S m u g g l i n g .
T r a d e .
I m p o r t s .
E x p o r t s .
forts of amufements." Smuggling, even of the moft trifling articles,
is forbidden under pain of death ; Kaempfer * allures us,
that three hundred were executed for that crime only in fix or
feven years time ; two were put to death while he was in the
ifland, and the factory obliged to attend; their crime was no
more than fmuggling one pound o f camphor.
T h e articles imported by the Dutch, are raw filk from China,
Tonquin, Bengal, and Perfia ; and from the fame countries all
kinds o f fluffs, filks, and woollens, provided they are not wrought
with gold or lilver ; various forts o f the cotton manufactures o f
India, but not painted; woollen cloths, ftnffs, and ferges from
Europe; buffalo and deer hides from Siam and Cambodia ; tanned
hides from Perjia and Bengal; pepper, fugar, cloves, and nutmegs
from India, or the fpicy ifles ; gum-lac, fandal-wood, camphor,
from Borneo ; Catechu, Storax Liquida, faffron and Cojlus,
coral, cinnabar, antimony, lead, faltpetre, and borax, looking
glaffes, which the Japanefe break to make fpying glaffes, magnifiers,
8cc. files, needles, and various forts o f iron ware, from
Europe; large drinking glaffes, fpedtacles, toys, curiofities natural
and artificial, and ftrange birds o f all kinds. Once the
Dutch brought, a Cajfowaryy it was confidered as a bird o f ill
omen, and the owner was obliged to fend it back.
In return the Dutch obtain, during the fix weeks fair, gold,
filver, and copper bullion, japanned cabinet and other works, porcelain,
tea, and Japanefe camphor, and alfo copper in bars, and
other forms. Thefe conftitute the fum of the traffic, which on
the whole is far from confiderable, ever fince the abolition of
Hiftory of Japan, i. 330.
Chriftianity
Chriftianity in the empire. The Abbe Raynal eftimates the whole
annual commerce at little more than forty-five thoufand
pounds.
T h e firft time that the Englljh traded diredtly with Japan, English.
was in 1613, when captain Saris entered the port of Firando ; he
met with the moft courteous reception from the king o f the
ifland. Saris was charged with letters and prefents from our
commercial pacific monarch James I. to his imperial majefty of
Japan. After a fhort ftay at Firando, he proceeded on his journey
to Surunga, where the emperor at that time kept his court. A
moft honorable anfwer was returned, and privilege o f trade
granted to the Engli/h throughout the Japanefe empire; Saris
then made a vifit to the emperor’s ion at Jedo. The hiftory o f
thefe tranfadtions is given by Purchas *, and is well worth con-
fulting. Sdris found at Firando, William Adams, an Englijhman,
who by a- ftrange chance was flung on this ifland, and detained
there + till his death. He was of no fmall ufe to Saris as an interpreter.
Saris eftablifhed a fadtory at Firando, till the general ex-
pulfion of the Europeans, the Dutch excepted.
T h e French, in the time of Colbert, were defirous o f partaking F r e n c h .
o f the advantages of the Japanefe trade; that great minifter
propofed fending a number o f Huguenots, who might fafely
fwear that they were not o f the fame religion with the Portuguefe
; but the jealous Japanefe rejedted the requeft.
T h e Chinefe had once prodigious commerce in this empire, C h i n e s e .
and came and fettled in any numbers they pleafed; but in time
* Pilgrim, vol. i. p. 366—-377. f Ibid, p. 125— 132.
the