INTRODUCTION. 39 



"Have you ever been under the dominion of Portugal or Spain ?" 



"Never. Our sovereign is King of three great States. He is a prince much more powerful 

 than the King of Portugal." 



"Is it not then from either of these nations that you have received your cross?" 



"We have had it from time immemorial ; for six centuries at least." 



Notwithstanding all these explanations, however, the Japanese officers, not by command, but 

 23rivately and as friends, advised the English not to hoist the flag with the cross, as a o-reat 

 many of the people mistook it for the Portuguese standard. At length the answer came from 

 the Emperor, to whom had been referred the English application for a renewal of trade. 



"We have received letters from the Emperor. Your request, as well as the reasons by which 

 you enforced it, have been duly considered. But you cannot be allowed to trade here, because 

 your King has married the daughter of the King of Portugal. That is the only reason why 

 your request is refused. The Emperor orders that you depart and come back no more. Such is 

 his will, and we cannot change it in any particular. You will therefore make sail with the first 

 favorable wind, and at the latest within twenty days." 



"It is impossible for us to leave before the trade winds change." 



"■'In that case, how much time do you wish us to grant you?" 



"Forty-five days ; for in that time I suppose we shall have a change." 



The English asked permission at least to sell their cargo before going. 



" The Emperor forbids it ; we dare not disobey. It is your unfortunate alliance with Portugal 

 which stands in your way." 



And thus ended this attempt to revive the English trade. It may be that other causes beside 

 the Portuguese marriage operated ; and of these the Dutch, it cannot be doubted, would gladly 

 avail themselves ; but if there were no other, then it is quite certain that the Hollanders, by 

 communicating this unpropitious fact to the Japanese, were the sole cause of the exclusion of the 

 English. And such was the opinion of all on board the "Eeturn." 



More than a century elapsed, after this unsuccessful experiment, before the English made 

 another attempt ; but in 1791, the "Argonaut," which was employed in the fur trade, on the 

 northwestern coast of America, made an effort to barter with the Japanese. On the arrival of 

 the vessel, however, she was immediately surrounded, according to the usual custom, by lines 

 of boats, and no communication was allowed between the ship and the shore. All that was 

 obtained was wood and water, and with these the "Argonaut" took her departure. 



In 1803 the "Frederick," an English inerchantman, was sent from Calcutta with a cargo to 

 Japan, but was refused admittance to the harbor, and was ordered to dej^art within twenty-four 

 hours. This unceremonious treatment of the English was, undoubtedly, owing to the Dutch. 

 England had made great conquests in India, and securely established her power in the east ; 

 some of these conquests, too, were made at the expense of the Dutch. Under Clive and Warren 

 Hastings all the fond anticipations the Hollanders had formed of a foothold in India had been 

 dissipated. They could not accomplish their wishes, but they could use the very triumphs of 

 their rivals as an instrument in defeating the English efforts to increase their trade. This was 

 to be effected by awakening the jealousy and alarming the apprehensions of the Japanese. 

 These last were uncommonly well informed of the progress of events in India, from the time 

 of Clive downward. Where could they have learned them but from the Dutch? The Hol- 

 landers told the story with such coloring as suited them ; whitewashing their own disgraces and 



