that ever refused to give me all the information he could, even when we were alone, in such things, which they are otherwise strictly charged to keep secret. These private informations I procured from those who came to visit me, were of great use to me in collecting materials for my intended history of this Country, but yet they fell far short of being altogether satisfactory, and I should not perhaps have been able to compass that design, if I had not, by good luck, met with other opportunities, and in particular the assistance of a discreet young man, by whose means I was richly supplied with whatever notice I wanted, concerning the affairs of Japan. He was about twentyfour years of age, well vers'd in the Chinese and Japanese languages, and very desirous of improving himself. Upon my arrival, he was appointed to wait on me, as my servant, and at the same time to be by me instructed in Physick and Surgery. The Ottona, who is the chief officer of our island, having been by him, though under my inspection, taken care of in a distemper of his, suffer'd him to continue in my service during the whole time of my abode in the Country, which was two years, and to attend me in our two journeys to Court, consequently four times almost from one end of the Empire to the other, a favour which is seldom granted to young men of his age, but was never done for so long a time. As I could not well have obtain'd my end without giving him a competent knowledge of the Dutch language, I instructed him therein with so much success, that in a year's time he could write and read it better than any of our interpreters: I also gave him all the information I could in Anatomy and Physick, and farther allow'd him a handsome yearly salary, to the best of my abilities. In return, I employ'd him to procure me as ample accounts, as possible, of the then state and condition of the Country, its Government, the Imperial Court, the Religions established in the Empire, the History of former ages, and remarkable daily Occurrences. There was not a Book I desired to see, on these and other subjects, which he did

not bring to me, and explain to me, out of it, whatever I wanted to know. And because he was obliged, in several things, to enquire, to borrow, or to buy of other people, I never dismiss'd him without providing him with money for such purposes, besides his yearly allowance. So expensive, so difficult a thing is it to foreigners, ever since the shutting up of the Japanese Empire, to procure information about it: What I have been able to do, I freely communicate to the Publick in this present History.

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1

THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR

By the Translator

NGELBERT KÆMPFER was born on the 16th of September 1651, at Lemgow, a small town in the Circle of Westphalia, belonging to the Count de Lippe. His Father John Kampfer was Minister of the Church of S. Nicholas in that town, and his Mother Christiana Dreppers, a Daughter of Joachim Drepper, formerly Minister of the same Church. He had, so far as his Father's circumstances would permit, a very liberal education, and becoming the profession he was design'd for, which was that of Physick. He begun his studies at the school of Hameln, in the Dutchy of Brunswick, and was sent from thence to Lunebourgh, Hambourgh and Lubeck, at all which places he distinguished himself by an industrious application and ready progress in the learned languages, History, Geography, and Musick both vocal and instrumental. He made some stay at Dantzick, where he gave the first publick specimen of his proficiency, by a Dissertation De Majestatis Divisione, defended in 1673, and then went to Thorn. He staid three years at the University of Cracow in Poland, studying Philosophy and foreign languages, and having took his degree of Doctor in Philosophy at that place, he repair'd to Konigsberg in Prussia, where he spent four years in close application to the study of Physick and Natural History,

his Father's design, and his own genius and inclinations, happily concurring to bend his thoughts that way. 'Twas here he laid the foundation of those many excellent and useful discoveries and observations, which he had afterwards frequent opportunities to make in the long course of his travels.

He went from Prussia into Sweden, where his learning and discreet behaviour quickly brought him into great reputation, both at the University of Upsal, and at the Court of Charles XI. a munificent Patron of men of learning, insomuch that very advantageous offers were made him towards an establishment in that Kingdom, which he thought fit to decline, desirous as he always was of seeing foreign Countries, and chose to prefer the place of Secretary of the Embassy, which the Court of Sweden was then sending to the King of Persia. The main design of this Embassy was to settle a Commerce between the Kingdoms of Sweden and Persia, though at the instances of the Emperor Leopold, the Ambassador, Luis Fabritius, had orders, by a separate article, to engage, if possible, the King of Persia to a rupture with the Ottoman Porte. As the first and chief, the settling of a Commerce, could not well be effected, unless their Czarian Majesties (Iwan and Peter, who then jointly governed the Russian Empire) would consent to give passage to the European as well as Persian Commodities, through their dominions, upon reasonable terms, the Ambassador was order'd first of all to repair to the Court of Moscow, and there to make an agreement concerning that matter. It is foreign to my present purpose, to enter either into the design or success of M. Fabritius his negotiations, any farther than it will lead me to follow Dr. Kæmpfer through Muscovy into Persia.

He set out from Stockholm, with the presents for the King of Persia, on the 20th of March 1683, O. S. and went through Aaland, Finland, and Ingermanland to Narva, where he met the Ambassador with a retinue of thirty persons. A mistake in the Ambassadors Credentials,