Hamilton’s account of the east indie's.

The Dutch fa&ory is now fettled at Nangefaak, on a little ifland clofe to the fhore,and are there confined, without a fpecial permiffion from court, either when they havea defire to go on the main ifland, or to remove from their factory to Batavia.

I heard of a mortifying accident that happened to the Dutch affairs in Japon , whenM. Charron, a Frenchman, had the direclorfhip of their factory. He had been feveraltimes at Jeddo and Meaco, two great cities where the Emperor keeps his court, fome-times at one or other of thefe places, as his fancy or affairs lead him. The Emperor took a liking to M. Charron, and often fent for him to hear the accounts he couldgive of Europe. Charron prefuming on his favours from the Emperor , begged per-miflion to build an houfe on the little ifland where their fadlory flood, on his mafter’isaccount, which requefl the Emperor granted.

Accordingly the foundation was laid very large for an houfe; however the buildingwent cheerfully on, till it grew into an handfome fortification of a regular tetragon.The Japonefe being ignorant of the art of fortification, had not the leafl fufpicion ofdeceit, but differed them to finifh it.

When it was fmiflied, M. Charron advifed his matters at Batavia, of the progrefs hehad made, and defired by the next flipping to have fome cannon fent him in cafksfilled with rubbifh, fuch as oaccam or cotton, the cafks to be well bound with ironhoops, and the heads fecurely fixed in, with fome cafks of the fame make, filled withfpices, which advice was accordingly followed.

When the {hipping arrived, the lading was landed according to cuflom, but in rollingthe cafks, one of thofe that contained a brafs gun, had the misfortune to have one ofits heads fall out, and the cheat was by that accident difcovered. This put a flop toall commerce till the Emperor ’s pleafure was known about this flrange affair.

The Emperor forbad to interrupt the trade, but ordered their new-built houfe to berazed to the ground, and to fend M. Charron to court, that he might expoflulate thematter with him. The orders were fpeedily obeyed, and Charron went to court, andwhen brought before the Emperor, was much dejefted in his looks to what he ufed tobe formerly.

The Emperor interrogated him on the difcovered cheat, and finding he had no anfwerfufficient to vindicate himfelf, the King upbraided him with abufing his kindnefs, andordered a barber to be brought, who pulled poor Charron’s beard out hair by hair,and then a fool’s coat and cap were put on him, and he carried through the flreets ofJeddo, for a ridiculous fpectacle, and was fent back to his iaftory with orders to go offwith the firfl {hips that were ready to fail for Batavia.

The Japonefe are ftridl obfervers of moral rules, and particularly in commerce, info-much that a merchant of reputation, in his payments, puts up five, ten, or any decimalnumber of cupangs, which is a broad, oblong, thin piece of gold (of 20 {hillings valuethere) into a filk bag, and putting .his feal on the bag, paffes current for what the fealmentions, for feveral generations, without fo much as once looking what is in thebag ;and gold is fo plentiful and cheap, that a cupang of 20 {hillings in Japon , paffes currentat Batavia for 3 2 {hillings ; and when the lion is {lamped on it by the Company, itpaffes for 40 {hillings fterling.

Their porcelain, or Japon earthenware, is finer than Chinaware, but much thickerand heavier, and the colours brighter, and it fells much dearer, either in India orEurope , than what is made in China, but their tea is not half fo good. Their lackeredor Japoned ware is, without any doubt, the bell in the world. The beft fort will holdboiling water without detriment to it, and is fo hard, that I have made a full pafswith a rapier againfl a cabinet, and there was not the lealt fhadow of a mark to be