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 with lanterns.  As I was told he meant to visit our house on his return, I made ready for him and waited till after midnight; but he passed by with all his company without coming in.  I reckoned he had more than 3000 persons in his train, for which, as I think, he passed by, not wishing to trouble us with so great a multitude.  On the 2d Semidono and others who were appointed by the king, measured all the houses in the street, ours among the rest; which I understood