Japan and the Japanese

THE OTTONA OF DESIMA. 238
petually play us, lest the natives should come to know them. Both
these ends they endeavor to obtain by confining us still more and
more, looking upon this as the surest means to keep us ignorant of
the language of the country, and to prevent all conversation and
familiarity with the natives. If there be any of our people that
hath made any considerable progress in the Japanese language,
they are sure, under some pretext or other, to obtain an order from
the governors to expel him from the country.
" The only thing wherein the captains, as they are here called,
or directors of our trade (a province the Japanese will suffer them
to have very little to do with), can be useful to the Company and
show their zeal for their master's service, is to act contrary to these
principles, and to find out ways and means civilly
to refuse what
new requests
are from time to time made to them. For if any one
of these demands be granted but once, or any new charge, though
never so small, be suffered to be laid upon us, they make it a prece-
dent forever after. And herein they particularly endeavor to
deceive new directors, who never have been in the country before,
and whom they suppose to be not fully apprised of their ways of
proceeding. On this account they will often, on the first year of
their presence, help them to a very profitable trade, knowing, in
case their demands be not admitted, how to balance it the next
with a more chargeable and less profitable one.
" The officer next in rank to the president of the interpreters,
and having jurisdiction over everybody on the island except the
interpreters, is the Ottoiw, or magistrate of the street. He has the
inspection of our trade, and of the yearly sale of our goods, jointly
with the company of interpreters. He keeps a particular list of
those of our goods that belong to private persons, keeps those goods
in his custody, and gives orders when and how they are to be dis-
posed of. He takes care that our street, houses and other build-
ings, be kept in good repair, and likewise, as much as lies in his
power, that they be not injured by thieves, fire, or other accidents.
He protects our servants, cooks, daily laborers, and all persons who
are within his jurisdiction, composes the differences arising between
them, admits and swears them into their respective employments,
and dismisses them as he pleases. He gives passports and ticketa
to come to DesiTna, nobody being
20*
permitted to enter this island