s, and friars, from the country, shipping them off for
_Anacau_ [Macao] in China, or Manilla in the Philippine islands, and has
caused all their churches and monasteries to be pulled down or burnt.
_Foyne Same_, the old king of Firando, is dead, and _Ushiandono_, his
governor, with two other servants, cut open their bellies to bear him
company, their bodies being burned, and their ashes entombed along with
his. Wars are likely to ensue between _Ogusho Same_, the old emperor,
and _Fidaia Same_, the young prince, son of _Tico Same_, who has
strongly fortified himself in the castle of _Osaka_, having collected an
army of 80,000 or 100,000 men, consisting of malcontents, runaways, and
banished people, who have repaired from all parts to his standard, and
he is said to have collected sufficient provisions for three years. The
old emperor has marched against him in person, with an army of 300,000
men, and is at the castle of _Fusima_. The advanced parties of the two
armies have already had several skirmishes, and many have been slain on
both sides. The entire city of Osaka has been burned to the ground,
excepting only the castle, so that Mr Eaton had to retire with his goods
to _Sakey_,[55] yet not without danger, as a part of that town has
likewise been burnt. So great a tempest or tuffoon has lately occurred
at _Edoo_ [Jedo,] as had never been before experienced at that place.
The sea overflowed the whole city, obliging the people to take refuge on
the hills: and the prodigious inundation has defaced or thrown down all
the houses of the nobles, which you know were very beautiful and
magnificent.

[Footnote 55: It has been formerly explained that _Sakey_ was a town on
the river Jodo, directly opposite to Osakey or Osaka, the river only
being interposed.--E.]

Let this suffice for Japanese news; and I now proceed to inform you of
our success in selling our goods. The emperor took all our ordnance,
with most of our lead, and ten barrels of gunpowder, with two or three
pieces of broad-cloth. Most of our other broad-cloths are sold, namely,
black, hair-colour, and cinnamon-colour, at fifteen, fourteen, thirteen,
and twelve tayes the _tattamy_; but they will not even look at
Venice-reds and flame-colours, neither are _stammels_ in such request as
formerly, but they enquire much for whites and yellows. As the Dutch
sold most of their broad-cloths at low prices, we were forced to do so
likewise. In regard to our Cambaya goods, the