JAPAN. 



reliirion; they mnft give up their prayer-books on full: land- 

 ing, and relinqniQi during their whole confinement ev.=ry mark 

 of Chriftianity. But what wiU not a Dutchman do for gain ! 

 They make from the faftory an annual journey to the em- 

 peror's court, which they dignify with the name of embafly; 

 but it is no more than a com.pulfory vifit to prefent their gifts : 

 their manner of travelling, both on their way and on their re- 

 turn, is under a ftriit guard, more like that of a parcel of con- 

 vias, than the merchants of a great commercial nation. One 

 fliip only is permitted to trade with this empire annually, and 

 that is confined to the port of Nagafaki, in the little ifle oi De- 

 fima, on the weft fide of the ifland Kiufiu. In faft, this is the 

 only fecure harbor in all the mighty empire of Japan. As 

 foon as a veflTel arrives, a Japanefe guard is put on board ; the 

 number, fize, age, and complexion of the crew noted down; 

 every living creature in the velTel is to be ^accounted for 



253 



a 



monkey died, and the coroner's inqueft fat on the body. The 

 next thing done is to take an exaft inventory of, and to caufe all 

 the fails, mafts, ropes, rudder, guns, arms, ammunitionj 8ic. and 

 all the tackle of the fliips, to be conveyed into the emperor's 

 w^arehoufe, there to be kept under lock and feal till the time 

 comes for their departure, when they are reftored, according 

 to the inventory taken, of which both parties have an exa<5t 

 duplicate*. 



The faaory is imprifoned in the little ifland the whole year, f^ct 

 excepting during the fix weeks of open trade, when the Ja- 

 panefe come there with their goods, erea booths, and have all 



• Some of thefe precautions, Thmberg fays, are now omitted. E. 



forts 



ORY. 



