38 INTRODUCTION. 



At the next interview, the governor said, "it is fifty years since the English were here; we 

 shouhi like to know the reason of your long ahsence." The civil wars of England, two wars 

 with Holland, and the expense and danger of so long a voyage were assigned as reasons and 

 seemed to be satisfactory. The questioning then proceeded : 



"Have you none among you who have been in this country before ?" 

 "Not one." 



" How, then, were you able to find your way here?" 

 "By means of marine charts which guided us." 



"What is the religion of the Portuguese? is it not called Koman Catholic? have they not the 

 image of a woman whom they call Santa Maria, and of a man named Santo Christo? do not 

 they worship these images? and how many other saints have they?" 



"We cannot answer the last question, not knowing enough of the Eoman religion to do so." 

 " What is your own worship ? Have you also images like the Portuguese?" 

 "No. We are of the reformed religion, which is like that of the Dutch. We offer our 

 prayers to none but to Almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth, who fills all things with 

 his presence. We never make any image or figure to represent him." 



"Can you tell me who is that Santo Christo, and who is that Santa Maria?" 

 "We call the first the son of God, and the last the Virgin Mary; but we never offer prayers 

 to the Virgin." 



"How do the Dutch worship God?" 

 "I have told you, as we do." 

 "What do they call him?" 

 "They call him God." 

 "And the Christ?" 

 "They call him Christ?" 



"What name do you Dutch and English give to the religion of the Portuguese?" 

 "We give the name of the 'Eoman Catholic religion.' " 

 "And what to those who profess it?" 

 "We call them papists, Eomans, Koman Catholics." 

 "What do the Portuguese call you?" 

 "Sereyes in their language, in ours heretics." 



Just at this moment the British flag was hoisted, when instantly the question was put : 

 "Why do you hoist your flag to-day, and why have you not done it every day since you 

 came in?" 



"To-day is our Sabbath, and it is our custom always to hoist our flag on the return of the 



seventh day." 



"At what times in the day do you pray ?" 



"Every morning and evening." 



"And the Dutch, do they the same?" 



"Certainly." 



But the St. George's cross in the flag troubled the Japanese, and they made it the subject of 

 many inquiries, desiring to know why it was there. 



"We do not carry the cross in our colors from superstition, nor does it have any religious 

 meaning there. It is nothing more than our distinctive sign. Beside, our flag and cross and 

 those of the Portuguese are very different." 



