SOUTHERNMOST JAPAN 167 



drink they use a large dish, not the cup.' When they eat they use their hands 

 and not the liasu^ They know only to do what their desire tells them, and 

 have no knowledge of literature." They are so-called merchants who travel to 

 places and stay there. They only exchange what they have for what they want 

 and are not men to be suspected." 



Then Oribenosho wrote again: "Thirty miles from here there is a port 

 called Akaogi" where the owner of the island always stays, where there are 

 several thousand houses and every house is rich and the streets are crowded. 

 If we lay anchor there, there will be no danger, for the harbor is deep and the 

 water smooth." And he sent word to Etoki and Tokiaki.^ 



Now the ship was conveyed by several tens of small fishing boats, and it 

 entered Akaogi on the 27th. 



At that time there was a priest named Chushuza, who had come from the 

 Riugen temple of Hiuga and was staying at the port to learn about the Hokke 

 sect, and who finally changed over to be a priest of the Hokke sect from that 

 of Zen, and was called Diuzoin. He knew the sacred books and could write 

 skilfully, and he could speak with Goho. Thus Goho found a friend in this 

 foreign country and felt, as it is said, that there was " one voice, one heart " 

 between them. 



There were three head merchants; one was Murashusha and another was 

 Kirishita Demoto. 



They had an article in their hands that was about two or three feet long. 

 There was a hole inside of it, and outside it was straight. It was made of veiy 

 heavy materials. Though there was an empty passage on the inside, this was 

 tightly closed at the end. There was a hole in one side to pass fire through. 

 We covild find nothing to compare with its shape. When a man used it, he 

 would put a wonderful medicine' into it, add a leaden ball and set up a white 

 mark on the coast; and then he would hold it up, keeping one eye closed and 

 the body straight, put fire through the hole and always hit. When it fires it 

 looks like lightning and the sound is like the rolling of thunder. Every one 

 who heard covered both ears. After marking a white spot on a rock a man 

 could shoot at it very accurately. With the firing off of this thing silver 

 mountains could be destroyed and iron walls dug through. Enemies who do 

 harm to a man's country would be very much frightened on meeting this, 

 and still better would it be for hunting the deer or boar that do injury to 

 young plants. There were many ways of using this article. When Tokiaki saw 



^ To the oriental, drinking tea or liquor is a significant ceremony and the 

 little porcelain cup is a part of the form. The departure from this way and 

 the use of a large coarse bowl or mug, such as from their standpoint should 

 be used only to eat from, doubtless seemed an indication of barbaric crudity. 



* What we call, with insufficient reverence, chop-sticks. 



° " Literature " here connotes learning, culture, ceremonial. These com- 

 mentaries are interesting; they illustrate another point of view. The bases of 

 judgment are exactly similar to those applied to-day by many Europeans and 

 Americans in passing judgment on the orientals. 



' This is the chief port and town of the island, now most frequently called 

 Nishi-no-omote. It is the port to which we came, as before stated. 



' Etoki and Tokiaki were father and son in the ruling house of Tanegashima. 

 The latter was at about this time succeeding his father in the position of 

 responsibility. 



^ The present word for powder in Japanese means " fire medicine." 



