THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY The person charging this material is re- sponsible for its return to the library from which it was withdrawn on or before the Latest Date stamped below. Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons for disciplinary action and may result in dismissal from the University. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN Atrc^o i9?s SEP 2 7l95Si APR 1 6 Iff « building use only L161 — 0-1096 WILL ADAMS. Ui UHsVEHSsrs un WILL ADAMS BEFORE THE EMPEROR. p. 103- WILL ADAMS, THE FIRST ENGLISHMAN IN JAPAN A EOMANTIC BIOGRAPHY. BY WILLIAM DALTON. Author of Stories of the Conquests of Mexico and Fern The Fowder Monlcey ; ” ‘‘ Fersian Chief; ” LONDON: JAMES BLACKWOOD & CO., LOVELL’S COURT, PATERNOSTER ROW. [The right of translation is reserved.] TiV'A'iJ I TO THE EIGHT HOKOEABLE THE EARL OF ELGIN AND KINCARDINE, K.T., G.C.B., &c. &c. &c. THIS STORY OF THE FIEST ENGLISHMAN WHO SET FOOT IN JAPAN, AND WAS THE MEANS OF ESTABLISHING COMMERCIAL AND FRIENDLY RELATIONS BETWEEN THE SUPREME RULER OF THAT EMPIRE AND HIS OWN SOVEREIGN THE KING OF ENGLAND, Who is unwilling to let pass so appropriate an opportunity of offering liis “mite” of admiration for those great qualities and indefatigable exertions, by means of which his Lordship secured for his countrymen a Treaty with Japan, the full and singii- iarly-important advantages of which time will develop, hut which may not be entirely understood, except by those who hCve made a study, not only of the history and eharact eristics of thb ueople, but of the great mineral wealth and resoiucea of the land Ahey inhabit* IS MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, BY THE AUTROEy V,, ' . .. ■' • \ / \Tr^ M PREFACE. Will Adams may not inapproprl tely be called a repre- sentative Englishman, for though neither General nor Admiral at sea, nay, but little more than a simple ship- man, he was one of the “ fathers” of our navy. Not for that reason, however, was he chosen as the hero of the following narrative, but because he was the first English- man who ever set foot in Japan, in which land he lived, for some time a prisoner, then as the friend and confidant of the Emperor (Ziogoon), negotiated a treaty for his country, married a native lady, had children, and lastly, after a twenty years’ sojourn, made a will (which was afterwards brought to England), and died. Of the history of this fine old English shipman, and founder of the Dutch and English commerce with J apan, vv e have but fragments in the shape of letters written by him and some of his contemporaries ; but from these we gather the facts that he was born at Gillingham in Kent ; was apprenticed to a shipmaster, one Nicholas Diggines, of Limehouse, near London ; and that he married, served as master and pilot in the navy of Queen Bess, again ir the service of the worshipful Company of Barbary nier- chants, and lastly in the Dutch fleet which sailed from TREFACE. Vlll the Texel in 1598 ; and that, after a disastrous voyage, accident threw him, Avith several shipmates, upon the land of Japan, about April 1600, in which empire he remained till his death in May 1620 ; and this, and much more that has enabled me to give the fortunes of my hero, we have upon authorities which may be founds collected and collated in the admirable work of Mr. ^ Thomas Eundall, printed for the Hakluyt Society, and ^ entitled “ Memorials of the Empire of Japan in the Six- teenth and Seventeenth Centuries.’^ ^ The gaps between the fragments of authentic know- ledge of Will’s history I have endeavoured to fill in with pictures of the people and the time ; a time, be it re- marked, Avhich forms a singularly interesting epoch in the history of the children of the sun goddess ; for just before Will arrived, Japan had buried her Coesar, Tiogo- Sama, who, satiated with minor conquests, had resolved upon subduing the then mighty Chinese empire. Upon Will’s arrival, a usurper filled the im.perial seat, who might be likened to our Henry the Seventh, for, finding the numerous kinglets weakened by long intestine wars, he crushed their power and curtailed their number. From this sovereign. Will, who had ever an eye to the interests of his beloved England, obtained for James the First a free-trade treaty. Again, during the period of Will’s sojourn in the land, happened the many intrigues of the Spaniards and Portuguese to exclude all other Europeans from commerce with the natives, and began also those plottings of the Eomish priests with the heir of the late Ziogoon, AVhich caused the fearful persecutions of the 1 PREFACE. IX Christians sliadoAvcd forth in the narrative, and which terminated in the Japanese St. Bartholomew, the terrible massacre of the Christians at Simabara, and the extirpa- tion of Christianity from the empire. Of Melichor von Santvoort, all that is recorded is, that he was one of the Dutchmen who landed in Japan with Will Adams, and that- he was still at Nangasaki six years after his shipmate’s death. That little, however, the Author found sufficient for his purpose, which was the penning of Will’s character and adventures by one Avho must have well known and prohaUy loved him ; and having thus introduced the Dutchman, by weaving his fortunes among those of the historic names of the period, he sought not only to give additional interest to the narrative, but, at the same time, to illustrate the character and manners of the people and the times. Of the other personages of the story,— the Jesuit, Pessoa, the Lady Mary, and her brother, the King and Queen of Tango, Sir Martin of the Gilded Spurs, the Author has only to remark, that although he has freely used the licence permitted to the writers of such narra- tives, they all once lived in the flesh ; and that, if an apology be at all necessary respecting them, it must be alone to their shades, for the feebleness of the hand which has attempted to pourtray their characters, and l^icture to another age their varied fortunes. There may be one among my readers who holds the popular but erroneous notion that Japan, having been &o long ‘‘ a sealed nation,” so little is knowm of its people that he can place no reliance upon the descriptions in X PREFACE. this narrative. To him it may be answered, that tilt after the death of Will Adams, Japan was free and open to all comers and goers. By the way, referring to “this early intercourse between the empire of Japan and the states of the West,'^ Mr. Eundall writes — “ The government of Japan is exhibited in a most favourable light. It was distinguished at that period by high-bred courtesy, combined with refined liberality in principle, and generous hospitality in practice. Without any reservation in regard to circumstances, rank, calling, or nation, the hand of good fellowship was then cordially extended to the stranger. In the instance of a Governor of the Philippines, although shipwrecked and destitute,, the claims of rank were admitted. He was received with the honours due to a prince ; while he sojourned in