And it is to be noted that at my retorne to Miaco, haveing donne such busynes as I had theare, I would have left Richard Hudson, a boy, your Wor. servant, to have learnd to write the Japans; but might not be suffered to doe it, the Emperour haveing geven order to the contrary. Soe we withdrew all our factors from Edo, Miaco, Osakay, and Sackay to Firando.
The fathers which came in the shipp from Aguapulca brought a present from the King of Spaine to the Emperour; but, after he had kept it halfe a yeare, he retorned it back, not reserving any thing, but bad them be gon.
And I had allmost forgotten to adviz your Wors. of a Spaniard, which was at the Emperours court at Edo when I was theare. He went out of a ship of theirs from Xaxma, where 2 greate shipps of theirs arived out of New Spaine, bound, as they said, for the Phillippinas, but driven into that place per contrary wynd, both shipps being full of souldiers, with greate store of treasure, as it is said, above 5 millions of pezos. Soe they sent this man to kis the Emperours hand; but he never might be suffered to com in his sight, allthough he staid theare above a month; which vexed hym to see we had axcesse to the Emperour and he could not. So that he gave it out that our shipps and the Hollanders which were at Firando had taken and robbed all the China juncks, which was the occation that very few
or non came into Japon this yeare. And som greate men in the court did not want to aske me the question whether it were true or no, Mr. Wm. Adames being present. Which we gave them to understand that, concernynge the Englishe, it was most falce. And withall I enformed the two secretaries, Oyen Dono and Codsquin Dono, that, yf they lookt out well about these 2 Spanish shipps arived in Xaxma full of men and treasure, they would fynd that they were sent of purpose by the King of Spaine, haveing knowledg of the death of the ould Emperour, thinking som papisticall tono might rise and rebell and so draw all the papistes to flock to them and take part, by which meanes they might on a sudden seaz upon som strong place and keepe it till more succors came, they not wanting money nor men for thackomplishing such a strattagim. Which speeches of myne wrought so far that the Emperour sent to stay them, and, had not the greate shipp cut her cable in the howse so to escape, she had byn arested, yet with her hast she left som of her men behind; and the other shipp being of som 300 tons was cast away in a storme and driven on shore, but all the people saved. So in this sort I crid quittance with the Spaniardes for geveing out falce reportes of us, yet since verely thought to be true which I reported of them.
Also may it please your Wors. that, at our being at themperours court, the amerall of the sea was very ernest with Mr. Wm. Adames to have byn pilot of a voyage they pretended to the northward to make conquest of certen ilands, as he said, rich in gould; but Mr. Adames exskewced hym selfe in that he was in your Wors. service and soe put hym afe. And as I am enformed, they verely think that our pretence to discover to the northward is to fynd out som such rich ilandes and not for any passage. Yet I tould the admerall to the contrary, and tould hym that my opinion was he might doe better to put it into the Emperours mynd to make a conquest of the Manillias and drive those small
crew of Spaniardes from thence, it being so neare unto Japon; they haveing conquered the Liqueas allready. He was not unwilling to listen heareunto, and said he would comunecate the matter to the Emperour. And out of dowbt yt would be an easy matter for the Emperour to doe it, yf he take it in hand, and a good occation to set the Japons heades awork, to put the remembrance of Ticus Samme and his sonne Fidaia Samme, so lately slaine and disinhereted, out of their minds.
And tuching my former opinion of procuring trade into China, I am still of the same mynd. And, had it not byn for the greate wars betwixt the Tartars and them the last yeare, which cauced the Emperour of China to goe into the northermost partes of his kyngdom to withstand them, otherwais we had had news of entrance before now. Yet, notwithstanding, the Chinas which have the matter in hand have sent an expres about it againe, and caused two letters to be written in China (as from me) with my ferme at them, with two others in English from me to same effect, only for fation sake, because they might see my ferme was all one, the one letter being directed: To the mighty and powrefull Lord Fiokew, Secretary of Estate to the high and mightie Prince, the Emperour of China, manifesting that I had geven two hundred tais to the bearer thereof, his Lo. servant, to buy hym necessaries in the way, hoping to receve som good news shortly from his Lo. of our entrance into China, with other complementall wordes, as the Chinas wisht me put downe. And the other letter was directed: To the greate and powrefull Lord Ticham Shafno, Councellor of Estate to the high and mighty Prince, the Emperour of China, also making relasion of ten greate bars Oban gould, amonting to 550 tais Japon plate, deliverd to the said bearer to carry to hym as a toaken or small remembrance of my good will, hoping to heare som good news from hym, as in the other. But both the 10 bars gould and 200 tais
silver are sent from the China Capt. to them, yet put downe in my name, as yf it came from me. In fine, these Chinas tell me that undowbtedly it will take effect, and the sowner yf the Portingales be sent from Macau this yeare, as they have adviz they shall. But, howsoever, these men follow the matter hardly, and tell me that the Emperour of China hath sent espies into all partes where the Spaniardes, Portingales, Hollanders, and we do trade, in these partes of the world, only to see our behaveours on towardes an other, as also how we behave our selves towardes strangers, especially towardes Chinas. And som have byn in this place and brought by our frendes to the English howse, where I used them in the best sort I could, as I have advized to Bantam, Pattania, and Syam to doe the lyke to all Chinas.
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Also may it please your Worships to understand that, since my retorne from the Japon cort, there came a mestisa Indian to me, which went to Cochinchina from Japon in the same junck which Mr. Peacock and Walter Carwarden went in, and sayeth the reportes are falce which are geven out against Mr. Peacockes host, that he set upon hym in the way to slay hym and the Duch, but rather that the matter hapned by meare chance, his said host being in the boate with hym when it was overthrowne, and escaped hardly ashore with swyming, being taken up halfe dead and hardly recovered health in a moneth after; and that Mr. Peacock carid 50 or 60 R. of 8 along with hym in his pocket, which was the occation of his drownyng, as apeard som dayes after when his body was fownd per Walter Carwarden (this mestisa accompanying hym) whoe fownd the said R. 8 in his pocket, and after gave his body buriall. And that Walter Carwarden staid in Cochinchina above a month after, before he imbarked hym selfe to retorne for Japon, the monson being past. So that, Mr. Peacock being dead and Walter Carwarden gon without going up to the court