It is commonly reported here, both among the Chinese and Japanese, that this was done by order of the king of Cochin-China in revenge against the Hollanders, who had burnt one of his towns, and had slaughtered his people most unmercifully.  The origin of this quarrel was occasioned by a large quantity of false dollars, sent to Quinham by the Hollanders some years ago, and put off in payment for silks and other Chinese goods, to the great injury of the merchants of that country.  When the falsehood of the money was discovered, they laid hands upon the Dutch factors, and are said to have put some of them to death.  Upon this the Dutch ships came upon the coast, and landed a body of men, who burnt a town, putting man, woman, and child to the sword.  This, as reported, was the occasion of our present mischance, and of the slaughter of Mr Peacock, because he was in company with the Hollanders.  Along with this letter, I send you a Japanese almanack, by which you will see the manner of their printing, with their figures and characters.  And so I leave you to the holy protection of the Almighty, resting always, &c.

RICHARD COCKS.

No. 3. Letter from Edmond Sayer, dated Firando, 5th December, 1615.  But having no Address.

I received a letter from you by the hands of Captain Copendall of the Horiander, who arrived here on the 29th of August this year, by which I learnt your safe arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, homewards bound, and of the loss of some of your company; and I make no doubt that, long ere now, you are safe arrived in England, by the blessing of God.  I sent you a letter, dated in November, 1614, by the Dutch ship called the Old Zealand, in which I informed you of the death of Mr Peacock and Walter Carwarden, both betrayed in Cochin-China, to our great grief, besides the loss of goods to the company.

The last year, Mr Wickham, Mr Adams, and I, when bound for Siam in a junk we had bought, and meeting with great storms, our vessel sprung a leak, and we were fain to bear up for the Leukes[60] islands, where we had to remain so long, before we could stop our leaks, that we lost the monsoon, and had to return here.  We have fitted her out again this year, and are now ready to sail again for Siam.  My greatest hope in these parts is, that we shall be able to establish trade with China, of which we seem to have a fair prospect through the efforts of the China captain and his brothers; and I make no doubt that we shall have a factory there ere long.

[Footnote 60:  The Liqueo islands are here obviously meant, a group to the south of the south-western extremity of Japan, in 28 deg.  N. and long. 129 deg. 30’ W. from Greenwich; such being the latitude and longitude of the centre of the great Liqueo, the principal island of the group.—­E.]

This last summer we have had great troubles, in consequence of war between the emperor and Fidaia Same, and we do not certainly know whether the latter be slain or fled; but the emperor gained the victory, with a vast loss of men on both sides.[61] Having no other news to write, I commit you to the protection of the Almighty, and am, &c.  EDMOND SAYER.