the land, similar honours were paid him ; and, to facili- tate his departure, he was furnished with all the rneans^ generosity could dictate. The lowly-born William Adams, when cast in wretchedness on the shores of Japan, was not, indeed, received as a prince ; yet this^ man, commencing life in the capacity of ‘ apprentice to Master Nicolas Diggines, of Limehouse,’ eventually attained rank and acquired possessions in the empire equal to those of a prince. With no claims to considera- tion but talent and good conduct, he became the esteemed councillor of the sagacious and powerful monarch hy whom the land that had afforded him shelter was ruled. In the course of his career, this man of humble origin appears as the negociator between the sovereign of his- PREFACE. xl native country and the foreign sovereign by whom he was patronised ; and in that capacity securing for his countrymen important advantages and privileges. Mer- chants, for a century, found a free and open market for their wares. They realised enormous profits, if cent, per cent, may be so deemed ; and, if reliance may be placed on the imperfect materials that exist for forming an estimate, they were enabled to enrich their native lands with stores of the precious metals to an incalcu- lable amount of value. Missionaries, from their advent, were allowed to commence a career of proselytism, and they pursued it with zeal and success.” Now among the visitors to Japan were many who, having been for a number of years domiciled in the land, with liberty to traverse the empire from shore to shore, either themselves wrote, or supplied the materials for lengthy and elaborate histories, graphic sketches, and painstaking details, that have since so well stood the test for truth, that, apart from some personal observa- tions, the main work of modern Avriters has been to con- firm and reiterate. Indeed, to give a list of the writers of every shade of religious and political opinions — Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, Protestants, sailors, merchants, and simple travellers, Avould be to catalogue a library of no small dimensions ; but from this library the Author has dra^vn his fa^ s, and those facts, side by side with the accounts of the mi='st recent travellers, tend to prove, that whatever may be the future of Japan, the manners and customs of the people of 1600 and 18 GO- differ but in a shade, and that, for good or for bad, the PREFACE. :x.ii old Adam, aye, and the Cain too, still lies but a littla below the surface of their nature. In concluding the labour of many months, the Author would only add, that, as he has attempted rather tc miuse than presumed to instruct, if the perusal of his work serves but to pleasantly while away a few hours ihe object of his ambition will have been attained. . William Dalton. CONTENTS CniPTER I. SANGTJiyE PROSPECTS, BUT SAD PARTINGS * • * • CHAPTER II. THE GREAT FLEET AND ITS FORTUNES CHAPTER III. AFTER MUCH AND LONG SUFFERINGS, WE ARRIVE IN JAPAN . CHAPTER IV. WILL ADAMS’S EARLY HISTORY CHAPTER V. THE GREAT ARMADA, AND HOW WILL OBTAINED HIS WIFE . CHAPTER VI. THE SPANIARD AND THE JESUIT .••••. CHAPTER VII. THE SPANIARD’S OFFER, AND ITS REJECTION . • • . CHAPTER VIII. THE STORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN . . • « . CnATTEB IX. THB CJESA8 9i JAPAN •••••««• pAoat 1 13 25 37 50 58 67 77 90 XIV CONTENTS, PAa« CHAPTER X. WE ABE SENT FOE BY THE EMEEROE . • • • • 94 CHAPTER XI. WE GO TO COURT, AND OUR ENEMIES ARE CIKCUMVENTED . 103 CHAPTER XII. WILL AGAIN SENT FOR BY OGOSHO, AND I FALL TO MEDITA- TATING ABOUT A PAIR OF BLACK EYES . .114 CHAPTER XIII. WE START FOR JEDDO, AND MEET WITH A GREAT LADY, WHOM WE SERVE . . 120 CHAPTER XIV. A TERRIBLE HISTORY . . . . • • 133 CHAPTER XV. 1 MEET WITH AN UNPLEASANT SURPRISE, BUT SAVE A KING'S LIFE 148 CHAPTER XVI. C AM APPOINTED TO A POST IN THE KING OF TANGO’S HOUSE- HOLD, AND MAKE A JOURNEY WITH THE QUEEN. — WILL REMAINS AT THE COURT OF THE EMPEROR . . . 158 CHAPTER XVII. MEETING OF THE ZIOGOON AND MIKADO l70 CHAPTER XVIII. 1 MIX MYSELF UP WITH THE JAPANNERS* POLITICS, AND GET INTO DIFFICULTIES 180 CHAPTER XIX. WE LEAVE MEACO AND REACH OS ACC A, BUT I AM SURPRISED BY THE JESUIT, LOSE MY CONSCIOUSNESS, AND FIND MY- SELF WITH THE LADY MARY 194 CHAPTER XX. l AM CHARGED WITH TREASON ; THE KING IS ENRAGED ; THE C ANUS IS IS DISCOMFITED, AND THE LADY MARY ACTS VERY STRANGELY 202 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXI. IN WHICH I VERIFi THE ADAGE THAT LISTENERS HEAR NO GOOD OF THEMSELVES, YET SAVE MY LIFE BY EAYES- DROrPING CHAPTER XXII. I SOLVE A MYSTERY, AND WELL SERVE THE QUEEN OF TANGO, THE LADY MARY, AND THE JESUIT . . . . CHAPTER XXIII. HISTORIC TRAGEDY. — THE DEATH OF A CHRISTIAN QUEEN CHAPTER XXIV. THE SPEEDY VICTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN AD5IIRAL IS MARRED BY A MORE SPEEDY DEFEAT, AND 1 AM AGAIN THE FOOT- BALL OF FORTUNE CHAPTER XXV. i AGAIN FALL IN WITH WILL, WHO RELATES THE STORY OF HIS GOOD FORTUNE; BUT TELLS OF SAD NEWS FROM ENGLAND CHAPTER XXVI. I AM MIXED UP WITH A STRANGE ADVENTURE, BUT MAKE A DISCOVERY THAT COMFORTS ME, ALTHOUGH I AM ALMOST IMMEDIATELY KIDNAPPED BY AN OLD ENEMY CHAPTER XXVII. HOW 1 SERVE UNDER MINE ENFMY ; WITNESS A MASSACRE OF THE JAPANNERS AT MACAO, AS ALSO THE VENGEANCE TAKEN BY THE LATTER AT NANGASAKI BAY, UPON THE SHORES OF WHICH I AM THROWN WITHOUT CEREMONY CHAPTER XXVIII. BEING THE LAST, AND WHEREIN IMPORTANT EVENTS HAPPEN, BUT WHICH IT WILL BE FOR THE ADVANTAGE OF READERS TO DISCOVER FOR THEMSELVES XV PAGE 2C8 217 224 234 214 257 266 281 WILL ADAMS BEFORE THE EMPEROR * . f FRONTISPIECE) THE SCENE IN THK ROYAL GARDEN . . . (TITLE-PAGE) M ILL ADAMS TAKES LEAVE OF HIS WIFB • , . V. 10 THE JAPANESE KINGS AND THEIR ATTENDANTS • . ,33 “ FROO, FROOj CISFROO ” 59 THE JESUIT AND THE SOLDIER 63 THE MARTYRDOM OF THE CHRISTIAN CHILDREN , , .88 THE LADY MARY DISCOVERED IN HER DISGUISE . . . 128 THE CHRISTIAN MOTHER TAKES LEAVE OF HER CHILDREN . Ill THE ATTEMPTED MURDER OF THE KING 153 THE PRIEST AND THE LADY NEAR THE TEMPLE . . . 186 THE JESUIT IN DISGUISE ....... 197 THE PRIEST FOILED 206 THE ESCAPE IN THE BOAT 213 AN EVIL DESIGN FRUSTRATED ...... 220 THE QUEEN PREPARING FOR DEATH . . , . . 233 A JAPANESE JAILOR 238 MEETING BETWEEN MELICHOB AND A Da MS . . . . 245 MELICHOR ESCAPED FROM THE WBltrK ..... 