William Adams

William Adams (September 24, 1564–May 16, 1620), also known in Japanese as Anjin-sama (???, "Mr Pilot") and Miura Anjin (????, "the pilot of Miura"), was an English navigator who went to Japan, and is believed to be the first Briton ever to reach Japan.

Arrival in Japan

In fear of the Spaniards, the remaining crews determined to sail across the Pacific towards Japan. On their way, the two ships arrived in "certain islands" (possibly the islands of Hawaii), where eight sailors deserted the ships. Later on this voyage a typhoon claimed the Hoop with all souls in late February 1600.

Related Topics:
Spaniards - Pacific - Hawaii - Typhoon - 1600

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In April 1600, after more than nineteen months at sea, the Liefde with a crew of about twenty sick and dying men (out of an initial crew of about one hundred), was brought to anchor off the island of Kyushu, Japan. Its cargo consisted of 11 chests of coarse wollen cloth, glass beads, mirrors, spectacles, nails, iron, hammers, 19 bronze cannons, 5,000 cannonballs, 500 muskets, 300 chain-shot and three chests filled with coats of mail.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When the Liefde made landfall on April 19, 1600, off Bungo (present-day Usuki, Oita Prefecture) only nine of the remaining 24 crew members could even stand. The Portuguese Jesuit priests claimed that Adams's ship was a pirate vessel, and that the crew should be cruxified as pirates. The ship was seized, and the sickly crew was imprisoned at Osaka Castle on orders by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the daimyo of Mikawa and future Shogun. The 19 bronze cannons of the Liefde were unloaded and, according to Spanish accounts, later employed at the decisive battle of Sekigahara in October 21, 1600.

Related Topics:
April 19 - Usuki - Oita Prefecture - Portuguese - Jesuit - Osaka Castle - Tokugawa Ieyasu - Daimyo - Mikawa - Shogun - Sekigahara

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Adams met Ieyasu in Osaka three times between May and June 1600. He was questioned by Ieyasu, then a guardian of the young son of the Taiko (Toyotomi Hideyoshi), the ruler who had just died. Adams knowledge of ships and shipbuilding, and his nautical smattering of mathematics, appealed to Ieyasu.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Coming before the king, he viewed me well, and seemed to be wonderfuly favorable. He made many signs unto me, some of which I understood, and some I did not. In the end, there came one that could speak Portuguese. By him, the king demanded of me, of what land I was, and what moved us to come to his land, being so far off. I showed unto him the name of our country, and that our land had long sought out the East Indies, and desired friendship with all kinds and potentates in way of merchandise, having in our land diverse commodities, which these lands had not .... Then he asked whether our country had wars? I answered him yeah, with the Spaniards and Portugals, being in peace with all other nations. Further, he asked me, in what I did believe? I said, in God, that made heaven and earth. He asked me diverse other questions of things of religion, and many other things: as what way we came to the country. Having a chart of the whole world, I showed him, through the Strait of Magellan. At which he wondered, and thought me to lie. Thus, from one thing to another, I abode with him till midnight. (William Adams's letter to his wife)

Related Topics:
East Indies - Strait of Magellan

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Adams further explained that Ieyasu finally denied the Jesuit's request for punishment, on the ground that:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

we as yet had not done to him nor to none of his land any harm or damage; therefore against Reason or Justice to put us to death. If our country had wars the one with the other, that was no cause that he should put us to death; with which they were out of heart that their cruel pretence failed them. For which God be forever praised. (William Adams's letter to his wife)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ieyasu ordered the crew to sail the Liefde from Bungo to Edo, where, rotten and beyond repair, she later sank.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~