198
THE FIRST ENGLISHMAN
IN JAPAN,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
at
[September 19, 1908.
in great estimation in that Iland." The | jeometry and understanding of the art of ship which ADAMS piloted reached the coast Mathematickes with other things: I pleased "Great was the him so that what I said he would not con- of Bungo in April 1600.
But he did when it came miserie we were in, hauing no more but trarie."
ADAMS wanting to leave Japan, nine or tenne able men [in a crew which to
ADAMS' request, however, he granted has been reduced to 24] to go of creep vpon their kness: our captaine and all the rest, the captain leave to go. For his service looking euery houre to die." Many boats the Shogun gave ADAMS a living "like came off and the people came aboard as the unto a lordship in England, with eightie or crew was too weak to offer resistance. "The ninetie husbandmen that be as my slaves, people offered us no hurt, but stole all or servants; which, or the like' president, things they could steale; for which some The Prince of paid deare afterwards Bungo sent soldiers aboard to see that no merchandise was stolen. A few days later ADAMS was sent for by "the great king of the land" and the King (Tokugawa Iyeyasu of Osaka] impressed DAMS as being "won-
(Daily Press, September 14th.) The name of WILL ADAMS will probably live for ever in the history of Japan. He was the first Englishman to set foot in the country, and it is deeply interesting to know that even now, when nearly three hundred years have passed, "prayers to the departed soul of ADAMS" are still offered at a shrine erected in his honour at Hemmimura, near Yokosuka. It has, however, been proved beyond doubt that Adams died at Hirado where the first English Factory was established on his advice, by the East India Company, and be was, no doubt, buried there, though no record of his burial exists. Three years ago some of the Japan-derfull favourable." ese residents of Hirado resolved on the erec- tion of a monument in his honour, but apparently funds have not flowed in to the extent desired, and now another appeal has been published by Count MATSUURA of Birado. The promoters have learnt that subscriptions are being raised in England for repairing the Anjin shrine at Hemmi- mura, and while they say that this is "no doubt a good undertaking" they express the view that it is more fitting that a monu- ment should be erected to ADAMS in the town of Hirado, where he spent his later years, where he died and was, no doubt, buried, and "where the national intercourse between Japan and the British Empire began." "We earnestly wish to erect a molument and a memorial hall," say the promoters, in memory of ADAMS at the very place where Japan first shook bands with the British Empire, now our only ally" Accompanying the appeal is a brief sketch of the life of WILL ADAMS, which, however, does not compare in interest with his own letters which were published in 1850 by the Hakluyt Society. ADAMS Was a Kentish Man," born in the town of Gillingham, but from the age of twelve he was brought up at Limehouse "being apprenticed twelve years to Master NICHOLAS DIGGINES " ADAMS does not himself say who Master NICHOLAS DIGGINES was, but the Appeal to which we have referred states that ADAMS learned shipbuilding in a Limehouse dockyard. ADAMS himself, however, says in one of his letters that when the Emperor asked him to make a small ship, I answered that I was no carpenter, and had no knowledg thereof. Well, doe your endeavour, saith he: if it be not good, it is no matter." It is more probable that ADAMS learnt the sailor's and not the shipbuilder's business, for he served as "Master and Pilott in her
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never here before given to any stranger." As we have said, it was through his instrumentality that an English Factory was established at Hirado, but it did not long survive him ADAMS died there after a residence in Japan of twenty-one years. The proposal to erect a monument to his memory is therefore one of peculiar interest to Englishmen, who, we take it, are invited to subscribe to the memorial.
THE VENTILATION OF SHIPS.
