“ By means of marine charts whioh guided us.”
“ What is the religion of the Portuguse ? Is it not called Roman Oath-
olio ? have they not the image of a woman whom they oall Santa Maria,
and of a man named Santo Christo f do not they worship these images ?
and how many other saints have they ? ”
“ We cannot answer the last question, not knowing enough of the Roman
religion to do so.”
“ What is your own worship ? Have you also images like the Portuguese
? ”
“ No. We are of the reformed religion, which is like that of the Dutch.
We offer our prayers to none but to Almighty God, the creator of heaven
and earth, who fills all things with his presenoe. We never make any image
or figure to represent him.”
“ Can you tell me who is that Santo Christo, and who is that Santa
Maria ? ”
“ We call the first the son of God, and the last the Virgin Mary; but
we never offer prayers to the Virgin.”
“ How do the Dutch worship God ? ”
“ I have told you, as we do.”
“ What do they call him ? ”
“ T h e y c a ll h im God.”
“ And the Christ ? ”
“ T h e y c a ll h im Christ.”
“ What name do you Dutch and English give to the religion of the Portuguese
? ”
“ We give the name of the 1 Roman Catholic religion.”
“ And what to those who profess it ? ”
“ We call them papists, Romans, Roman Catholics.”
“ What do the Portuguese call you ? ”
“ Hereyes in th e ir language, in o u rs heretics. ”
Just at this moment the British flag was hoisted, when instantly the
question was p u t:
“ Why do you hoist your flag to-day, and why have you not done it every
day since you came in ? ”
u To-day is our Sabbath, and it is our custom always to hoist our flag
on the return of the seventh day.”
“ A t what times in the day do you pray ? ”
“ Every morning and evening.”
“ And the Dutch, do they the same ? ”
“ Certainly.”
But the St. George’s cross in the flag troubled the Japanese, and they
made it the suject of many inquiries, desiring to know why it was there.
“ We do not carry the cross in our colors from superstition, nor does it
have any religious meaning there. I t is nothing more than our distinctive
sign. Beside, our flag and cross and those of the Portuguese are very different.”
“ Have you ever been under the dominion of Portugal or Spain ? ”
“ Never. Our sovereign is king of three great States. He is a prince
much more powerful than the King of Portugal.”
“ Is it not then from either of these nations that you have received your
cross f ”
“ We have had it from time immemorial; for six centuries at least.”
Notwithstanding all these explanations, however, the Japanese officers,
not by command, but privately and as friends, advised the English not to
hoist the flag with the cross, as a great many of the people mistook it for the
Portuguese standard. At length the answer came from the Emperor, to
whom had been referred the English application for a renewal of trade.
“ We have received letters from the Emperor. Your request, as well as
the reasons by which you enforced it, have been duly considered. But you
cannot be allowed to trade here, because your King has married the daughter
of the King of Portugal. That is the only reason why your request is refused.
The Emperor orders that you depart and come back no more. Such
is his will, and we cannot change it in any particular. You will therefore
make sail with the first favorable wind, and at the latest within twenty days.”
“ I t is impossible for us to leave before the trade winds change.”
. ¡ii“ In that case how much time do you wish us to grant you ? ”
“ Forty-five days; for in that time I suppose we shall have a change.”
The English asked permission at least to sell their cargo before going.
“ The Emperor forbids i t ; we dare not disobey. I t is your unfortunate
alliance with Portugal which stands in your way.”
And thus ended this attempt to revive the English trade. I t may be
that other causes beside the Portuguese marriage operated; and of these the
Dutch, it cannot be doubted, would gladly avail themselves; but if there
were no other, then it is quite certain that the Hollanders, by communicating
this unpropitious fact to the Japanese, were the sole cause of the exclusion
of the English. And such was the opinion of all on board the “ Return.”
More than a century elapsed, after this unsuccessful experiment, before
the English made another attempt; but in 1791, the “ Argonaut,” which was
employed in the fur trade, on the northwestern coast of America, made an
effort to barter with the Japanese. On the arrival of the vessel, however,
she was immediately surrounded, according to the usual custom, by lines of
boats, and no communication was allowed between the ship and the shore.
All that was obtained was wood and water, and with these the “ Argonaut ”
took her departure.
In 1803 the “ Frederick,” an English merchantman, was sent from Calcutta
with a cargo to Japan, but was refused admittance to the harbor, and
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