pursuit;
yet the incendiary escaped, and I verily believe he ran about among the
rest, crying _stop thief_ as, well as the best.

[Footnote 39: This word signifies either the idol, or the idol temple,
or both.--_Purch._]

On the night of the 4th, fire was set to several houses, both in the
town and country round. An order was now given, to have secret watches
in various parts of the town every night, and that no person should go
out during the night except upon important occasions, and then to have a
light carried before them, that it might be seen who they were. If this
rule be duly enforced, our house-burners will be put to their wits end.
I proposed these measures to the king and others above a week before,
and now they are put in execution.

On the 5th I received a letter from Domingo Francisco, the Spanish
ambassador, dated five days before from _Ximenaseque_, [Simonoseki,] and
another from George the Portuguese. The ambassador went over land from
that place to Nangasaki, and sent the letter by his servant, to whom I
shewed the commodities he enquired after, referring him for others till
the return of our general, but gave him an answer, of which I kept a
copy. The man chose two pieces of fine _Semian chowters_ and eight
pieces of white _bastas_, paying seven _tayes_ each for the _chowters,_
and two _tayes_ each for the _bastas_. A Spanish friar or Jesuit came in
the boat along with the ambassador's servant, and asked to see our ship,
which the master allowed him at my request, and used him kindly; for the
old saw has it, That it is sometimes good to hold a candle to the devil.
This day Mr Eaton, Hernando, and I dined with Unagense, and were kindly
entertained.

About ten o'clock of the 6th November, 1613, our general and all his
attendants arrived at Firando from the emperor's court, accompanied by
Mr Adams. Immediately after his arrival, he sent me, with John Japan,
our jurebasso, to visit both the kings, and to thank them for their
kindness, for having so well accommodated him with a barge or galley,
and for the care they had taken of the ship and every thing else during
his absence. They took this message in good part, saying they would be
glad to see our general at their houses. At this time certain merchants
of Miaco came from Nangasaki to our house to look at our commodities,
and among the rest took liking to ten pieces of _cassedy nill_, for
which they agreed to give three _tayes_ each. As had been done