Japan and the Japanese

568 APPENDIX.
bodia, to whom they hud rendered valiant assistance in suppressing a dan-
gerous rebellion, and were greatly feared by the other inhabitants of the
city, whether Chinese or Malays. To this day one of the channels of the
great river of Cambodia is known as Japanese nver a name given, indeed,
on some maps, to the main river itself, and probably taking its origin from
this Japanese colony.
The conquest of the Lew Chew Islands, by the king of S.itsuma, took place
about 1610 ; and, much about the same time, some Japanese made an establishment
on the island of Formosa, for the purpose of trading with the
the Dutch. The narra-
Chinese ; but in this they were soon superseded by
tive of Nuyts' affair, as given in the text (p. 1'JO). is derived from a detailed
account appended in Voyages au J\~ord, torn, iv., to Caron's Memoir, ad-
dressed to Colbert, on opening an intercourse with Japan ; but, fiom a paper
embodied in the Voynge of Rechteren ( Voyages des Indcs, torn, v.), and
written, apparently, in 1G3'2, by a person on the spot, it would appear that
the conduct of Nuyts, instead of being prompted by personal antipathy, was
merely an attempt to exclude the Japanese from the trade with the Chinese,
" a desire good in
and to engross it for the Dutch East India Company ;
itself," so this writer observes, " but which should have been pursued with
greater precaution and prudence."
In the Chinese writings, the Japanese figure as daring pirates ; but, as the
nnd south-
appellation bestowed on them is equally applied to other eo^te/n
eastern islanders, it is not so easy to say to whose credit or discredit the
exploits referred to by these Chinese writers actually belong.
NOTE G.
PBODOCTS OF JAPAN. PROBABLE EFFECT OF OPENING JAPAN TO FOREIGN
TUADE. BY S. W. WILLIAMS.
There is much exaggeration, doubtless, in the minds of many persons in
the United States, respecting the population, wealth, resources and civiliza-
tion, of the Japanese, in all of which points they have been generally rated
much higher than the Chinese, in proportion to the extent of their country.
Further examination will show that the trade with them is to grow slowly,
and only after they and their foreign customers have learned each other's
wants, and the rates at which they can be supplied. They have yet to ac-
quire a taste for foreign commodities, and ascertain how they are to pay for
them ; and their rulers may interpose restrictions, until they see what course
the trade will take, and how the experiment of opening tl e country to the
Americans is likely to affect their own political position. Foreigners will
need some data, too, before they can see their way clear to embark much in
such a traffic. The intercourse, it is to be hoped, will be conducted amicably,
fTen if the first adventures should not prove to be very profitable.