277 THE LAST DATS OF WILL ADAM0 296 WILL ADAMS, xlIE FIRST ENGLISHMAN IN JAPAN, CHAPTER I. SANGUINE PROSPECTS, BUT SAD PARTINGS. Although at this writing I am a man deep in years, 4still, praise be to God for ever and ever, my faculties are iis clear as upon that memorable day when I joined the fleet of the noble General Jacques Mahay, which at the instance of Master Verhagen, the rich merchant of Am* sterdam, and by permission of the good Prince Maurice, put to sea to make the voyage to the Indies ; and inas- much as, being of fair scholarship, it was my custom to make notes of events nearly as they happened during my long sojourn in the East, the reader may rest assured that the incidents and adventures set down in the fol- lowing narrative are true, albeit some of them may smack of romance ; but regarding this last word, I must chroni- cle it as my belief that the incidents in the lives of many of the soberest men, if collected and brought together upon paper, would, in the reading, relish more of ro- mance than many of the wildest coinings of the most ingenious brains. But to begin. I am 'ien, that Melichor von Sant- voort, late of the Dutch lactory at Nangasaki, and the same who accompanied the ill-fated Verhagen fleet in the year ol grace 1597, now at this present writing fifty yeans 1 2 ' MY BIRTH A^D PARENTAGE. ago*; by wMcli you will please to consider, that as, at the time of the setting out of the fleet, I had not completed more than twenty summers, you will find my age to be seventy years. Although descended from a good old Flemish stock,, many of the members of which had been sufficiently noble to hold notable offices at the courts of the Dukes of Bur- gundy — indeed, my father had been one of the chamber- lains of the Duchess-Eegent, the sister of Philip of Spain,, tyrant of the Netherlands, who, praise be to G^od, was ultimately discomfited by that noble prince, William the Silent, whose assassination by the miserable fanatic, Bal- thazar Gerard, deluged the land with the tears of a loving people — of my nobility I had but small cause to be proud^ for at his death, my father left me little else but a stout frame and an intolerable hatred of the cruel, avaricious Spaniard, a hatred for which I had good cause. Both my parents had fallen victims in the bloody shambles ot the red-handed Alva, while I, their only child, escaped, owing to the good offices of Master Verhagen, at that time a prosperous burgher, and one who, having more regard for his worldly than his spiritual interests, so* held the candle to the devil, or, in plainer words, so con- formed to the doctrines of Eome, bent his neck and opened his purse-strings to the ruthless Duke, that he- was permitted to hold his own, while thousands of his more obstinate fellow-countrymen fell beneath the rack,, fire, or swords of the Spaniards. But, be that as it may. Master Verhagen, who in early life had received many benefits from my father’s family, had sufficient gratitude to protect the orphan in his hour of trouble, so for my safety he took me with him upon one of his trade jour- neys to London, in which great city he left me with one Master Saris, under whose care I was to learn the huma- nities, and, for the better advancement of my future career, pick up some knowledge of barter and the ways of traffic ; and in London, praise be to Providence, I did learn the English language, and many other matters of great use to me in after life ; and by the time I reached my twentieth year, I had also' learned to regard ono* THE “VERHAGEN" ON HER JOURNEY. MAUD SARiS. 3 member of the good merchant's household after a fashion which he did not deem advantageous, either to myself or the person in question, who, indeed, was no other than his comely daughter, Maud. By reason of the discovery of certain passages between Maud and myself, he wrote complainingly to Master Ver- hagen, begging that he would advise him whether he held me in such love as to provide me with a fortune, or such means of making wealth that befitted the husband of the only daughter of so wealthy a merchant as himself ; but of this question I knew nothing, till one day Master Saris placed in my hand a sealed packet that had just been brought to him by a ship-master who had recently arrived from Holland. The packet contained a letter from Master Verhagen, drawn up in friendly terms, but still upbraiding me for practising upon the affections of the daughter of one who had treated me so kindly, and, moreover, commanding me to return to Amsterdam. Now at this writing I know not whether I felt most angry or pained at the contents of the letter. Anger, I suppose, must have been uppermost, for Master Saris, taking me by the hand, said — Melichor, thou hast not tht^ right to be angry for this thing, which, although thy first trouble, is for thine own good. Thou hast high blood, high pride, yet but a low purse ; qualities which, neither together nor sepa- rately, fit thee to be the son-in-law of one who owes all he possesses to the work of his own hands.” Now to this speech I should have made answer in words that would have troubled me till this writing, had not the good man added almost affectionately, “ Still, Melichor, thy scant purse would not have stood thine enemy in my eyes, for that might be mended ; but I have observed that amidst all thy good qualities — and I admit many — thou hast a pride and restlessness that would unfit thee for the plodding life of a trafiicker in cloths and other goods : but,” and as he spoke he shook me warmly by the hand, “ let us not part in anger, for to- morrow thou returnest to Master Verhagen's house.” ‘‘ Nay,” I replied, warmly, ‘^that will I never do ; for 1—2 4 I LEAVE THE SERVICE OF MASTER SARIS. it is he, — lie too, who received benefits from my father, who hath made this mischief.’^ “Tut, Melichor, thou must, for the good merchant stands to thee in the light of a parent ; and if thou art so unruly as to disobey him, even if hereafter thou ob- tainest the wealth of the Indies, thou shalt not have Maud to wife.” “ Then,” said I, a gleam of hope flashing across my lieart, “ may I ever dare T “ By my faith thou mayest, and there is my hand upon it,” replied he, adding, “ but remember, Melichor, pro- viding only that thou returnest to Master Verhagen, and so fittest thyself for trade and traffic, that in a few years thou mayest think the fluid in thine iiik-horn of more real nobility than that in thy veins.” “ Master Saris, I will obey thy behest,” was my reply ; but my heart sickening at the consciousness of my po- verty, I added, “ But, alas ! what may I do without gold among traffickers in goods ? No, the sword is my inherit- ance, and by that alone can I hope to gain either wealth or Maud ; so will I at once to Master Verhagen, and having claimed some monies of mine own, then seek the brave Stadtholder Maurice, and, reminding his highness of my father’s services and fate, claim a place in his ranks.” But a frown darkened the countenance of Master Saris, and, clutching mj arm, he said firmly — “ Young man, it is as I have said, thy stomach is too high for a home-stayer and trader, yet shall no SAvasli- buckler of the sword wed my daughter. But,” he added, “ there is yet another course. Thou art restless, bold, and fearless, qualities which, although they will neither serve thy object here nor in Amsterdam, yet might ad- vantage thee in the Indies, where the rascal Spaniard is reaping such golden fruit that the good merchants of London and Amsterdam are well-nigh mad with jealousy. Nay, even now while we speak, a fleet of good ships is lying in the Texel, in which Master Verhagen has ven- tured so much of his substance, that it is even called after the worthy burgher’s name.” DUTCH ITvADERS. 