Bear the burden of the whites, -
And let no one wait
No laurels, no awards
But know, the day will come -
From equal you will wait
You are of the wise judgment, And indifferently weigh
He was your feat then.
("Burden of White", R. Kipling, M. Frohman)
Life Adams meanwhile went on as usual. The years from 1614 to 1619 passed for him on a long voyage to the shores of Siam. On the voyage, Adams filled out the logbook, recording his observations. The journal, which has survived to this day, was transferred to Oxford, to the Bodleian Library. Journal entries are placed on 79 sheets of thin rice paper. On them, Adams recorded everything that happened around. There were drawings made with a few scanty strokes, but they also carried their cognitive function.
The first voyage (unfortunately, did not meet expectations), nevertheless, bore fruit, and in the literal sense of the word, in a completely unexpected area for Adams. Landing on one of the Ryukyu Islands, Willie dug up a certain edible tuber there, which tastes sweeter and is larger in size than the potatoes that Europeans dug up in North America much earlier. The outlandish fruits turned out to be edible, nutritious and very tasty. Several tubers, taken as experimental planting material, sailed to Japan, where they were brought and planted in a garden at the British trading post at Hirado. The Japanese climate turned out to be favorable for the "guests" from Ryukyu Island, and the tubers gave a good harvest. This is how the exotic fruit with the strange name "sweet potato" found its place in Japan, was gratefully accepted by the locals, and so got accustomed that to this day very few people remember where it came from, firmly believing that this is an exclusively local culture.
As the years passed, Adams' patron Tokugawa Ieyasu grew old. After Ieyasu passed away, his son Hidetada became the shogun, who treated Europeans differently from his father. He did not harbor any friendly feelings for Adams either, because he was jealous of his father and considered him the main competitor in his influence on Ieyasu. Another circumstance haunted the newly-made shogun - religion. Hidetada was more rigid and intolerant of the dominance of foreign religious movements in Japan than his father. Catholics, in fact, like all Christians, he hated, which is why he was so suspicious and distrustful. For all his dislike for Adams, Hidetada did not take away the piece of land that had been granted to Ieyasu, leaving it in Will's property.
In the meantime, the terms of the contract were coming to an end, and at first Adams decided to end his business relationship with the East India Company. Under the contract with the company, concluded on December 24, 1613, he was assigned a service life of two years, but after this period, Adams did not leave his service and continued to work further for the good of the company, although no one offered him to extend the contract.
Some time passed, and the working conditions began to deteriorate, and Adams was less and less satisfied. As a result, he was forced to leave the company, refusing to work under such circumstances. And then his position in society also became precarious. Hidetada announced publicly that the British would not receive more privileges than other foreign nationals in Japan, and limited the territory of English trade to the port of Hirado alone. Well, then troubles poured out of a sack. Adams received news from the shogun's advisers that Hidetada did not want to respond to the message of the English monarch, arguing that the letter was addressed to Ieyasu, who had long since died by that time. Adams passed this dark streak of failure with dignity. True Japanese qualities helped him cope with them: stoicism, perseverance, composure, the ability to remain calm in any situation. He remained at court, setting himself the goal of persuading the shogun: if it is absolutely impossible to allow the British unrestricted trade, then at least let them be given only two permits for trade (gosyon): the first - for trade in Siam, the second - in Cochin. In the end, Adams' assertiveness paid off, and Hidetada graciously allowed two such permits. We must pay tribute to the prudence of Hidetada, who retained the rank of Japanese dignitary for Adams, and therefore he could conduct trade operations without restrictions. Thanks to this, Adams personally selected and purchased goods throughout Japan, sold them, and sometimes, doing a good deed out of old friendship to his former partners, delivered consignments of goods to the East India Company and sold them as his own.
Surprisingly, history has kept even Will Adams' letters home for us.
From the accounts kept and filled by Richard Cox in Hirado, it becomes clear that from December 1617 to March 1618, Willie provided considerable assistance to the Company in the sale of its goods throughout Japan; and also collected debts for the Company in Kyoto and other cities and towns. It is worth noting that William Adams often had to take great risks to help the trading settlement in Hirado. For example, at the end of 1617, using his personal connections with the governor of the Japanese city of Sakai, he was able to obtain permission to purchase a large batch of weapons and equipment with subsequent shipment to Siam through the East India Company. Similar deals with the purchase of weapons were not new, extremely profitable, but at the same time too dangerous because the shogun categorically prohibited the export of weapons and ammunition from the country.
Of course, Will lost his homeland, but he saw something that the Europeans never dreamed of. Himeji Castle.
