502 , ^loe H I s T o n Y 0/ C o u N T R I E s ■ Book IL 
Nevj England^ and all our Plantations in Ame- 
rica^ and vifited mod: Parts ot the Gulph of Mexico 
“ where he became acquainted with one Captain Cox- 
‘‘ ton, a famous Privateer, who, towards the latter End 
of the Reign of King Charles II, was entertained in 
his Majefty’s Service. But whether he was difo- 
“ bliged, or his Genius prompted him to follow his old 
Trade, having with his Carpenters fitted up a Ship 
«« of twenty-fix Guns, he failed to the South-Sea, with 
“ a Defign to take the Ship which comes annually 
from the Manillas, or Philippine JJlands, in the Eafi- 
“ Indies, to Acapulco, the chief Port of Mexico-, which 
Ship, as he had been well informed, ufually made that 
Part of the Continent that lies between Japan and 
America, at a famous Point in 42 Degrees ; but when 
he came to the Head of the Ifland, or Peninfula of 
California (it being too foon, by fome Months, for the 
putting in Execution his intended Defign) rumaging 
the Coaff, he difcovered a great River in about — 
Degrees North liatitude, which entered a great Lake 
near the Mouth, whereof he found a very conve- 
‘‘ nient Ifland, v/here he ftaid two or three Months 
to refit himfelf, happening to have a Man aboard 
who underftood the Language of the Country. 
The Natives finding he was engaged in Expedi- 
tions againft the Spaniards, treated him very kindly, 
‘‘ fupplying him very chearfully with whatfoever he 
wanted, and he contrafted great Friendfhip with 
“ them ; He calls them the Nation Ehoya. The Spa- 
niards, as - 1 find, in divers of their Expeditions, call 
it I'heyago, fometimes Eejago 1 they are often at War 
“ with the Spaniards, who have been always repulfed 
by them. They bring thirty or forty thoufand Men 
“ in one Body into the Field. Thefe, and two other 
“ neighbouring Nations, not much inferior unto 
“ them, are accounted the moft Tenfible and civilized 
Indians in America. When the Seafon came fit for 
“ their Expedition, they failed Weft by South, and 
happened to ftop, upon fome Occafion, at an Ifland 
“ called Earinda, or Carinda-, there were five in all 
“ near each other, like the Canary IJlands, but lay 
‘‘ rounder, and were thought, one with another, 
about fifty or fixty Miles in Compafs. The Inha- 
bitants were not lliy of them, but fupplied them 
with Provifions, and brought them Gold to barter, 
for fuch Commodities of ours as they liked, and in 
three or four Days, they purchafed eighty-fix Pound 
Weight of that Metal. The Natives told them they 
cc were forry they had no more. They taking Care to 
“ provide only againft a certain Time of the Year, for 
‘‘ Perfons who come from the Sun-fetting, at a particu- 
lar Seafon, and bartered divers Commodities with 
“ them for Gold. 
“ Thefe Traders, or Merchants, muft certainly be 
the Inhabitants of Japan, which I gather from a large 
Relation in the' Hiftory of that Ifland, publifhed by 
the Dutch, and tranflated into our Tongue, and 
‘‘ makes the fixth Volume of Oglehy\ Colleblions. They 
therein declare. That they fent from Batavia two 
Ships (as they pretended) to difeover a Paffage for 
the North-eaft Part of Japan, round Eartary, to 
Eurape, though ftis very probable they had other 
“ Views. Thofe Ships were feparated a little Eaft of 
Japan, by a Storm ^ the Cajtricoom proceeded, and 
found the Streight entering into the Gulph of Part a- 
«« ry or Jeffo, and fearched the Gulph on the VVeft-fide 
to 49 Degrees. The other Ship, the Blejkins, having 
fuffered much by the Storm, put into the Port of 
Namho, near the North-eaft End of Japan, not 
doubting they fhould be kindly received, being in 
«« League, and, having a free Trade with their Empire ; 
«« but while they were refitting, they were unexpeftedly 
furprized by the Japonefe, fent to Court, and very 
ftriblly examined, whether they had not been at, or 
«« went not to difeover, the Gold Iflands, as they called 
them, lying to the Eaft, of which the Emperor 
is fo jealous, that it is capital for any to go thither 
«« without his Permiffion, or to declare to others the 
Diitance and Situation of them ; and had not the 
Dutch given uncontroulable Evidence, that they had 
“ not been, nor were they going thither, but only upon 
“ the foremeiitioned Difeovery, they had been all exe- 
“ cuted. - . 
