ii8 ST NICOTINE 



end of his long wanderings in eastern countries, found him- 

 self a prisoner at Genoa. The enforced leisure brought him 

 the happy thought that he would put in writing an account 

 of his experiences. Of Japan he says, ' Zipangu is an island 

 towards the East,' and adds, ' The inhabitants are civilized 

 and well-favoured.' But Europe had not yet awakened to 

 the glorious career of conquest and commerce which fate 

 had in store for her. Two and a half centuries later the 

 Portuguese explorer, Fernao Mendez Pinto, while cruising 

 in Eastern waters bound for Macao, was driven by storm on 

 to the Japanese coast near Nagasaki. The people with 

 whom he came in contact were friendly and willing to barter 

 for such things as he had for disposal. Tidings of the place 

 and the people and of the favourable reception accorded 

 him were not long in reaching the Portuguese at Goa and 

 the Spaniards at Manila, and vessels laden with merchandise 

 were speedily on their way to the new and promising mart 

 of commerce. 



With the Spanish expedition of 1549 came the good and 

 pious Jesuit, Francis Xavier, full of zeal, bent upon the con- 

 version of the natives to the true faith. On their arrival at 

 the port of Bungo they were received with open arms by a 

 people who seemed to know no guile. So favourably was 

 the good missionary impressed that he exclaims in the nar- 

 rative of his sojourn among them,* ' I have never found a 

 nation among the infidels which has pleased me so much. 

 They are men endowed with the best of dispositions, of ex- 

 cellent conduct, free from malice and gall. I know not 

 when to have done when I speak of them. They are truly 

 the delight of my heart,' And there is abundant evidence, 

 speaking of the deep impression the saintly Xavier and his 



'^' Japan and Iter People. By Andrew Steinmetz, i860. 



