[Footnote 59:  Firando is an island about twenty miles in diameter, in the west of Japan, the centre of which is in lat. 33 deg. 10’ N. and long. 128 deg. 30’ E. from Greenwich.—­E.]

You must understand that the Hollanders have here an Indies of money and profit; as by this trade they do not need to bring silver from Holland to the East Indies; for in Japan there is much silver and gold, to serve their turn in other places of the East Indies where it is needed.  The merchandise that is most vendible here for ready money, is raw silk, damask, black taffety, black and red cloth of the best kind, lead, and such like goods.  Learning, by this lately-arrived Hollander, that a settled trade is now carried on by my countrymen in the East Indies, I presume that some among them, merchants, masters, or mariners, must needs know me.  Therefore am I emboldened to write these few lines, which I have made as short as I could, not to be too tedious to the readers.

This country of Japan is a great island, reaching in its northern part to the latitude of forty-eight degrees,[60] and its most southerly part is in thirty-five degrees, both north.  Its length from east by north to west by south, for such is its direction, is 220 English leagues.  The breadth from south to north is thirteen degrees, twenty leagues to the degree, or 260 leagues, so that it is almost square.  The inhabitants of Japan are good-natured, courteous above measure, and valiant in war.  Justice is executed with much severity, and is distributed impartially, without respect of persons, upon all transgressors of the law.  They are governed in great civility, and I think that no part of the world has better civil policy.  The people are very superstitious in their religion, and entertain various opinions or beliefs.  There are many jesuits and franciscan friars in the country, and who have many churches in the land.

[Footnote 60:  The island of Japan Proper reaches only to lat. 40 deg. 37’ N. and the southern coast of Tacuxima, its most southerly detached isle, is in lat. 32 deg. 28’.  The most southerly point of the largest island of Niphon being in 33 deg. 3’ N. The extreme length of Niphon, in a slight curve from N.E. to S.W. is about 815 English miles; or, continuing the measure to the S.W. extremity of Kiusiu at Cape Nomo, about 1020 miles.  The breadth is very irregular, but cannot exceed 100 miles on the average.—­E.]

Thus shortly am I constrained to write, hoping that by one means or other I may hear of my wife and children in process of time, and so with patience I wait the good will and pleasure of Almighty God; earnestly desiring all those to whom this letter may come, to use means to acquaint my good friends before named of its contents; that so my wife and children may hear of me, and I may have hope to hear of them before I die.  Which God grant, to his glory and my comfort. Amen.

Dated in Japan, the 22d of October, 1611, by your unworthy friend and servant, to command in what I can,