D e s c r ib e d ;
That all the tra£t which the Dutch faw to the weft is that
land o f Jefo, there can be no difpute; even Matfumai is comprehended
under that name : that ifland was early annexed to the
Japanefe empire, and is chiefly peopled with exiles. We havetwo
accounts o f the inhabitants of this country; one is left us by Captain
Saris, the other by the Dutch *, the former gives us the following
information on thefubjeit, which he colleited from’ a fen-
fible Japanefe who had actually viiited the ifland o f Matfumai',
we may coiled! from him that it was known to the Japanefe by
the name o f Tedfo or Jefo. The relation beginning thus :
“ T h a t Tedfo is an ifland, aodlyethon the north-well fide of
“ Japan, and diflant from thence ten leagues ; that the people
“ are white, and of good condition, but very hairy all their bo-
“ dies over like murikeyes. Their weapones are bowes and arentered
the 'Bate Ae 'Ger/lries, on the coaft of chatka j and tombs far exceeding the propor-
*Tartary. Here was ikuated a fmall village, tion o f the apparent population, excited fimilar
, inhabited 'by a race wbofe high -cheek bones aftoniihment, and gives the fame caufe ,for inand
fmall eyes announced its origin; but it veftigation, as the numerous memorials of the
appeared only the occailonal refidence of dif- dead on the coaft of America obferved by Vdn-
'ferent tribes for the purpofe o f fiihing, who couver,
cafry the produce of their labor to the Mant- De la Peroufe, after doubling Cape Crillon,
Abew Tartars, living on die' banks o f the great the fouthern extremity o f the ifland Sachalin, in
river Segatien or Amur, from whom they re- Lat. 450 57', landed in a fecure bay, inhabited
ceivein exchange for their dried falmon, grain, by a tribe o f a darker complexion than thofe of
nanquin, aud other articles probably brought the north, and more induftrious j their utenfils
from China. The cuftom of leaving in their and drefs ihewed their intercourfe with the
huts, during the long feafon of abfence for the Japanefe. The diftance from hence to the
purpofes of commerce, their bows, arrows, nets, northern (hopes o f the ifle of Matfumay, does
and fuch furniture as their few wants require, not exceed twelve leagues. Th e navigators
conftitutes an interefting proof of the honefty here fell into the track, and had the opportunity
o f this harmlefs race of people; in feveral par- of rendering juftice to the veracity, of the
ticulars they agree with the natives of Kam- Dutch voyagers in 1643. E.
* Purchas's Pilgr. vol. i. p. 384.
* rowes
SSìÈ l i p
J A P A N , 273
“ rowes poyfoned. The people in the fouthernmoft part thereof
“ doe underftand weight and meafure, whereof within the land
“ thirtie dayes journey they are ignorant. They haue much
“ lilver and fand gold, whereof they make payment to the Jap-
“ partners for rice, See. Rice and cotton cloath o f Japan, is heere
“ well requefted, iron and lead is brought to them from Japan.
“ Neceflaries for the belly and backe are moft vendible to them ;
“ rice tranfported from Japan to Tedfo, hath yeelded foure for
BD r I ■ lr ■■
P one.
“ T h e town where the Japanners have their chiefe refidence
% and mart is caWeà Matchma, therein are five hundred houfe-
« hold of Japanners, who likewife have a fort there, the gover-
« nour whereof is called Matchmadonna. This towne of Matcb-
“ ma, is the principali marte towne of all Tedzo, whither the na-
“ tines. moft refort to buy and fell, efpecially in September for
VS their prouifion for 'winter. In March, they bring downe fal-
■“ mon, and dryed fifh of fundrie forts, and other wares foir which
■“ the Japanners barter, which the Japanners rather defire than
•“ filuer.
“ T h e Japanners haue no fetled being or trade in any other
“ towne then Matchma. That further to the northward upon
•“ the fame land, are people o f very low ftature like dwarfeS.
“ That the fedzos are people o f the ftature o f the Japanners,
“ and haue no apparell but what is brought them from Japan.
“ That there fettleth a very violent current between Tedzo and
“ Japan, which commet'h from Corèa, and fetteth to the eaft-
*< north-eaft. That the winds are for the moft part, as vfually
“ they are in Japan, viz. that the northerly winds beginne in
V o l . III. N n H September,