5 Aye, Master Saris, I have of late had much speech with certain ship-masters concerning this lieet, and its destination, which, although it promises much of mis- chance, yet holds otit such hopes of repairing fallen for- tunes, that I will crave Master Verhagen’s permission to accompany it,” I replied ; adding with enthusiasm, ‘‘ aye, if it he but as a ship-boy.” ‘‘ Now, Melichor, boy, thou art in the right mind, and of the same, too, as Master Verhagen ; for see what he writes.” So saying, he placed in my hands a letter he had received from my guardian, in which I now found that it was the intention of the latter to send me to sea as purser, or keeper of the merchandize, in one of his ships ; and, disloyal as it may seem to the god Cupid, for the moment I felt more over-joyed than if Master Saris had there and then bestowed upon me the hand o Maud, but then my readers must remember that the re- cent voyages and adventures of the navigators, Drake, Frobisher, Candish, and Hawkins, with the sound drub- bings they had given the Spaniards and Portugals, and the wealth they had conquered from them by their own bravery, had set the brains of all the youth of England and the United Provinces of Holland on fire. Indeed, the blood of that man must have been thinner than water who could have contented himself at his ease, either in palace or warehouse, while the best of the land, either as officers or common ship-men, were scouring the great ocean with the hope of benefiting their fellow-men by the discovery of new, and the opening to traffic old coun- tries, and that, too, with many opportunities of drubbing the Spaniards. Now anent this madness for voyages to the East, you must know that for more than a hundred years after the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope by Vasco de Gama, the profitable traffic of the Indian seas was monopolised by the Portugals, to the great hurt and jealousy of all other nations, who, being too weak at sea to dispute this ocean sovereignty, were compelled to purchase Indian merchandize at the city of Lisbon, by reason of which that city soon became the richest and most populous of European caj)itals. 6 THE SPANIARDS When, however, the Spaniards discovered another pas- sage to the Indies, by way of the Straits of Magellan, they, after the same fashion, claimed the especial sove- reignty of that new sea-road, and by every means of knavery and defiance endeavoured to prevent the ships of other nations from floating in those seas ; and so strong and of such great force were they, that, for a time, the English endeavoured to make a road of their own by way of a north-eastern, a north-western, and even a northern passage to India, directly over the pole. As for the Dutch, while subjects of the Spaniard they were content to purchase Indian merchandize at Lisbon, to sell again in the markets of northern Europe. But upon the termination of the great and blessed revolt of the Netherlands, and their erection into the United Pro- vinces, my countrymen determined to punish their late tyrants in their sorest place, the South Seas, and so gain a share of the Indian traffic ; and this determination fell out as I will relate. ^ When, in the year 1580, the Spanish and Portugal dominions became united under the Spanish crown, the latter sovereign not only commanded that the Dutch should be excluded from all trade with Lisbon, but that their ships then in port should be confiscated, and their masters imprisoned. Now it fell out that this tyrannical act brought down its own punishment, for Cornelius Houtman, being one of those ship-masters who were thrown into prison, got into such conversations with some Portugal sailors, that he obtained from them all their knowledge of the Indian seas and countries ; and so full was he of this information, and upon his return to Amsterdam such tales did he tell, and so well did he work upon people’s minds, that a number of merchants agreed to associate together to fit out a fleet of eight vessels, four being to avoid the Spaniards and Portugals, and thus make the experiment of a north-eastern passage, while the other four were so armed and manned that they might, if necessary, contest the passage to India, and the Portuguese road of the Cape of Good Hope. ^ The first fleet, under the command of Hugh Linschooten, made AND THE DUTCH. 7 the discovery of Nova Zembla, which, although a loss to the merchants in tlie sense of lucre, was attended with important results, as it evidenced the boundaries of man's knowledge of the globe. As for Houtman's fleet, it pro- duced an immediate effect, for that general reached the west coast of Java, and, notwithstanding signal opposi- tion from the Portugals who were established in Bantam, and with whom he had to fight many bloody battles, he managed to open up a trade with the natives ; and the success of this expedition, although not great as a trading matter, so whetted the appetites of the merchants for further trade direct with the Indies, that in the year of our Lord 1598, they fitted out four separate fleets, in one of which it was the pleasure of my guardian, who was half owner of the vessels and goods, to ship me in the capacity of purser. How the ships of the Verhagen fleet were ordered and commanded. Master Saris read aloud to me from my guardian's letter. The first ship was the ‘ Admiral,' and was to carry the general. Sir Jacques Mahay ; the ^Charity,' which was the vice-admiral, and carried the lieutenant-general, Simon des Cordes ; the ‘ Faith,' Cap- tain Sebald de Wert ; the ‘ Fidelity,' Captain Binning- ham ; and the ‘ Good News,' Captain Borkholt ; all names, as you will see, of good omen, and piously given. Moreover, for the better safety of the expedition, the worshipful merchants had engaged as pilot-major one who had not only seen much service, he having served the greater part of his life in the ships of the queen of England — indeed, he had been in Master Martin Fro- bisher's ship at the time the drubbing had been given to the Armada, so boastfully by the Spaniards called the Invincible. Then in the same fleet with this brave pilot was another pilot, his friend, called Timothy Shotten, who had made the voyage round the world with Master Candish, and there was the brother of the pilot-major, and one Spring, another English mariner, great in his knowledge of navigation, besides several other English- men of bravery and experience, but of lesser note among shipmen and navigators, all of whom, being English, r GC ON BOARD. served the Netherlander merchants, because those of thei? own country, not then being given to commerce upon so large a scale, had not employment for such adventurous spirits as had been round the globe with Drake, Frobisher, or private adventurers like unto Master Candish, who could equip a fleet out of his own estate, and that, too, after such a fashion, that it might defy the ships of the Portugals and Spaniards, the enemies of almost all other Christian people. The remainder of the day upon which