Japan and the Japanese

CHAPTER XXII.
ORIGIN AND COMMENCEMENT OF ENGLISH INTERCOL'KSF ; "fl fJi PAN. -
CAPTAIN SABIS' VOYAGE THITHER, ANU TRAVELS .< \U MMUYAT1ON9
THERE. NEW SPANISH EMBASSY FROM THE PHILirPI/lCd - - i"KYUEHClAL
RIVALRY OF THE DUTCH AND ENGLISH. R1CUAKD COCJ'J, tfiUD OF TUK
ENGLISH FACTORY. A. D. 16111613.
THE pilot, Adams, having heard from Spex that certain English
merchants had established themselves in the island of Java, he
wrote to them, under date of October 22, 1611, giving
an account
of himself, and inclosing a letter to his wife, which he hcfought
these unknown countrymen of his to convey to his friends at Lime-
house or in Kent, so that his wife, " in a manner a widow," nnd his
fatherless children, might hear of him, and he of th/vn, b 9 Core his
death. " You shall understand," wrote Adams, "that the Holland-
ers have here an Indies of money, so that they need not to bring
silver out of Holland to the East Indies, for in Japan ttere is much
gold and silver to serve their turn in other places where need
requireth." He enumerated as vendible in Japan for r?ady jroney,
raw silk, damask, black taffetas, black and red cloth of the best
kinds, lead, &e. To a somewhat exaggerated, and otherwise not
very correct account of the extent and the geography of the Japanese
dominions, he added the following description of the inhabit vnts :
" The people of this island of Japan are good of nature, cou. 1 *,eous
above measure, and valiant in war. Their justice is severely exe-
cuted, and without partiality, upon transgressors. They arc gov-
erned in great civility. I think no land in the world better governed
by civil policy. The people are very superstitious in heir
religion, and are of diverse opinions. There are many Jcsuii and
Franciscan friars in this land, and they have converted many be
Christians, and have many churches in the island."