124 ST NICOTINE 



Rochester.' His description of Japanese character might 

 have been written to-day, so well does it accord with our 

 present knowledge of the inhabitants of the Great Britain of 

 the East. Adams says, ' The people of this Island of Japan 

 are of good nature, courteous above measure, and valiant in 

 war; their justice is severely executed without any partiality 

 upon transgressors of the law. They are governed in great 

 civility : I mean not a land better governed in the world by 

 civil policy.' In October, 1611, he addressed a letter to 

 ' The Worshipful Company of London Merchants,' urging 

 them to send merchandise to the ports of Japan. In the 

 simple words of a sailor he tells them that he is a ' Kentish 

 man, born in a town called Gillingham, two English miles 

 from Rochester and one mile from Chatham, where the 

 Queen's ships do lie.' Before the letter reached them they 

 had heard through the Dutch of Adams and his position in 

 Japan, and had sent him letters, advising him of their 

 intention to despatch goods to Japan. In April, 161 2, 

 three English vessels laden with merchandise, and com- 

 manded by Captain John Saris, sailed from the London 

 Docks for the far East. They arrived at Bantam (Java) in 

 October of the same year. How little time was reckoned 

 with in those days is shown in the circumstance that Saris 

 thought well to remain at Bantam until the beginning of the 

 following year, knowing all the while that he bore a letter 

 from King James to the Emperor of Japan. He sailed in 

 the Clove with a crew of seventy, and sighting the coast 

 near Nagasaki, he, two days later, anchored in the haven of 

 Firando. Here Adams met him and arranged for a visit to 

 the Shogun, who was then at Sumpu. Thither they repaired, 

 accompanied by a Japanese interpreter and two followers. 

 They carried with them presents to the value of 720 dollars 

 for lyeyasu and the State officers. They started on their 



