ng him with accounts of the state of Europe, got his
permission to build a house for the factory on the little island
allotted to them. He accordly laid the fortifications of great extent,
and continued the work till he had completed a handsome fortification,
in form of a regular tetragon; and as the Japanese were quite ignorant
in the art of fortification, they suffered it to be finished, without
any suspicion of deceit. Carron now desired the council at Batavia
to send him some cannon, packed in casks filled with oakum or cotton,
along with some other casks of the same form filled with spices. This
was done accordingly, but in rolling the casks after landing, one
of them that contained a brass gun burst open, by which accident the
cheat was discovered. This put an entire stop to all trade till the
pleasure of the emperor was known. The emperor, without prohibiting
trade, gave orders that no Dutchman should presume to stir out of the
island on pain of death, and ordered Carron up to Jeddo, to answer for
his fault. The emperor reproached him for abusing his favour; after
which he ordered his beard to be pulled out by the roots, and that
he should be led, dressed in a fool's coat and cap, through all the
streets of the city. He was thus sent back to the factory, with orders
to leave Japan in the first ship that sailed for Batavia.

The island of _Desima_, where the Dutch reside, is divided from the
city of Naugasaki by a small creek of salt water of about forty feet
broad, over which there is a convenient bridge, having a draw-bridge
at one end, of which the Japanese keep possession, and no Dutchman can
pass this without leave from the governor of the city; neither
dare any Japanese converse with the Dutch, except the merchants and
factors, who have a licence for that purpose. For the security of the
factory, the island of Desima is pallisaded all round. It contains
four streets, with large warehouses, and a spacious market-place over
against the bridge, where at stated times the town's people have leave
to trade with the Dutch. So great is the jealousy entertained of the
Dutch, that they are not even allowed to have the command of their own
ships while in Japan: For, as soon as one of them enters the harbour,
the Japanese take entire possession of her, taking out all the arms
and ammunition, which they lay up on shore, and return again in good
order, when the ship is ready to sail. They also exact a complete
account of