“ There are, upon the Coaft, between America and 
“ Japan, divers very large and fafe Harbours, and a 
“ very good Climate ; the Coaft ftretching South-weft 
“ moftly from 40 to — > Degrees of North Latitude. 
“ The Seas abounding with Fifli, and the Land with 
Fowls and Venifon ; the Inhabitants are fociable and 
“ hofpitable. I have a Draught and Journals of all the 
‘ • Coafts from America, with thofe of diverfe Harbours, 
“ until you are within about one hundred Leagues of the 
“ Streight of Uriez, which the Dutch difcovered about 
“ fixty or feventy Years fmee ; and which is the En- 
trance of the Sea or Gulph of Eartary, lying one 
« hundred and twenty Leagues North-eaft from Nam- 
« hoe, the moft Northerly Haven or Promontory of 
“ Japan. This Streight, or rather thefe Streights (there 
“ being two made by a long Ifland) are the Inlets into 
‘c a great Sea or Bay, into which difembogues a vaft 
River on the Weft-fide of it, betvv^een 49 and 50 
“ Degrees of North Latitude ; navigable many hundred 
“ Miles, by the biggeft Ships, and is made by the Con- 
“ flux of many large Rivers, fame of which come 
“ from the South- weft, ^sChingola, Ililiiras, Ola, Sun^ 
“ goro, and their Fountains near the great Wail of China, 
and run through the Dominions of the Eaftern Ear- 
“ tars, who are now Mafters of China. Other Rivers 
“ from the North- weft, proceed from the I'erritories of 
“ the Czar of Mufeovy, who hath built divers large 
and well fortified Cities, on the main River of Ta- 
“ mour, and feverai of its Branches, as Negovim, Ne- 
“ pehou, Alhazin, Argun, Nettinjkoy, &c. 
“ This River of Y amour, or Amur a, hath a Courfe 
“ from its furtheft Fountains above one thoufand two 
“ hundred Miles, without any Interruption by Cata- 
“ radts, fo frequent in all the other great Rivers in Muf- 
covy, as the Ohy, JeneJfeg, or Jenejfca, &c. By this 
River you may trade with the Inhabitants of Jedfcf 
“ for Furs, who have great Store, and thofe very rich ; 
they inhabit all the Coaft on both Sides the Mouth 
“ of the River, and a confiderable Way up it. You 
“ may likewife traffic with the Mufeovites for the fame 
“ Commodities, who fell them there for a fourth Part 
“ of what they yeild in Mofeow, or Archangel thefe 
“ Parts being above 40 Degrees almoft due Eaft from 
Mofeow, their capital City, a moft prodigous tedious' 
“ and difficult Journey, as appears by divers large and 
“ accurate Journals, which have been many Years pub- 
“ lifhed in Print and by means of the Rivers which 
“ come from the South-weft, you may correfpond with 
“ the Eaftern Ear tars. Chine fe, and the great rich 
“ Kingdom of Eanguth, all now united under one and 
“ the fame Emperor, being very civilized Nations, and 
“ kind to Strangers. To fay nothing of the great and 
“ rich Peninfula of Corea, which is contiguous to one 
“ or two Branches of this River, was once a Province 
‘‘ of China, hath the fame Manners and Language, and 
“ is now. tributary to the prefent Emperor. This Ri- 
“ ver, and its Branches, are in a good Climate ; it , 
“ never varying above two or three Degrees from a 
“ due eafterly Courfe. Three or more Ships may be 
‘‘ fent every Year, who may part at the Streights of 
“ the Eartarian Gulph, or Sea j one for Tedzo ahd the 
River, another for Japan, and a third for North ChE 
“ na, to the great City Eunxo, and the Port of Pekin, 
' “ the Capital of that Kingdom, from wliich it is not 
above one Day’s Journey by Land or Water ; and 
“ there is not a better Commodity, or of which more 
“ Profit may be made, than of the Furs, which are fo 
“ eafily procured, and fo foon brought into that impe- 
“ rial City, where, in the Court, and among the Gran- 
“ dees, there is a prodigious Confumption ot them, and 
“ moft extravagant Prices given for them, efpecially 
“ thofe of the better Sort, though even the meaneft 
come to an extraordinary good Market.” 
It muft be confeflTed that there are fome very ftrange 
'and Angular Paflfages in this Relation, to which fome 
Objedions might be made; but, however, I think it 
better to pafs thefe by at prefent, that we may bring , in 
■ - ± all 
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