Ralph Coppindall to Robert Larkin and Adam Denton.[157]
Firando in Japan, le 5th of December, 1615.
Loveing frendes,—Wishing your welfare, etc. After a tedious passage and almost out of hope to obtaine my appointed porte (by reason of the latenes of the monsoone), it pleased God (praysed be His name) to bringe me, with men, shipp, and goodes, in safety unto Firando upon the 4th September past, where I found Captaine Adames returned and his juncke in trimminge a new. He putt not into China, as was reported, but into the iland called Leque Grande, where he was indifferentlie entreated, but could not be suffered to repayre his junck as he desired, beinge forced onelie to stay for the monsone to bringe him backe againe hither.
Upon the 11th September I departed from hence towardes the Emperours court with a present (which every shipp or juncke that cometh hither must of force performe), which with charges much surmounteth an indifferent custome, espetially when a shipp cometh with a small capitall, and sales soe base and slacke that nothinge is here to be expected but losse, except a trade be procured into China, the raw silkes of which cuntrey are alwaies here reddy mony and reasonable profitt. Ether, I say, we must procure a peaceable trade in China, or elles, as the Hollanders doe, to trade with them perforce. And, yf wee sett foote in the Moluccoes, this place will be a fitt storehouse from whence we may alwaies have men, munition, and victualles good store and at
reasonable rates; for which purpose principally the Hollanders doe mentaine this factory.
The Portingalles are quite out of favour with the Emperor. They attended 40 daies at the Emperors court to deliver theire present, which at last was recd., but none of them admitted to his presence. It is thought that they will com noe more hither with any greate shippes from Amacon.
Certaine Jesuites came out of Nova Espania in embassage unto the Emperor, with a letter and a present from the King of Spaine, which, after a moneth or 6 weekes attendance, the Emperor recd., but none of the embassadors admitted to his presence. All the answer to their embassage was, to gett them foorth of this cuntry with speede, upon paine of his displeasure.
His cuntry is now in peace, for that the old Emperor hath made an absolute conquest, haveinge driven the young king quite out of this cuntry and made away most of his principall partakers.
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Capt. Cock is of opinion that the ginghams, both white and browne, which yow sent will prove a good commodity in the Kinge of Shashma his cuntry, who is a kinge of certaine of the most westermost ilandes of Japon, a man of greate power and hath conquered the ilandes called the Leques, which not long since weare under the governement of China. Leque Grande yeeldeth greate store of amber greece of the best sorte, and will vent 1,000 or 15,000 (sic) ps. of course cloth, as dutties and such like, per annum. At my being at the Emperor, I procured his letters unto the King of Shashma, to graunt us as free liberties of trade in the Leques and all other his dominions as we had in any other parte of Japon; and in February Mr. Richard Wickham is to goe thither, and (priviledges obtained accordinge to the Emperors order) to remaine there.