of their own coin, and some in small wedges, of about
ten or twelves ounces each. While we were dealing
with him for our opium, it came into my head that he
might perhaps deal for the ship too, and I ordered
the interpreter to propose it to him. He shrunk
up his shoulders at it when it was first proposed
to him; but in a few days after he came to me, with
one of the missionary priests for his interpreter,
and told me he had a proposal to make to me, which
was this: he had bought a great quantity of
our goods, when he had no thoughts of proposals made
to him of buying the ship; and that, therefore, he
had not money to pay for the ship: but if I
would let the same men who were in the ship navigate
her, he would hire the ship to go to Japan; and would
send them from thence to the Philippine Islands with
another loading, which he would pay the freight of
before they went from Japan: and that at their
return he would buy the ship. I began to listen
to his proposal, and so eager did my head still run
upon rambling, that I could not but begin to entertain
a notion of going myself with him, and so to set sail
from the Philippine Islands away to the South Seas;
accordingly, I asked the Japanese merchant if he would
not hire us to the Philippine Islands and discharge
us there. He said No, he could not do that,
for then he could not have the return of his cargo;
but he would discharge us in Japan, at the ship’s
return. Well, still I was for taking him at that
proposal, and going myself; but my partner, wiser than
myself, persuaded me from it, representing the dangers,
as well of the seas as of the Japanese, who are a
false, cruel, and treacherous people; likewise those
of the Spaniards at the Philippines, more false, cruel,
and treacherous than they.
But to bring this long turn of our affairs to a conclusion;
the first thing we had to do was to consult with the
captain of the ship, and with his men, and know if
they were willing to go to Japan. While I was
doing this, the young man whom my nephew had left
with me as my companion came up, and told me that he
thought that voyage promised very fair, and that there
was a great prospect of advantage, and he would be
very glad if I undertook it; but that if I would not,
and would give him leave, he would go as a merchant,
or as I pleased to order him; that if ever he came
to England, and I was there and alive, he would render
me a faithful account of his success, which should
be as much mine as I pleased. I was loath to
part with him; but considering the prospect of advantage,
which really was considerable, and that he was a young
fellow likely to do well in it, I inclined to let him
go; but I told him I would consult my partner, and
give him an answer the next day. I discoursed
about it with my partner, who thereupon made a most
generous offer: “You know it has been an
unlucky ship,” said he, “and we both resolve
not to go to sea in it again; if your steward”
(so he called my man) “will venture the voyage,
I will leave my share of the vessel to him, and let
him make the best of it; and if we live to meet in
England, and he meets with success abroad, he shall
account for one half of the profits of the ship’s
freight to us; the other shall be his own.”