Japan and the Japanese

JOURNEY TO COURT. 279
company into eminent danger, and the voyage having been often,
by reason of the contrary winds, too long and tedious, the emperor
has ordered that for the future we should go by land. The pres
ents for the imperial court, and other heavy baggage, being sent
before us, the rest of the time till our departure is spent in prepar-
ations for our journey, as if we designed some great expedition into
a remote part of the world.
" The first and most essential part consists in nominating, and
giving proper instructions to, the several officers, and the whole
retinue that is to go with us to court. The governors appoint one
of their Joriki to be Buyio, that is, head and commander in chief.
He is to represent the authority of his masters, as a badge whereof
he hath a pike carried after him. A Dosiu is ordered to assist him
in quality of his deputy. Both the Joriki and Dosiu are taken
from among the domestics of one of the governors, who stays that
year at Nagasaki. To these are added two beadles, who, as well as
the Dosiu, carry, by virtue of their office, a halter about them, to
arrest and secure, at command or wink from the Joriki, any person
guilty or suspected of any misdemeanor. All these persons are
looked upon as military men, and as such have the privilege of
wearing two swords ;
all persons that are not either noblemen by
birth, or in some military employment, being by a late imperial
edict denied this privilege.
" I have already stated that our interpreters are divided into two
companies, the upper consisting of the eight chief interpreters, and
the inferior including all the rest. The Ni/ilan, or president for
the time being, of each of these companies is appointed to attend
us in this journey. To these is now added a third, as an appren-
tice, whom they take along with them to qualify him for the succes-
sion. All the chief officers, and all other persons that are able to
do it, take some servants along with them, partly to wait upon
them, partly for state. The Buyio and the principal interpreter
take as many as they please, the other officers each two or three, as
they are able, or as their office requires. The Dutch captain, or
ambassador, may take three, and every Dutchman of his retinue is
allowed one. The interpreters commonly recommend their favorites
to us, and the more ignorant they are of the Dutch language, the
better it answers their intention.