"Coming before the king, he viewed me well, and seemed to be wonderfull favourable. made many signes vato me, some of which I In the end, understood, and some I did not. there came one that couli apeake Portuges. By in, the king demanded of me of what land I W88, and what monued va to come to his land,
(Daily Press, September 15th.) beeing so farre off. I show divato him the
Nothing is so easy of ventilation as name of our coantrey, and that our land long sought out the East Indies, and desired friend modern steamer; the engine room and ship with all kings and potentates in way of boiler and funnel casings afford ideal marchandize, bauing in our land diverse opportunities for the construction of exhaust commodities, which these lands had no; and shafts from every portion of the interior of also to buy such marchandizes in this land, which the ship; yet perhaps from that very cause our countrey had not. Then he asked whether nowhere do we find the most elementary our countrey had warres? I answered him yes, with the Spanyards and Portugals, being in requirements of the most ordinary change peace with all other nations. Further, he asked of air so u'terly set at naught as in your modern passenger steamship. Nor is the me, in what I did belea! I said, in God,
He asked me neglect of the post ordinary sanitary appli- that made heauen and earth. diverse other questions of things of religions, ances for the supply of fresh air by any, and many other things: As what way we came means confined to the cheap and nasty to the country. Haning a chart of the whole coasting steiner, but we find it rampant world, I showed him, through the Straight of even in otherwise well constructed oc Magellan. At which he wondred, and thought me to lie. bas, from one thing to another, I going vessels, where passengers abode with him till mid-night! And baning to traverse the great organs for asked mee, what marobandize we bad in our days without a break! In most others shippe, I showed him all. In the end, he beeing where a number of human beings have tol ready to depart, I desired that we might hane accommodated for a more or less prolonged trade of marchandize, as the Portugals and period, the Board of Trade or Parliament Spanyards had. To which he made me answer; but what it was, I did not vnderstand. directly, has made provision for adequate So he commanded me to be carried to prison. ventilation; the passenger steamship appears But two days after, he sent for me againe, and amongst the few exceptions. The scandalous over-crowding of coolie emigrant ships in enquired of the qualities and condition of our countreys, of warres and peace, of beasts and the early years of the last century did indeed It produce an Act defining the minimum catell of all sorts; and of the heavens.
amount of space to be allowed for each seemed that he was well content with all mine answers vnto his demands. Neuertheleme, I
coolie shipped, but strangely enough no pro- was commanded to prison again but my lodg vision was made for the adequate provision ing was bettered in another place.
ADAMS remained in prison daily expecting of fresh air; battering down was indeed to be crucified,
"for the Jesuites and the forbidden, but otherwise ventilation seems The statutable Portingalls gave many evidences against to have been passed over.
limit of minimum space under the Act is 72 me and the rest to the Emperour, that wee were theeves and robbers of all nations, and cubic feet for each individual carried, which were we suffered to live it would be against is required to be clear from obstruction of In an ordinary ship with, say, a Maiesties ships," and afterwards entered the the profit of his Highnes and the land." any kind. service of the Barbary Company. When But ADAMS was suffered to live, and at the 'tween-deck, 8 feet high, this will be met the trade between Holland and the Indies end of 41 days was released from his prison by passengers about 2ft. 8in, with a triple began in 1598 he entered the service of a
and allowed to visit his ship. All his row of bunks, 6ft. 6in. long at each side. Dutch trading company, being "desirous belongings and all those of the captain and As each adult on an average renders unres to make a leetel experience of the small ship's company had been stolen. When this pirable about 900 cubic feet of air per hour, knowledg which God had given me. So came to the knowledge of the Emperor he the amount allowed to each, 72 cubic feet, will need to be repewed twelve times each hour to maintain healthy conditions: pro- vided the spaces be left open this can be accomplished from the hatchways, without calling on the ports which are liable to be closed in bad weather. To Orientals accus- tomed to high temperatures no great hard- ships need be undergone in properly regu- The success of ADAMS' attempt at ship-lated ships, whether seam or sailing,
When we come to examine the accommo- building especially pleased him.
He built vessel of eighty tons burthen, and dation usually provided for the superior later on one of 120 tous
The Shogun
classes of passengers another state of things
""
he was hired in 1598 as "Pilot Maior of a commanded
that the things should be fleete of five sayle." It was too late in the restored to the ship, but many things were season when they came to the line "to passe not recovered, and, in
Я consequence, it without contrarie winds," so they were
sum of 50,000 Rupees in ready money was forced by the southerly winds and much commanded to be given to them. They were sickness among the crew to go to the coast not allowed to leave the country, however. of Guinea. They took ten months to reach 1be Shogun evidently took a great liking the Straits of Megellan. Forced by the winds to ADAMS and frequently gave him audience. to remain in the Straits six months, many of the men dying of hunger, they at length passed through, but many hard storms drove them southward and, after many perils, two of the ships found themselves off the coast of Peru. As the Peruvian monarch's
ships were seeking them, they decided to direct their course to Japan, "for by report of one DIRRICK GERRITSON which had been
there with the Portugals, woolen cloth was
a
gave him presents from time to time, is to be noticed. In the ordinary steamship, and at length "a yearly stipend to from motives of privacy, the accommodation live upon, much about seventie ducats by is usually provided iu cloved off cabins, the yeare, with two pounds of rice a day." where every obstruction is offered to the free Being now in such grace and favour, by circulation of air: in few cases is there reason I learned him some points of any exit provided for the vitiated air
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