5i8 TRADE AND COMMERCE. 



which had been driven out of its course by contrary winds on a 

 voyage from Manila to New Spain (Mexico), touched at the coast 

 of Tosa on the island Shikoku. The head quartermaster, Fran- 

 cisco de Landa, declared to the confidential adviser and pleni- 

 potentiary of Taiko-sama^ that Spain was conquering the world, 

 with the help of Spanish priests. This contributed not a little 

 to the increasing aversion of the governing classes to Christianity, 

 a feeling which soon resulted in the bloody persecution of its 

 missionaries, and later in its complete extirpation. 



lyeyasu^ was at that time still inclined to trade with the Spanish 

 and Portuguese, even going so far as to negotiate with Father 

 Geronymo (who had concealed himself during the first persecution 

 of the Christians by Taiko-sama in 1597) for the importation of 

 Spanish carpenters from Manila to build ships, in order that he 

 himself might establish direct commercial relations with New 

 Spain. Chiquiro (.?), the ambassador of lyeyasu, who carried his 

 presents and good wishes with letters of Father Geronymo to the 

 Governor of the Philippines, found a friendly enough reception, 

 but did not obtain the desired ship carpenters, because the 

 Japanese were not wanted as competitors for the trade of 

 Nueva Espana. 



In vain did lyeyasu and Geronymo wait for the vessel's return. 

 It had been wrecked on the coast of P'ormosa and sank with all 

 on board. Later Fray Geronymo himself went to Manila, return- 

 ing thence in 1601 with excuses and gifts for lyeyasu. These 

 gifts were a large, richly decorated mirror and other glass-wares, 

 Castilian cloths, honey, several large Chinese porcelain jars, and 

 Spanish Tibor, or vases and jars of Faience. 



Meanwhile lyeyasu had succeeded to the Shogunate, with prac- 

 tical supremacy over the whole of Japan. The struggles of the 

 year 1600, in which he overcame his adversaries, had tempted the 

 coast population of Kiushiu once more to piracy. Not less than 

 six corsair ships had sailed out from Satsuma to ravage the coasts 

 of China and the Philippines. Upon the complaints of the governor 

 of Manila, lyeyasu promised assistance, demanding, however, in 

 return, that fugitive Japanese should not receive protection, and 

 still less assistance in effecting secret landings on Japanese coasts. 

 It seems, however, that this wish was not fulfilled. With reference 

 to this, as in many another respect, peculiar interest attaches to a 

 letter of the mighty Shogun to the Governor Don Pedro de Acufia 

 in the year 1605. In it lyeyasu first thanks the governor for his 

 presents, of which the wine especially had given him great pleasure. 

 But then he begs the governor to hinder fugitive Japanese from 



^ He is called Ximonojo, Yemonojo, and Gibunoxa. He seems to have been 

 Ishida Mitsunari, one of the later five governors. (See vol. i. p. 494.) 



2 " Yeyasu dono, Lord of Quanto," as he is called in the English translation 

 of the book by A. de Morga, p. 143. Compare vol. i. pp. 11, 282, and p. 311 

 of this work. 