I received this news I was mightily joyful, thinking over my new pro- spects ; but the next morning the presence of Mistress Saris made me sad at the thoughts of leaving England^ and for her I would have resigned all my bright hopes ; but then it was for her those hopes had been built, for her it was that I was about to encounter unheard of dangers ; at least, I thought, or tried to think, that it was love, and not ambition or gold for its own sake, that had so engaged me. But it is even now an unpleasant theme, and there- fore will I at once dismiss it. Be it known, therefore, that after a sad parting with Mistress Maud, an exchange of vows and plain gold rings, I took my departure the following day for Chatham, at which place lay the ship which was to take me to the Texel. The same night I slept at an inn, near the great dock then building for her Majesty’s ships. The next morning, followed by a porter who carried my small amount of luggage, I proceeded down to the river, and hailed a boat. “ To the Dutchman, my master]” said an old Armada veteran, pointing to a small lugger-built vessel lying out in the middle of the Medway, and with the flag of the United Provinces flying from her mast. ‘‘ Aye, aye, as speedily as may be,” said I ; but as I stepped into the stern-sheets, there came some half dozen men, who, from their maimed and wounded state, I could see belonged to the ‘‘Chest,” an institution which, by way of parenthesis, I may say had been established some twenty years before by the sailors of her Majesty’s ships, each of whom contributed from his pay a portion for the relief of their fellow-countrymen who had been wounded in the great drubbing of the Spanish Armada. AN ARraVAL. 9 Two of the lesser disabled of the veterans were carry- ing a heavy sea trunk, and as they almost hobbled along,, lustily repeated the popular song describing the defeat of the Don, the refrain of which was taken up by the- four others, who, however, no sooner saw me, than stop- ping at once, they cried out to me to unship myself for a better man. Belay there, mate, this springald is bound to the same craft as our old shipmate,’’ said the owner of the boat. ‘‘ Howsomd’ever that may be, he does not ship him* self before his betters,” was the reply ; and I believe they would instantly have dragged me ashore, but at that moment their attention was arrested by the coming of some other persons, cheered along as they came by some fifty or sixty veterans. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I laid backwards in the boat, indeed, be- hind the sail. As they approached the boat, the veteran escort formed to the right and to the left, leaving a channel which dis- closed to me a man whose dress bespoke him to be a sea officer, although of what rank I could not tell. He was> of tall stature — taller than any around ; his limbs were stalwart and sinewy, his face deeply bronzed, and lined as if with wear, tear, and care ; his forehead was broad and prominent, the lips were thin and close, the nose large, and nostril extensive, as is the case with most men of great and generous motives ; the eyes were large,, lustrous, full, deep blue, and his hair was of light brown,, long, and flowing over his shoulder ; his moustache was thin, but lengthy, and his beard short and pointed. In- deed, from the fall of his footstep, the firmness in which his features were cast, and the inflated nostril, whoever he might be, he struck me as one in whose mind execu- tion waited upon conception, as the report and bullet upon the flash. The veterans had moved aside to per- mit him a farewell word with his wife and two boys, all of whom, like himself, had the light hair and blue eyes of tlie Saxon. They were a brave family : whatever tears might have been shed in private, neither mother nor children wore 10 A SAD PARTING. .aught but smiles ; nay, their eyes sent forth glances of X^ride, as if at the past and future of their dear relation, -of his dangers and triumphs, of joy, as they saw the es- timation in which he was held by the brave men, once his companions in arms and danger, around them. The family group stood alone for some minutes in whispered conversation, the veterans looking on with dry •eyes. They had conversed earnestly for some minutes ; the father embraced the two boys ; then, as if the leave- taking had passed, the veterans gave a volley of cheers. This aroused the officer : he would postpone the last, the sacred farewell, the one dear hand that should touch his last, the full melting eyes, whose glances should min- gle with his, and fall into his innermost heart, there to remain indelible in far distant lands, and so he unclasped his wife’s hand. It was time if he would preserve his manliness, for both pairs of blue eyes were full : one tear drop had fallen. He ran towards the veterans ; lus- tily they cheered, and warmly they shook him by the A SAD PARTING. 11 hand, and now, with choking voices, bade him God speed, and if he ever fell in with the Dons, to remember good Queen Bess, and Drake and Frobisher, and the drubbing ^ they had received in sight of the white cliffs they had sought to darken with their black countenances. Then ' the feeling of glory was uppermost : the boys flung their . tiny hands in the air, and the bold Saxon woman, worthy sister of the great Queen her sovereign, whose glory had made the women of England like those of old Sparta, waved her fair hand also ; but notwithstanding the knit- ted brow and the compressed lip, the dear arm was no sooner around her neck, and the warm lips upon her cheek, than the tears bedewed her face. “Now God take thee in his keeping, Bess, for thou art but a woman, though a brave one.” “ God help me, dear Will ; I am but a wife, no more and she now sobbed aloud, for her pride was gone ; — no, not gone, for it was her woman’s pride that the wife’s love, in its weakness and its strength, should be upper- most in her brave heart. “ Tut, dear Bess, this voyage — my last, I promise ye — may make thee flaunt it among the best dames in the land ; for call ye not to mind the glories of Drake and Frobisher ? and they were my generals.” So saying, he impressed one long kiss upon her forehead, leaped into the boat, and waved his hand, amid the cheers of the veterans, and cries of “ Success to the brave Will, and may it be thy lot to meet many a whiskered Don !” But while the boat moved toward the ship, the fearless sea- man held his head upon his hands, strained his eyes towards the shore, and sobbed aloud like a child, as in- deed he was at heart. ^ Not till the boat grated against the sides of the ship did my companion turn his gaze from the shore, nay, nor till the “ How fares it v.dth thee. Master Adams f of the master aroused him from his sorrowful reverie. « Then, however, he hastily sprang up the sides, and, as his feet once more felt the deck, and his hand grasped that of the Dutch captain, his countenance brightened, and the bitter pangs of parting with his family became softened by the 12 M’ILL ADAMS. professional