LETTRE DE W. ADAMS

[Ce qui suit contient les détails de la navigation et des premières années de séjour au Japon. Ils sont racontés d’une façon prolixe, et offrent peu d’intérét.j

In the end of fuie yeeres, I inade supplication to te king to goe ont of this land, desiring to see niy poore wife and children according to conscience and nature. With the which request, the emperour war not well pleased, and would not let me goe any more for my countrey, but to byde in his land. Yet in process of time, heing in great favour with the Emperour, I made supplication agein, by reason we had newes that the Hollanders were in Shian (Achen. Purchas) and Putania ; which reioyced vs much, with hope that God should bring us to our countrey againe, hy one meanes or other. So I made supplication agein, and boldly spake my selfe with him, at which he gave me no aunswer. I told hini, if he would permit me to départ, 1 would bee a meanes, that bolh the English and Hollanders should corne and traflick there. Butby no nieans he would let mee goe. I asked him leave for the capten, the which he presenlly granted mee. . Therefore I do pray and intreate you in the naine of Jésus Christ to doe so much as to make my being here in lapon, knowen to my poor wife : in a maniier a widdow, and my two children fatherlesse; which thing only is ray greatest griefe of heai t, and conscience.

You shall vnderstami, that the first ship that 1 did make, I did make a voyage or two in, and tlieii the King commaunded me to make an other, the wich I did, being of the burthen of an hundred and twentie tunnes. lu this ship I hâve made a voyage from Meaco to Eddo, being as far as froin London to the Lizarde or the I.ands end of England : which in the yeere of our Lord 1609, the King lent to the Gouernour of iVanilla, to goe with eightie of his men, to saile to Acapulco. In the yeere 1609 was cast away a great ship called the S. Francisco, beering about a thousand tunnes vpon the coast of lapon, in the lattetude of thirty tiue degrees and fiftie minutes. Hy distresse of weather she eut ouer-boord her maine mast, and bore vp for lapon, and in the night vnawares, the ship ranne vpon the shore and was cast away : in the which thirtie ad sixe men were drowned, and three hundred fortie, or three hundred fiftie saued : in which ship lhe Gouernor of Munitla as a passenger, was to returne to Noua Spariia. But this

ANNEXE ü3 — ^

Gouernour was sent in the bigger ship which I made in ann. 1610, to Acapulco. And in ann. 1611, this Gouernour returned anolher ship in her roome, with a great présent, and with an Embassadour to te Emperour, giuing him thankes for bis great friendship ; and also sent the worth of the Eniperours ship in goods and money ; which ship the Spaniards haue now in the Philippines.

Now for my service which I haue doen and daily doe, being employed in the Empereurs seriiice, he hath given me a liuing, like vnto a lordship in England, with eightie or ninetie husbandmen, that be as my slaves or semants : which, or the like president, was never here before geven to any stranger.

...There be many lesuites and Franciscan friars in this land, and they haue conuerted many to be Chrislians, and haue many churches in the lland...

Dated in lapan, the two and twentieth ofoctober 1611.

William Adams.

Lettre d’Adams à sa femme (1).

Louing wife, you shall vnderstand how ail things haue passed with mee from the time of mine absence from you...

[Cette lettre renferme quelques détails additionnels sur le voyage d’Adams et son séjour au Japon].

Une troisième lettre, donnée par Rundall (p. 40), est adressée à Augustin Spalding, à Bantam, et datée du 12 janvier 1613. Adams était alors détaché des Hollandais, et s’occupait de favoriser les Anglais.

Une quatrième lettre, donnée par le même (p. 46), est émanée du capitaine John Saris, envoyé par sir Thomas Smith, gouverneur de la Compagnie des Indes à Londres, d’après les avis d’Adams, pour ouvrir le commerce anglais au Japon. Cette narration est entrecoupée par les fragments d’une lettre d’Adams, et

(1) Envoyée avec la précédente. — Fragment conservé par Purchas.