Diary of Richard Cocks, Cape-Merchant in the English Factory in Japan 1615-1622, with Correspondence

Volume I

Edward Maunde Thompson, Edward Maunde Thompson

• Publisher: Hakluyt Society
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781317151357
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Early Modern History
• Index: History

Ends December 1617. Continued to 1622 in the following volume (First Series 67). This is a new print-on-demand hardback edition of the volume first published in 1883.

DIARY OF RICHARD COCKS.

THE JOURNALL OR DAILYE BOOK OF ALL ACCURRANTES HAPPENYNG,
BEGUN AT FIRANDO, IN JAPON, PER ME RIC. COCKS, LE 1TH
DAY OF JUNE, 1615, STILO VETRI.

June 1.—We bought 5 greate square postes of the kinges master carpenter; cost 2 mas 6 condrins¹ per peece. And I delivered unto Nicholas Martyn one small bar gould, cost eight riall of eight² and a half, is six taies eight mas, for which he is answerable. Also I delivered a great bar gold, poz. fowre taies and fowre mas and two condrins, rated at fiftie and five taies as yt cost; and is to send to Capt. Whowe, the Capt. Chinas³ brother, at Langasaque;⁴ to geve in a present at a christning, as apereth per advice.

Also I paid, per Mr. Nealson, for washing linen, two mas 6 condrins.

And late within night Mr. Wickham arived here in company of Damian Marines, and brought word the junck was at Goto, they being put from Liquea⁵ to have proceaded on their voyage for Syam; but, being at sea, the unruly companie would have gon for Cochinchina, and so Mr. Wickham standing against it, remembring our former losse theare (as I gave hym in comition), they retorned back for these partes. Capt. Adames hath wrot me that the boateswaine and carpenter are in most falte, being mutenouse knaves, etc.

June 2.—Capt. Adames and Ed. Sayer wrot me 2 letters from Goto of 30th May; and Mr. Adames sent me a bag of potatos, and Ed. Sayer sent me a pece lik lynen (or rather silk) and the lyke to Mr. Eaton and Mr. Nealson. And Mr. Wickham gave me a jar of potatos. And Damian Marines brought me a dish of plantians and another of pottatos, etc. I receved a letter from Jno. de Lievano, the Spaniard. And Mr. Wickham went and visited Bongo Dono,¹ and carid hym a present of 2 pec. Liquea cloth and a dish of pottatos; and tould hym how matters stood about our junck, and withall asked his counsell, whether it were best to let our junck stay at Goto to be trymbd, or else to bring her for Firando. And his opynion was (as many others are the lyke, and among the rest my selfe) that it is best to bring her for Firando, for divers occations.

We had news to day that Ogosho Samme hath taken the fortres of Osekey and overthrown the forses of Fidaia Samme.² Others say that most of the forses of Fidaia Samme issued out of the fortrese, and sallid out 3 leagues toward Miaco, but were encountred by the Emperours forses and put to the worse, many of them being slaughtered and the rest driven back into the fortresse, etc. Bongo Dono sent a bark this day to Crates¹ to bring him the certenty of the newse.

June 3.—I thought good to note downe that a padre or Jesuit came to the English howse and said his name was Tomas and a Bisken by nation, and gave it out he was a merchant; and others gave hym the name of Captain. Yet I knew what he was, having seen hym in this howse before, etc. He beged a littell allowaies² of me, which I gave hym, as I did the like when he was here before. For you must understand that these padres have all the gifte of beging, and allwais answer : “Sea por l’amor de dios.” This is a generali note to know them by, for they cannot so counterfet but that word will still be thrust out. This padre, Tomas (or Capt.), tould me that they stood in dowbt that the King of Shashma¹ would destroy Langasaque and bring all these partes beloe Shiminaseque² under his subiection, as being geven him by Fidaia Samme; but I believe it not, for now word is com on a sudden that all the streets must be made cleane, for that the King of Shashma is expected to be heare this night, he being bound up with great forces.

June 4.—We bought 40 boardes at 5 per mas, small plate; and 4 cacas³ at 12 condrins peece, small plate.