pride of the pilot, which I soon divined him to be ; for having answered the captain’s greeting, he proceeded at once to busy himself with the men, who were letting the ship down the river, and that, too, chiefly, I believe, that in the bustle he might lose all present thoughts of those from whom he was about to be severed so long — aye, God only knew how long f This, then, I thought, as, mounting the sides after him, I heard the greeting of the captain, is the William Adams- to whom the Amsterdam merchants have entrusted the pilot-majorship of the fleet, this, then, is the man who has traversed the globe with the greatest navigators of the age, and with whom I am to sail ; and so great was my joy, that I longed to make it known to him I was te be his shipmate on the long voyage. At that time, however, my wish was not to be gratified, for so busily was he en- gaged in his duties during the day, that I could get no speech with him, and when night came, by which time* we were off the North Foreland, I felt so ill with sea- sickness, that I took to my berth, and there remained in my great misery, longing rather for instant death, than desiring to make discoveries, or gain riches in the Indies. This want, however, of my sea-legs brought with it its consolation, viz. that speech with Master Adams I sa much desired; during my illness, at which, although very severe, the captain of the vessel and the mates laughed and jeered, he, who had traversed well nigh as many seas as those boasters had countries, stood by me, at least when the duties of the ship permitted, and tended me with the loving-kindness of a parent, so I soon found' an opportunity of telling him that we were destined to sail together. I was somewhat chagrined, however, to* find the small opinion he had of my powers of withstand- ing danger and fatigue ; for once, and that was the day we entered the Texel, after I had spoken with undis- guised exultation at the prospects of the voyage, lie re- plied, “Verily, Master Melichor, it is not a pleasure- voyage in a gilded cock-boat that we are going, but one of so much peril that it will try the powers of stronger built, if not braver-hearted navigators than thyself; yet THE GREAT FLEET AND ITS FORTUNES. 13 if it be the will of the worshipful Master Verhagen that thou shouldst encounter these perils, it is not for me his servant, or thou his ward, to cry nay, but to obey cheer- fully, and trust to the mercy of God, whose name be praised for ever and ever.” Thus it was I made the acquaintance of William Adams ; but now, that the reader may not be kept in sus- pense, and too long a time from those adventures, which must be chiefly interesting to him, as they happened in the far off land of J apan, I will pass over such matters as my meeting and farewell with Master Verhagen, and pro- ceed at once to relate the main incidents of our most dis- astrous expedition. For those who may be curious as to the details of many mishaps which happened to that fleet, its officers and crew, they will find them related in sundry letters writ by Master Adams, and likewise in the account given by Master Sebald de Wert, one of the only two captains whom God permitted to re-visit his native land. CHAPTER II. THE GREAT FLEET AND ITS FORTUNES. Never was a gigantic bladder of human hopes set afloat under happier auspices ; nay, nature herself aided to puff at to its greatest extension, and so delude the vanity of Dutchmen. ^ The shores were lined with holiday-dressed spectators, the waters Avere covered Avith freshly-painted and decorated barges and other craft, bearing the princes, merchants, magistrates — in a sentence, the stateliest, Avealthiest, and most beautiful Holland. From main- mast tops to their keels, the gaflant vessels Avere croAATled Avith men Avhose courage AA^as undoubted, even if their ex- perience was small, and Avhose hearts Avere filled with de- light, no less at the prospect before them, than at the sight of the fluttering flag of the United Provinces, then neAA", but AAdiich soon promised to be as victorious in the 14 GOOD CHEER. great South Seas and islands of the Indies, as had been that of the Spaniard and Portugal, with which it was destined it should so soon and often come into bloody con- tact. Loud was the roaring from the ordnance on shore, and return salutes from the great brass pieces on board the vessels which held the merchant adventurers then initiating the birth of the since so great and wealthy Dutch East-Tndia Company ; for sad as was the miscar- riage of that particular expedition, it was yet the first germ of that mighty Society which now rules the seas, al- beit our worthy neighbours and friends of the English nation, emboldened, or rendered envious of our successes, have since formed, I hear, a somewhat similar Company, and establishment in the Indies. Then, as the anchors were lifted from their briny beds, as much by the bound- ing hearts as by the hands of the sailors, amidst the thun- dering of the cannon, the sun shone, as it only shines in J une, and then but rarely, as it did, at least, to my think- ing, (who from that day for more than twenty long years thenceforth saw it shine in widely distant latitudes,) on that twenty-third day of June, in the year of our Lord fifteen hundred and ninety-eight, when the celebrated Verhagen fleet sailed from the Texel. Great as had been the liberality of expenditure in the doings on shore, it was equalled by the profuseness on board the vessels: indeed, had there been a judicious^ economy pursued at the commencement of the voyage, it would have prevented much suffering and real starvation ultimately ; and that was the opinion of Master Adams : for one day, while becalmed off the coast of England, the officers had met to enjoy a last glorification previous tn entering upon the serious business of the voyage in the cabin of Jacob Quaekernack, the master of the vessel in which I sailed, and which ship was the admiral. There were present a young man, one Detson Hudcoopee, who was not only of kin to the lieutenant-general Simon des Cordes, but in great favour with Sir Jacques Mahay, our general. Master Adams, pilot-major of the fleet ; Thomas his brother, the master, the mates, and myself the purser. Well, being off the coast of England, the master Quack- DUTCH nOSPlTALITV. 