Japan and the Japanese

52 JAPAN. A. D. 1542 1:45
Bungo,* seven leagues distant from his capital of Fuchco, to which
they proceeded by land. Arriving there in the middle of the daj
(not a proper time to wait upon the king), the ambassador took him
to his own house, where they were joyfully met, and Pinto was
well entertained by the ambassador's wife and two sons. Proceed-
ing to the palace on horseback, they were very graciously received
by a son of the king, some nine or ten years old, who came forth
richly dressed and with many attendants. After many ceremonies
between the young prince and the ambassador, they were taken to
the king, who, though sick abed, received the ambassador with
many formalities. Presently Pinto was introduced, and by some
well-turned compliments made a favorable impression, leading tho
courtiers to conclude and so they told the king that he could not
be a merchant, who had passed his life in the low business of buying
and selling, but rather some learned bonze, or at least some brave
corsair of the seas. In this opinion the king coincided; and, being
already somewhat relieved from his pains, proceeded to question the
stranger as to the cure of the gout, which he suffered from, or at least
some remedy for the total want of appetite by which he was afflicted.
Pinto professed himself no doctor, but nevertheless undertook to cure
the king by means of a sovereign herb which he had brought with
* The kingdom or province of Bungo is situated on the east coast of the
second in size and southernmost in situation of the three hrger Japanese
islands, off the south-east extremity of which lies the small island of Tunis
uma (or Tanegasima), where Pinto represents himself as having first landed.
The name Bungo was frequently extended by the Portuguese to the whole
large island o. which it formed a part, though, among them, the more common
designation of that island, after they knew it to be such (for they seem
at first to have considered it a part of Nipon), was XIMO. This name, Ximo,
appears to have been only a modification of the term sima (or, as the Portu-
guese wrote it, anna), the Japanese word for island, and as such terminating
many names of places. On our maps this inland is called KIUSIU, meaning,
as Kampfer tells us in one place, " Western Country," and in another
"
Country of Nine," from the circumstance of its being divided into nine
provinces, which latter appears to be the correct interpretation. There are
in use in Japan Chinese as well as Japanese names of provinces and officers,
(the Chinese probably a translation of the Japanese) ; and not only the
names Nipon and Kiusiu, but that of Bungo (to judge from the terminal n
of the first syllable), is of Chinese origin. For further information on the
language of Japan, see Appendix A.