And although Hidetada was a practical man and did not believe in all sorts of stories and prejudices, one incident forced him to turn to Adams again. Although the shogun did not have any heartfelt feelings for Adams, he still retained a reverent respect for his father's former confidant. As Adams waited at court for an answer to another request for permission to leave, it got dark. The shogun admired the sunset, and then a comet drew the sky over Tokyo. This plunged Hodetad into such indescribable horror that he summoned Adams and demanded to explain the meaning of this phenomenon. Adams explained that the comet has always been considered a messenger of war, but the shogun should not worry as war will break out in Europe without in any way taking over little Japan. (Incredible, but true: in the same year 1618, Europe was indeed engulfed in the conflagration of the Thirty Years' War!).
He saw this statue of Buddha …
During this unexpected meeting, Adams tried to restore relations with Hodetada, but, alas, the shogun no longer needed his advice and never again used the services of Adams as an adviser. Unfortunately, the days when the British had tremendous authority at the imperial court are long gone.
In the spring of 1619, three months after his audience with Hodetad, Adams set sail for what turned out to be the last of his life. On his return from the trip, Willie, feeling not quite well, went to bed. The disease did not let go. Sensing an imminent death, Adams summoned two employees of the trading settlement, asked them to do his will after his death. In the will, which Adams nevertheless made himself and signed with his own hand, it was stated: first, to bury the body in his homeland, that is, in England. Secondly, Willie bequeathed to divide all his savings made in Japan into two equal parts. The first part he bequeathed to his wife and daughter, who live in England, the second - to the children of Joseph and Susana, who are in Japan.
And the autumn foliage in which Japanese temples were buried …
Giving orders regarding property in his will, Adams asked to distribute all of them to his numerous friends and relatives living both in Japan and in England. So, the head of the settlement, Richard Cox, was given an amazingly beautiful long sword, once granted by the shogun Ieyasu Adams as a samurai. Charts, sailing directions and an astronomical globe were also bequeathed to Richard. To Richard Eaton's assistant, Adams bequeathed books and navigational instruments. John Osterwick, Richard King, Abraham Smath and Richard Hudson, who, in fact, became nurses for the patient, inherited the most expensive silk kimonos. The servants were not forgotten either. For a long blameless service, for faithfully serving his master, the servant Anthony received his freedom and, in addition, some money, which would be a little help in a new life. Jugasa's loyal servant also received a certain amount of money and clothing. And the most significant, important and especially revered things Adams bequeathed to his own son Joseph. It was a unique collection of combat swords that Adams held dear.
… And this Golden Pavilion.
A week after Adams' death, in obedience to his will, Cox and Eaton described all of his movable property. The estimated value of the property was £ 500 - an impressive amount at the time. In addition to movable property, Adams was the owner of an estate in Hemi, large allotments of land, was the owner of several houses in Edo and in some other parts of Japan. Undoubtedly, Adams was a very wealthy and practical man, he used all his income wisely, investing them in a profitable enterprise.
Cox and Eaton honestly fulfilled everything that was written in the will. Adams' British wife was sent a certain amount of money, which was due to her as a legal share in her husband's inheritance. Cox also took care of Mrs. Adams's daughter and ordered that the money be divided equally. On December 13, 1620, a letter was sent to the East India Company, in which Cox explains the reason for this division of funds. The fact is that Adams simply did not want his English wife to receive the entire inheritance alone. His child would then be left with nothing. To prevent this from happening, Adams decided to insure his daughter and ordered to divide the property owed into two equal parts.
Subsequently, it became known that in addition to movable and immovable property in Japan, Adams had a small property in Britain. The property was valued at £ 165 when appraised. On October 8, 1621, Mrs. Adams became the legal heir to this property.
Yes, Mrs. Adams was not inherited. When Adams was alive, having established a stable connection with Britain, he constantly remembered his wife and daughter. Adams regularly sent them money through the East India Company. Thus, in May 1614, Mrs. Adams received through the Company £ 20 sent by her husband.
After the death of Adams, the board of the East India Company appointed the widow of Adams permanent monetary compensation, and also determined her annual pension in the amount of 5 pounds. During his lifetime, Adams always reimbursed the Company for the expenses that were spent on him: sometimes the money was deducted from the money earned that was paid to him in Japan, and from time to time he sent help to his family through the London branch of the Company.
It is not known if Mrs. Adams was aware that her husband in Japan also had a wife. Mary Adams acted wisely: even if the salary was small, it was in no way superfluous. Money was accepted according to the principle: "even a tuft of wool from a black sheep."It is a pity that there is no information left to confirm that Mrs. Adams knows something about his other family.