15 ernack, out of courtesy to the Englishmen present, chal- lenged the health of their queen, which being drunk, her proceeded to glorify our merchants for their liberality^ saying — “ What think you. Master Adams, of the cheer provided by our worshipful merchants for those who sail under their flag T “ Truly it is a question that may not be answered in this presence without churlishness,’’ was the reply. “ Nay, to my thinking ’tis the more churlish to deny answering such a question. Master Adams, since the wor- shipful Company have entrusted thee with the care of their fleet,” said Hudcoopee. “ Then, by the favour of this good company, will I by way of answer honestly tell thee, that at the commence- ment of a voyage it is the way of us English to have some godliness, more discipline, and less good cheer, for fear there may chance to be short allowance and little bodily strength or good humour upon our homeward passage,”^ said Will. Tut, man ! thou art doubtless a bold shipman and a skilled pilot, but methinks thou wouldst make but a sorry steward, at least in the men’s minds, for good wine makes the spirits flow, and ’tis the humour of the men that makes the ships to go,” said Quackernack. “Under thy favour. Master Quackernack, I take it, it is not the wine, for the sooner that becomes scarce the better for discipline, but the water and the live meat, that my brother begrudges,” interposed Tom Adams, and Will bent his head approvingly. “ Beshrewme, man, but thou art forgetful of the islands- in our course, where goats, beeves, and other animals are to be found,” said the master. “ Thou hast been misinformed. Master Quackernack, by my faith thou hast, or my experience goes for nought,” replied Will sturdily. “ Aye, but even should it be so,” replied the master quickly, and with some alarm adding, “what wouldst thou counsel T “ That these recommendations of the gracious Elizabeth. u ENGLISH LAWS. to the crews of the fleets of tlie worthy knights Drake and Frobisher, should be enforced,” replied Will, pulling from his pocket a printed paper. “ By my honour thou art a careful pilot, and worthy of thy business to be so prepared. Let us hear the contents of that paper. Master Adams,” said Hudcoopee, and Will complied with the request. The recommendations were to the following effect, that ‘‘ Commanders of ships should pay the strictest atten- tion, First, that Divine worship be performed twice a day. Secondly, that all blasphemous expressions, profane swearing, lewd conversation, dicing, and every other de- scription of gaming, so often the cause of quarrels which lead to murders, the especial object of God’s indignation, be forbidden. Thirdly, that every kind of filthiness be removed from within board, cleanliness being a notable preservative of health, and want of cleanliness the cause uf‘ breeding sickness. Fourthly, in their intercourse with •strangers, particularly with uncivilized people, the crews are directed to avoid every kind of violence, to conduct themselves with civility and kindness, which tends to promote the honour of the country. Fifthly, that the men, after having been long confined to sea-fare, may not injure themselves, either by eating immoderately, or by partaking of improper food. Lastly, That care be taken not to allow waste of the fresh meat, and that the com- fortable things wherewith every ship is furnished be not •spent in rioting and banquetting, so that the sick may hereafter perish for want of things needful. “ By my hope of meeting a Sjianish galleon, no bad .articles either, providing they could be carried out,” said •Quackernack, who had been attentively listening, with his head upon his hands and his elbows upon the cabin table. ‘‘ Thou art in the right so to say. Master Quackernack, and, by God’s grace, will I endeavour to persuade the general to the same way of thinking,” replied Will. “ Beg of him also to ship a priest at the first port we 11 ake, or we cannot carry out the English article number one,” said Hudcoopee, with a sneer. SHORT RATIO^:S. 17 By the StacltliolJer, it would bo no sucli bad notion either. Let us learn where we may, that's my mind,’' said Quackernack. ‘‘Faith, it would bring a smile into the face of the bloody Spaniard himself, to hear of us Dutchmen getting our sea-schooling of the English,” replied Hudcoopee sneeringly ; but as it was ever the habit of Will to avoid disputes, and moreover that he knew Hudcoopee possessed the ear of Sir Jacques Mahay, he replied by draining off a horn of wine to the success of both Dutch and English, and confusion to the Spaniard, which, restoring the good humour, ended the matter. The next day, however. Will did endeavour to persuade the general to more economy and discipline, but Hud- coopee, being dead against all his suggestions, matters continued as they were till about the twentieth of August, when we were running near the Cape de Verds, by which time our provisions had become so scarce, that the whole of the crews were placed upon half rations, a regulation that was necessary, but which speedily produced both scurvy and discontent ; and to such an extent did the latter prevail in our ship, that for fear of open mutiny, the officers kept themselves upon the alert, and doubly armed both by night and day. At the sight, however, of the De Verds, the hearts of all but Will Adams and his brother rejoiced, and the general ordered the signal to be made to summon the captains and pilots to a council on board the admiral. Well, when the council was sitting, and Thomas Adams and I were leaning against one of the great guns, anxiously awaiting the result, and conversing upon the chances that provisions and water were or were not to be had for the landing, word was passed through the ship for Gilbert de Canning and Absolon van Owater (both old shipmen) to attend the council, when, as they passed, Thomas Adams muttered — “ By my life but those knaves should be strung up to the yard-arm.” “ Wherefore 1 What mean you by these words] they arc tvfo of the qur^'^st men in the ^eet,” said I. 2 18 CONSEQUENT DISOONTENT. Aye, doubtless, but by that reason they are rogues, I tell ye. Master Meliclior : that fellow Canning has soft- talked Master Hudcoopee into a belief that yon islands abound with goats and other eatable animals.” “ Then by my honour, if it be true he should be re- warded well, for we are in sore want of food,” said I. “ Tut, tut, man alive, it is a lie : of my own knowledge it is a lie, and told, that the general may send him with a party ashore.” Even so : there can be no great harm in the fellows’ wanting to stretch their legs after being so long cooped up aboard,” said I. Nay, listen,” replied he : adding, in a whisper, It is that they may desert the ship, for so I overheard them plan during last mid-w’atch.” ‘‘ Mutiny by heavens ! and the general should know this,” said I, startled at the intelligence. ‘‘ Aye, aye, Meliclior, even now he may have know- ledge of the knaves’ intention ; that is, if my brother Will has deemed it wise to tell him ; but I misdoubt not that he has, for when I reported to him what I had over- heard, he said, ^ Keep thy discovery to thyself, brother ; for if the council act upon the lie of Canning, it will be time sufficient to arrest them ; but if not — and it shall be my endeavour to prevent them — the rascals will be better at their work than in irons, as assuredly they must b(; placed, should the general come by this know- ledge.’ ” We were not long kept in suspense as to the result, for the council breaking up, we saw the two men. Can- ning and Owater, brought forth between a file of soldiers. Ah ! the rascals have so nearly had their way that Will das been compelled to checkmate them with their own plan,” said Thomas. ‘‘ Thanks, then, to thy quick wit, we shall not remain upon this pestilential coast,” said I. “ Nay, thou art too quick at conclusions. Master Meli- chor,” said Will, coming behind us; adding, ‘Tor although the cunning of these fellows is circumvented. Master Hudcoopee and the master have such faith in the exis- PASSING THROUGH THE STRAITS OF MAGELLAN, p. 19. WE LOSE OUR GENERAL. 19 tence of food and water upon yon island, that they have persuaded the general to come to anchor, and land the sick upon St. Jago, where they are to remain while our foraging party is to he sent into the interior ; moreover, their worships the captains have taken in such high dud- geon the opposition of master Shotten and myself, that they have ruled that for the future no pilot shall take his seat at the council table.” Thus, by the perverseness of some, and the jealousy of others, we were detained at St. Jago for twenty-four days; at the end of which time, namely, the 15th of September, we left the island, not only without adding to our stock of provisions, but with one-half of the men down with the scurvy, of which fell disease, soon after, when we had passed the line to two or three degrees south latitude, died our general, the gallant Jacques Mahay. The new General, Simon des Cordes, whose ship now, instead of ours, was made the admiral, ordered the fleet to bear for Cape Gonsalves, upon the coast of Guinea, where we again landed the sick for the bettering of their health, but where, alas ! the greater part died. We again set sail, and kept on our course till we fell in with the Isle of Annabon, at which place we were in such misery and desperation, that we determined to obtain provisions, or leave our bones upon the land ; therefore we attacked the town, and thereby obtained some relief, yet in so small a degree, that when we sailed therefrom, the rations per diem for each man were only a quarter of a pound of bread, with a like small propor- tion of wine and water, which scant allowance brought so much feebleness and ravenous hunger that our poor men fell to eating even the calf-skins with which the ropes were covered. All this, however, was but the beginning ; for although we entered the first narrow of the Straits of Magellan upon the 6th of April, we did not leave that sea for five months ; and notwithstanding that, during that time, we found great stores of penguins, one hundred of our men died, and that by reason of so much toil, that was rendered more irksome and miser- ^0 THE SOUTH SEA. able, inasmuch as nought they could do would further our voyage. Truly, nothing in this world could be more miserable than those months passed amid incessant snow^ hail, hunger, losses of anchor and masts, sickness, deaths want of stores, and the great cold, which, by increasing our appetites, made scantier our small supply of pro- visions. At last, upon the twentieth of August, we entered the great South Sea, but, seven days afterwards, there happened such a great storm, that our ships separated from each other, nor did we again fall in with the admiral ship and our general until the 9th of October. Then we set sail for the coast of Chili, which, upon our setting out, had been appointed for our general meeting, and vdiich coast we were right glad to reach, for we had great hopes of bartering some of our merchandise with the natives for provisions ; but some knave Spaniards- being amongst the savages, they not only prevented this, but, after their like, treacherously endeavoured to entrap the chief among us on shore. Then, having fruitlessly waited twenty d^ays for the coming up of the rest of our fleet, we again set sail, and ran by Valdivia to the Island of Mocha, at which place happened a great misfortune, as I will relate. Now during our great distress no man had stood up so manfully, ever working, never repining, like Will Adams, and of a verity it seemed as if his good spirits- brought their own reward ; for although almost all of us- had, at one time or other, been laid upon our backs by sickness, he continued sound and whole. So far had Will remained unscathed by misfortune : his turn, how- ever, came soon after our arrival at Mocha. The appearance of our ship was the signal for the gathering of the naked but well-armed savages along shore, and that, too, evidently for the purpose of pre- venting our landing. Starve, however, we would not, so land we must : therefore, as Will Adams and his brother were the only officers on board with health and strength enough, they, accompanied by thirty men, took to t lie- boats, and, after a desperate %ht, in which the greater THE ISLAND OF MOCHA. 21 nrmber were wounded with arrows, effected a landing, ai d drove the savages some distance inland. Then, b( lieving the time had come for a parley, the two b others held above their heads knives and pieces of cloth, making, to the best of their endeavours, signs that they wished to exchange such articles for food, fruits, and water. Whereupon several, who seemed to be chiefs among the savages, advanced some distance in front of their people, gesticulating and chattering in a language which Will making out to be Spanish, he called out to his men to know if there were any among them who knew the knave Spaniards’ tongue. Canning knows the lingo,” was the reply. That Canning should be the only man on board who could converse with the natives was unfortunate, for it was scarcely prudent to trust him ashore ; yet such was our strait, that Will had no choice but to send his brother to fetch from the ship this fellow, who was released from his irons. Canning, being then sent forward as ambassador, and finding the savages acquainted with sufficient Spanish words, held a long conference with the chiefs, who, he told Will, would willingly barter with us on the morrow, but that night he and his party must return to the ship ; — a scurvy concession, it must be owned ; still it was all he could get, and so Will bade Canning tell the chiefs the party would come ashore again in the morning ; but no sooner had Canning delivered the message, than he was seized from behind by two of the savages. Treachery ! To the rescue !” cried Will, and on the instant all those who were not too badly wounded sprang forward with their muskets in their hands ; fire, how- ever, they could not, for the cunning wretches held Canning in their front. Then Canning cried out to his shipmates not to advance, or the savages would murder him. Then, with the two parties within a few yards of each other. Canning called out to Will that the chiefs intended him no harm, but that as a shipful of white men had some time before landed^ plundered and killed many of their people, they 2'2 TnEACHERY. had seized him as a hostage that our crew should not do likewise ; moreover, they intended to keep him with them till the next day, when, providing no greater number of persons landed than was sufficient to barter and carry away the provisions, they would let him depart unharmed ; and again Will was obliged to comply,