A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 09 eBook

Robert Kerr (writer)
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 844 pages of information about A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 09.

A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 09 eBook

Robert Kerr (writer)
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 844 pages of information about A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 09.

We arrived at Jedo on the 14th September.  This city is much larger than Surunga, and much better and more sumptuously built, and made a very glorious appearance to us on our approach; all the ridge-tiles and corner-tiles of the roofs being richly gilded and varnished, as also the door-posts of the houses.  They have no glass in their windows, but have large windows of board, opening in leaves, and well adorned with paintings, as in Holland.  In the chief street of the town there is a great cawsay all through from end to end, underneath which flows a river, or large stream of water; and at every fifty paces there is a well-head, or pit, substantially built of free-stone, having buckets with which the inhabitants draw water, both for their ordinary uses and in case of fire.  This street is as broad as any of our best streets in England.

On the 15th I gave notice of my arrival to Sadda-dona, the secretary of the young king, or son of the emperor, requesting him to inform the king.  I had access to the king on the 17th, and delivered to him the presents sent by our king, as also some from myself, as is the custom of the country.  The king holds his court in the castle of Jedo, which is much stronger and more sumptuous than that of Surunga; and the king was besides better guarded and attended than his father the emperor. Saddadona, his secretary, is father to Codskedona the emperor’s secretary, his years and experience fitting him to have the government and direction of the king or prince successor, who appeared to us to be about forty-two years of age.

My entertainment and access to the king here at Jedo was much like that formerly mentioned with the emperor his father at Surunga.  He accepted very kindly the letters and presents from our king, bidding me welcome, and desiring me to rest and refresh myself, and that his letters and presents in return should be made ready with all speed.  On the 19th I delivered the presents to Saddadona.  This day, thirty-two men being committed prisoners to a certain house, for not paying their debts, and being in the stocks within the same, it took fire in the night by some casualty, and they were all burnt to death.  Towards evening, the king of Jedo sent me two suits of varnished armour, as a present to our king; and sent likewise for myself a tatch and a waggadash, the former being a long sword which is only worn in Japan by soldiers of the highest rank, and the latter being a singular weapon resembling a Welsh hook.  I was informed that the distance from Jedo to the norther-most part of Japan, was estimated at twenty-two days journey on horseback.

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A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 09 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.