The boy travellers in the Far East : adventures of two youths ... - Library

308
THE BOY TKAVELLEES.
aiONUMKNTS IN MEMORY OF MAKTVliS.
more than "skin deep." Among tlie adherents of tlie new reh'gion thei'e
were several Daimios, and a great number of persons occupying high social
and official positions. Some of the Daimios were so zealous that the^y or-
dered their people to turn Christians whether they wished it or not ; and
one of them gave his subjects tlie option of being baptized or leaving the
country within twenty-four hours.
The Dutch were great traders in tlie East Indies, and they managed to
obtain a footing in Japan during the time of the Portuguese success.
Tliey received a concession of the island of Deshima, about six hundred
feet square, in the harbor of Nagasaki, and here they lived until our day.
"When tiie trouljles arose that led to the exjmlsion of foieigners and the
extinction of Christianity, the I)utch were excepted from the operations
of the edict, as it could not be shown that tliey had had any part in the
conspiracy. They had been too busy with their commerce to meddle in
religious matters; and, if history is true, it is probable that they hadn't
religion enough in their small colony' at Deshima to go ai'ound and give
a perceptible C[uantity to each man.
This little island was in reality a prison, as its inhabitants were not
allowed to go outside for any purpose, except once in three years, when a
delegation of them made a journey to Yeddo to make presents to tlie Ty-
coon. They were compelled to travel the most of the way in closed nori-