A faccmci. Account of the Adventures 
Book L 
and, fee the King hisSon at Eddo, (with all the Neceffa- 
ries, for which Journey he would take care to furnifti me) 
and by that time I returned, his Letters iTiould be ready 
for om* King. ' 
The Articles relating to Trade and Privilege, which we 
requefted his Majefty’s Confirmation of, were all cafily 
granted by him, one only excepted, refpe&ing the Chi- 
nefe : It was to this Purpofe, That whereas the Chine fe 
had refufed all Trade and Commerce with the Englijh , 
if we could take any of them abroad at Sea, it might be 
lawful for us to bring them into Japon, and make fale 
of the Goods, fo taken, in his Majefty’s Dominions. This 
the Emperor granted at fir.ft ; but his Mind was altered 
afterwards by a Conference with the Ambaffador of China, 
and he refufed to allow it. The reft all palled under his 
Great Seal, which is not of Wax, like ours, but Lamped like, 
a Print, and coloured red. . The Secretary would take 
no Prefent, nor any thing like a Gratuity from us ; the 
Emperor, it feems, had commanded the contrary, and 
ftwas as much as his Life was worth to do it. 
Having feen this Bufinefs done, we fet out from Su- 
ranga for the great City of Eddo, where the Emperor’s 
Son, .the young King, keeps his Court : The Country is 
well inhabited between thefe two Cities ; the Towns and 
Villages lie thick, and the Totoques, or Temples, fcatter- 
ing up and down in good Numbers too. There’s one 
mighty Image, (which they call Dab is) that Hands in this 
Road, at which all the Japonefe (top to pay their Devo- 
tions, when they go this way. It is made of Copper, all 
hollow within, tho’ very thick : ’Tis in the Shape of a Man 
kneeling on the Ground, with his Buttocks retting on his 
Heels, and his Arms extended: He is represented wear- 
ing a Gown, and notwithftanding that bending Pofture, 
is twenty-two Foot from the Level of the Ground, and 
all the Body proportionally large. Some of our Men went 
into the Body of it, and then fell a hollowing and hoop- 
ing ; the Noife of which, out of the wide Mouth of the 
Image, was much fuch agreeable fort of Mufick as, l 
believe, was made by Phalarif s brazen Bull. It Hands 
conveniently to entertain the Devotion of Pilgrims in their 
Paffage to the celebrated Temple of Tencheday ; for they 
always make a paufe at Dabis, but this is but a flight Ce- 
remony. 
It is at 'Tencheday* s Temple the great Work is to be 
done, and the Pilgrims expedt to receive the Reward of 
their Travel. And here one may meet all forts of People, 
rich and poor, found and diftempered, continually com- 
ing and going thither, and that by Night, as well as by 
Day, and all the Year round. About the Middle of this 
Month we came to Eddo , a City much larger than Su- 
ra ng a, nobler in its Buildings, and everyway more glo- 
rious in its Appearance. The very Tiles of the Houles 
are gilded, and the Pofts of the Doors fet off with finn- 
ing Varnifii. They have no Glafs- windows, but all of 
Board, which open in Leaves, and are very delicately 
painted : There’s a Caufeway runs thro’ the chief Street 
in the City ; which Street is as broad as any in England ; 
and a fine River paffes along by, or rather underneath the 
Caufeway •, at every fifty Paces there’s a Well-head fub- 
ftantially fitted up of Free-Stone, and provided with Buck- 
ets for the People, in cafe of any Danger by Fire. The 
Cattle of this City is a much ftronger and nobler Edifice 
than that of Suranga •, and the young King lives in much 
greater State, 'and has a more pompous Attendance than 
the Emperor his Father. 
He received us in a very obliging Manner, taking the 
King’s Letters and Prefents with a wonderful Satisfaction 
and Content, and giving us all the Welcome imaginable. 
