Japan and the Japanese

188 JAPAN. A. D. 15981607.
mutual advantage. The emperor then inquired if the people of
Adams' country had no wars. He answered that they had with tha
Spanish and Portuguese, but were at peace with all other nations.
He also inquired as to Adams' religious opinions, and the way in
which he got to Japan ; but when Adams, by way
of answer, ex-
hibited a chart of the world, and pointed out the passage through
the Straits of Magellan, he showed plain signs of incredulity.
Notwithstanding this friendly reception, Adams was ordered back
to prison, where he was kept for nine-and-thirty days, expecting,
though well treated, to be crucified, which he learnt was the custom-
ary mode of execution in that country.
In fact, as he afterwards discovered, the Portuguese were em-
ploying this interval in poisoning the minds of the natives against
these new-comers, whom they represented as thieves and common
sea-robbers, whom it was necessary to put to death to prevent any
more of their freebooting countrymen from coming, to the ruin of
the Japanese trade. But at length the emperor gave this answer:
that, as these strangers had as yet done no damage to him nor to
any of his people, it would be against reason and justice to put
them to death ; and, sending again for Adams, after another long
conversation and numerous inquiries, he set him at liberty, and gave
him leave to visit the ship and his companions, of whom, in the
interval, he had heard nothing. He found them close by, the ship
having in the interval been brought to Sakai, within seven or eight
miles of Osaka. The men had suffered nothing, but the ship had
been completely stripped, her whole company being thus left with
only the clothes on their backs. The emperor, indeed, ordered
restitution ; but the plundered articles were so dispersed and con-
cealed that nothing could be recovered, except fifty thousand rials
in silver (five thousand dollars), which had formed a part of the
cargo, and which was given up to the officers as a fund for their
support and that of the men. Afterward the ship was taken still
eastward to a port near Jedo. All means were used to get her clear,
with leave to depart, in which suit a considerable part of the money
was spent ; till, at the end of two years, the men refusing any longer
to obey Adams and the master, the remaining money was, " for
quietness' sake," divided, and each was left to shift for himself.
The emperor, however, added an allowance to each man of twc