There is very little information about how the life of both Will Adams' wives, located on opposite sides of the globe, developed. Perhaps Mrs. Adams remarried, this is evidenced by a pair of records found in the parish register of St. Duston's Church in Stepney, dating from 1627 and 1629. It is assumed that both of them may refer to Mrs. Adams. An entry, made in the book on May 20, 1627, reports that Mary Adams, a widow, was married to the baker John Eckhead. The next entry says that on April 30, 1629, Mary Adams, also a widow, was legally married to Henry Lines, a sailor from Ratcliffe. Nothing is known about the further fate of Adams' daughter - Deliverens. The only source of information was the mention of her name in the minutes of the meeting of the East India Company of August 13, 1624. The minutes stated that the heiress of William Adams, Deliverence, had sent a petition to the management of the East India Company, bothering about her father's property. This is all that could be found in the archives about Deliverens.
There is very little information about the fate of Adams' Japanese wife and her two children. Hidetada officially confirmed the ownership of the estate in Hami by his son Joseph, Joseph. For Joseph, this home was a resting place, a haven of peace, a safe haven after long and arduous sea trips. Yes, it is true, Joseph chose his father's path, studied for a long time, became a navigator, for almost ten years, from 1624 to 1635 he sailed five times to the shores of Cochinchina and Siam. The last mention of Adams' son is found in 1636. Then Joseph erected a tombstone for his parents in Hami, presumably on the anniversary of their death. About Susana, the Japanese daughter of Adams, there is only one entry made by Captain Cox in his diary, which says that on February 1, 1622, she was presented with a piece of taffeta. And nothing more …
Well, as for Adams' Japanese wife Magome, she died in August 1634 and found her solace in the Hemi cemetery, next to Adams. It is possible that Adams's remains were transported from Hirado to Hami before her death, since two tombstones were installed on the grave, and decades later, in 1798, two stone lanterns were also installed. Following the customs of Buddhists, after his death, William Adams began to bear the name Juryo-manin Genzui-koji, and Magome - Kaika-oin Myoman-biku. In memory of the spouses, incense is constantly burned at the Jojoji Temple near Hemistal. But time takes its toll, the graves began to decay, were abandoned and not well maintained, until, finally, in 1872, the English merchant James Walter stumbled upon them. With the help of the Japanese and the British, then living in Japan and amicably taking on a noble cause, the graves and monuments were restored to their proper form. In 1905, with money collected by the public, the cemetery was bought out, and a lovely park soon turned green on it: trees rustled with foliage, flowers smelled fragrant. A caretaker was assigned to the graves, who had to watch them in the most careful way.
In 1918, a 10-foot-high stone pillar was erected on the same site in the park. A festive ceremony was held on May 30 of the same year. The column was carved with an inscription in Japanese telling about the life of Willie Adams. They said that, dying, he said the following: “Having moored in my wanderings to this land, until the last minute I lived here in peace and prosperity, entirely thanks to the grace of the Tokugawa shogun. Please bury me at the top of the hill in Hami, so that my grave faces east so that I can gaze at Edo. My spirit from the underworld will protect this beautiful city."
No one knows for sure whether Adams uttered these words or not: Captain Cox's diary is silent. But no one denies the existence of such an order. It is not for nothing that on one side of the memorial column there are lines written by a Japanese poet and intended personally for William Adams, the guardian of the city:
“Oh, navigator, who has furrowed many seas to come to us. You served the state with dignity and for this you were generously rewarded. Not forgetting about mercies, in death, as in life, you remained the same devotee; and in your grave facing east you guard Edo forever."
Only a samurai was honored in Japan, and this is not unusual. However, the conversation was about a foreigner … Oddly enough, but William Adams, a true Englishman, became a real samurai. And for the Japanese it was a high figure!
Monument to Will Adams in Gillingham.
And what about Adams' homeland, Britain? They remembered about the great navigator only in 1934 and decided to somehow perpetuate Willie's memory. Then, in his native Gillingham, volunteers raised money for the construction of a memorial clock tower on Whetling Street, which is crossed by an old Roman road leading through the city and descends to the Medway River, where William Adams spent his serene childhood.
Monument to Adams in Japan.
Two hundred years later, the ships of the American fleet sailed to the shores of Japan, and then the British fleet approached. In 1855, British ships approached the shores of Japan. The result of the meeting between the British and the Japanese was the signing of an Anglo-Japanese trade agreement, allowing the British to trade in the cities of Nagasaki and Hakodate. Over time, the British were allowed to trade throughout the country, and this was a very significant event for the old lady of Britain. After all, stable trade with Japan is a matter of honor for Foggy Albion!
