playing on a fife. I was
informed they meant to visit our house on their return, wherefore I
provided a banquet and sat up for them till after midnight; but they
returned in disorder, I think owing to some discontent, and none of them
entered our house. Captain _Brower_ likewise passed our door, but would
not look at us, and we made as little account of him. The 27th we landed
three pieces of ordnance, having three landed formerly, all whole
_culverins_ of iron. The old king came down to the shore while our men
were about this job, and seeing only twenty men, offered seventy or a
100 Japanese to help them; but our people landed them all very quickly
in his sight, at which he expressed much astonishment, saying that an
hundred of his men could not have done it so soon. He was so much
pleased with the activity of our men on this occasion, that he sent for
a barrel of wine and some fish, which he gave among them as a reward for
their labouring so lustily.

The 28th, I received two letters from our general, dated the 19th and
20th of the month, as also two others from Mr Peacock and Mr Wickham,
which were brought me by the governor of _Shimonoseke_.[30] This
governor did not land at Firando, but delivered these letters on board
our ship to the master, proceeding directly for Nangasaki, and promising
to return hither shortly. I also carried a letter for the old king
_Foyne_, which was brought by the same governor, being accompanied on
the occasion by Mr Melsham and _Hernando_. Foyne at this visit made a
present of a _cattan_ or Japanese sword to Mr Melsham, and another with
a Spanish dagger to Hernando, giving likewise both to them and me
several bunches of garlic. He also gave us leave to dry our gunpowder on
the top of the fortress, offering some of his own people to help ours,
if we had need of them. This day I brought on shore to our house
twenty-two bars of lead, together with 125 culverin shot, round and
langridge. When we were about to sit down to supper, the old king came
to visit us, and being very merry he sat down to supper with us, and
took such fare as we had in good part.

[Footnote 30: Simonosequi is a town on the north side of the straits
between the island of Kiusiua and the north-western end of Niphon.--E.]

The 1st September, the old king and all his nobles made a masquerade,
and went next night to visit the young king his grandson, accompanied by
music, as formerly mentioned, all the streets being hung