He gave us Letters for our King, and a Prefent of two 
intire Suits of Japon Armour, finely varnifhed, and a long 
Sword for myfelf : ’Tis to be noted, that the Caftans are a 
common wear ; but the Talahes, or long Swords, are 
worn only by great Soldiers, and Perfons of the belt Ac- 
count. It is faid to be no lefs than twenty-two Days 
Journey, on Horfeback, from this City o£ Eddo to the moft 
northern Part of Japon , which makes it a Country of a 
vaft Extent. Our Bufinefs here being no more than the 
paying a Complement ; which, being done, we had no 
fuither Occafion of flaying *, and having got this Prince’s 
4 
Letters and Prefents for the King of England, we went 
back to Suranga , where we arrived again at the End cf 
this Month,,, , 
. We were not obiiged to wait long in this. City; for our 
Difparches, the Emperor’s Letter, and the Inftrument, con- 
taining our Privileges, and. tKe Terms upon which we 
were to eftablifh a Ladtoryin Japon, being, thro’ the Care, 
Induftry, and Intcreft of Mr .Adams, both fpeedily and 
eiiedlually difpatched ; fo that we had no reafon to com- 
plain either of the ■ Delays or Di lappointmen ts that are 
ufually met with at Courts ;. and of which, we underftood 
by Report, that of Japon f not more free than others, if 
one has not a good Agent,, as luckily for. us w.e had. 
A Transition, .of the Emperor’s Letter, and ' of the In- 
.ftfument, containing our IRnytteges is, for the Satisfaction 
of t iic Readei 9; annexed, and will lufficiently fhew how wile 
and well regulated a Government that is by which they 
were granted, It is neceffary to obferve, that tho’ this 
Verfion is not literal, yet it is very "Arid, and expreffes 
the Meaning of the Original very exactly, fo that the Senfe 
and Spirit of thefe Japonefe Papers may be clearly appre- 
hended thereby.. 
To the King of GREAT-BRITAIN. 
“ V" OtJR Majefty’s kind. Letter fent me by your Ser- 
“ JL vant Captain John Saris (who is the firft that I 
“ known to arrive in any Part of my Dominions) I 
“ heartily embrace, being not a little glad to underffand 
<£ of your great Wifdom and Power, as having three plen- 
tiful and mighty Kingdoms under your powerful Com- 
“ mand, I acknowledge your Majefty’s great Bounty, in 
Ending me fo undeferved a Prefent of many rare things, 
“ &ch as my Land affordeth not ; neither have I ever before 
“ feen, which I receive not as from a Stranger, but as from 
“ your Majefty, whom I efteem as myfelf, defiring the 
“ Continuance ofFriendlhip with your Highnefs ; and that 
it may ftand with your good liking. to fend your Sub- 
“ je^s to any Part or Port of my Dominions, where they 
“ lhall be moft heartily welcome, applauding much their 
“ Worthinefs in the Admiral’s Knowledge of Navigation, 
“ having with much Facility difeovered a Country fo re- 
“ mote; being no whit amazed with the Diftance of fo 
“ mighty a Gulph, nor Greatnefs of fuch infinite Clouds 
cc and Storms from profecuting honourable Enterpnzes of 
“ Difcoveries and Merchandizing, wherein they fiiall find 
“ me to further them, according to their Defires. I return 
“ unto your Majefty a fmall Token of my Love (by your 
“ Lid Subjecft) defiring you to accept thereof, as from 
“ him that much rejoiceth in your Friend (hip. And 
“ whereas your Majefty’s Subjects have defired certain 
tc Privileges for Trade, and fettling of a Faftory in my 
“ Dominions, I have not only granted what they demand- 
tc ed, but have confirmed the fame unto them, under 
“ my Broad Seal, for better eftablifiring thereof. From 
“ my Caftle in Suranga, this fourth Day of the ninth 
“ Month, in the eighteenth Year of our Dary, according 
“ to our Computation. Retting your Majefty’s Friend, 
“ the higheft Commander in this Kingdom of Japon. 
“ Subfcribed Minna Mouttono. Tei Te Teas." 
Privileges granted by Ogofhofamma, Emperor of Japon, 
unto the Right Worjhipful Sir Thomas Smith, Knight , 
Governor, and others, the Honourable and Worjhipful 
Adventurers to the Eaft-Indies. 
“ I. Imprimis. We give free Licence to the Subjefts 
<c to the King of Great Britain , viz. Sir Thomas Smith, 
“ Governor and Company of the Eajl-Indian Merchants 
<c and Adventurers, for ever, fafely to come into any of 
sc the Ports of our Empire of Japon, with their Ships 
“ and Merchandizes, without any Hindrance to them, or 
“ their Goods ; and to abide, buy, fell, and barter, ac- 
“ cording to their own Manner with all other Nations j 
4t to tarry here as long as they think good, and to depart 
se at their Pleafures. 
“ II. Item. We grant unto them Freedom of Cuftom 
£ ‘ for all fuch Merchandizes, as either now they have 
brought, or hereafter lhall bring into our Kingdoms, or 
“ fiiall 
