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Chapter 6 Our Journey, That Is to Say, the Journey of the Dutch, to the Shogunal Court and the Treatment We Receive 280 Just as the shogun gives every prince and vassal in the empire a day on which he has to set out and begin his annual journey to court, so the Dutch, too, are assigned a day for their departure. That is the fifteenth or sixteenth day of the Japanese first month, which corresponds to February in our calendar. When it comes to that time of the year, we begin preparations for our departure. We first load the vessels with the gifts that we present at Osaka, Miyako, and at court (after they have been allocated and carefully packed), as well as with the food and kitchen utensils required on our forthcoming sea journey, and other large items. This vessel or barge (which has been built solely for this journey and every two years has to be redecorated and refurbished at great expense with new awnings according to the pomp required on such occasions in this country; or, if the barge is old, another one is hired at great expense) is sent ahead to the coastal town of Shimonoseki to wait for us there until we have completed a shorter route overland and are ready to embark for the sea journey to Osaka. Formerly we boarded this barge directly at Nagasaki, but since we were hit once by a violent storm that put our lives in danger , His Majesty gave permission for the land journey to ensure our safety. Some three or four weeks after the departure of the barge and three or four days before our own departure , our resident director visits the mansion of both governors, makes his farewells, and recommends the Dutch who are staying behind to their care. The next day all items of luggage that are to be carried overland by porters and horses are marked with small boards attached to them, giving a general description of the goods and the name of the owner. Then, early on the day set for our departure, the complete gang of those who serve or have anything to say on our island gather around us, and particularly those who have been ordered to accompany us to court. Soon afterward both governors appear with their full retinue, or send their delegates, to extend their congratulations to us, who have been honored with permission to appear before the shogun. As soon as they have received our hospitality and accompanied us on our departure from the island, which takes place in the morning, about nine o’clock our time, we immediately set out on the road. The bugyō and Dutch resident director climb into their norimono, the senior interpreter, if he is an old man, into his common kago; others mount their pack horses and the servants walk. All this takes place in the company of our Japanese servants and the friends of those Japanese traveling with us, who all escort us to the next inn. The number of people in our procession differs on the three separate sections that make up the journey. On the first stage, the overland journey across the island of Kyushu, it may amount to a hundred people with the grooms and the escorts ordered by the territorial lords. On the sea journey the number is most probably not much smaller, counting the sailors. And on the third and long land journey across the island of Nippon up to the shogunal residence, the procession comes to some one hundred and fifty men (on account of the goods that have been unladed from the barge and have to be carried overland by men and horses up to Edo). These goods are generally sent a few hours ahead so that they do not inconvenience our procession, and this also serves to announce our imminent arrival to the innkeeper. One day’s journey is rather long and, including an hour’s rest for the noon meal, lasts from early morning until almost evening and sometimes until night, so that we travel some ten to thirteen Japanese miles daily. At sea, as a precaution we do not travel at night, and the most we cover in a day is some forty nautical miles. The treatment we enjoy and must accept is much better on the island of Kyushu than on Nippon, and outsiders treat us with much more honesty than our fellow travelers from Nagasaki and our own...

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