And about nowne wo had news that the King of Shashma was coming into this road with 500 barks full of souldiers; soe we laid out a present for him as followeth :—

	ta.	ma.	co.
3 pec. rich damasks of Lankin,^4 cost 16 taies per peece is	48	0	0
10 pec. byrams nill of 15 Rs. per corge^5 is	05	6	4
10 pec. red zelas, of 12 Rs. per corg is	04	8	0
10 pec. whit baftas, viz., 6 of 11, and 4 of 9 Rs corg is	04	0	8
10 pec. of duttis^6 of 12 Rs. per corge	04	8	0
Som totall amontes unto	67	3	2

Soe, Mr. Wickham accompanying me, we went and delivered the present, which he took in good parte, offring our nation favorable entertaynment yf we came to traffick in his domynions. I put out a word how the Liqueans refuse to let us trym our junk to have proceaded from thence on our voyag for Syam;⁷ but he said littell thereto, but answered, at his retorne he wold talke with me and geve me a present. I said I had receved suffition at his highnes hands in havinge the good hap to see the face of soe mightie a king as the King of Shashma; whereat he smiled. And soe we craved lycence and retorned.

Bongo Dono was with hym before and gave hym a present, and came from hym as we went to hym; but we had byn with hym before hym, yf he had not sent a boate to call us back till he had first vizeted hym.

And at present a letter is com to Bongo Dono from Faccatay,¹ wherin he is advized that the Emperour hath overthrowne the forses of Fidaia Samme, soe that he, his mother, and child have cut their bellies; but that his wife is sent back to her father Shongo Samme, King of Edo and to succeed in the Empire.²

June 5.—There came letters from the King of Firando to Bongo Dono, that it is true that the Emperour hath overthrowne the forcese of Fidaia Samme, and taken the fortres of Osekey, and entred into it the 6th day of this moone, Fidaia Samme and his mother with his sonne having cut their bellies, etc.

Mr. Wickham went and visited Oyen Dono, and carid hym a dish of pottatos and a peec of Liquea cloth. His brother retorned from above, whilst Mr. Wickham was theare, and confermed these newes to be true.

June 6.—I wrot an other letter to Jorge Durois to look out for a marchant to buy our wheate, as also of the confermyng the newes from above.

There was one of the King of Shashmas barkes cast away coming in, but all the men saved. We bought 1 caca or squar post, cost 1 mas. We delivered or sent to keep to Capt. China 51 bundelles great canes, in each are 30 canes.

June 7.—After dyner came a Franciskan frire, called Padre Appolonario, whom I had seene 2 or 3 tymes in Firando heretofore. He was in the fortres of Osekey¹ when it was taken, and yet had the good happ to escape. He tould me he brought nothing away with hym but the clothes on his back, the action was soe sudden; and that he marvelled that a force of above 120,000 men (such as was that of Fidaia Samme) should be soe sowne overthrowne. He desired me for God’s sake to geve hym somthing to eate, for that he had passed much misery in the space of 15 daies, since he departed out of the fortres of Osekey. So, after he had eaten, I gave hym 15 mas in plate; and soe he departed.

We had 1830 tiles this day for ston walles.

June 8.—Yt is said the King of Shashma hath geven order to his people to retorne back for their cuntrey; I meane the most parte of them. The rest he keepeth to carry along with hym to goe vizet the Emperour.

We bought 4 cacas, cost 7 condrins per peec, small plate, etc.

June 8.—I sent to borow 4 or 5 gantas² of oyle of Yasimon Dono, because I could get non in any other place. But he retorned answer he had non, when I know, to the contrary, he bought a parcell out of my handes the other day. And I wrot a letter to Jorge Durois to take heed he gave out no yll reportes of Safian Dono. The China Capt. lent us 6 great mesurs (or gantas) of oyle, to repay as much. And Semidones steward came in the abcense of his master to borow a bar of plate of 3 taies wight, which was lent hym.

June 9.—Late within night I receved a letter from Ed. Say...