s not another like him,” all replied in one voice. “He killed the wanizame as well as the umi-bozu, and so long as we are with him there is nothing on earth to be dreaded. Please, sir, employ us under you for years to come. We shall never again play cowards as we did, sir!”
Bunkichi replied: “I fear you would never face the umi-bozu.” To which they could say nothing, but scratched their heads in silence.
Though the wind was still high, after the storm through which they had fought their way out, the inland seas seemed to them “as smooth as matting,” as the saying is, and soon after dawn all hands on board the Iurei-maru arrived safely at Yedo.
At that time in Yedo the orange merchants, in spite of the stress of weather, had been eagerly awaiting orange-ships from Kishu Province every day, on account of the nearness of the bellows festival. And this was the only ship that did not disappoint their expectations. When the ship’s arrival was known, the joy of the merchants was beyond description, and soon this popular song immortalized the happy welcome of the orange-ship:
On the dark sea beholden
A sail, a white sail!
Whence does it hail?
From Kishu’s far shore