NOTE OR MEMORANDUM OF THE LOCATION OF COREA,

Memorandum of the papers by the ship Amsterdam via Taijouan to the Noble Sir Governor General cosigned the dat November 23, A^o 1637 Number 7; Also in Daily registers Japan, February 5, A^o 1637.

The land is as big as Japan, being a big round Island bordering and lying between the islands with on one end against China, which countries seperated from the other by a river around a mijl [meant is a Dietse or Duitse (=Dutch) mijl which is around 5600 meter] wide, with the other end lies ditto Corea against Tartarien between which countries also a seperation of water of about  2 mijlen wide; on the east side lies around 28 to 30 mijlen from Japan.

In mentioned Corea are silver and gold mines though very austerely, gives also silk however not so many as they need themselves, so that silk from China is imported. Especailly in abundance would be there to get, to know
   Rice to Tl, 20 per last,
   copper, cotton and cotton clothes
   root Nijsen (Ginseng)
Excellent beautiful cloths and gold cloths are being made there, though are very expensive. The Royal City called Chioor has a river which from there runs into the sea, being that deep that the biggest ships can richly [=easily] come in and out. The place or corner of Corea lying closest to Japan and where the Japanese do their trade is called Sanckaij [Pusan], where there is also a very good harbor, though lying 23 to 24 days traveling from some cities [one "Dutch hour" traveling = 5.68 mijl = 31.6 kilometer all these measures were rather inaccurate, see (*)]; a walled residence is made in Sanckaij in which the Japanders are immediately taken, locked and kept there and thither have to sray without the possibility of ever coming out till her trade having one and return again to Japan; this trade is only allowed to the domain of t Suissima and nobody else who can only send 5 barges and no more thither; bring from there cotton, cloth, root nisen, falcons, tiger skins and rice, make from a 3 a 4, so that [they] make a fine profit with this trade and therefor no one allow to enter and condone in this trade. As we have been informed, should the Company not make it their aim [the text says: not to the white of the eye] to trade in that state, reason that nation is very small hearted and fearful people, who are extremely fearful for foreign nations, the other being where that the occasion and opportunity would occur to speak with those of Corea orally, like last year, while during the from down to up journey [meant is the court journey to Jedo, which they made obviously together], thus would the servants and soldiers of the Lord of Zatsuma by whom they are guarded carefully, not condone such.
Yes, their own people, which during the war from Corea taken and for long have lived in Japan, by request nor prayer, could not move them to mention their old acquintances and countryment. The Japanese have murdered there for 7 years long in an incredible way, burned and commited all tirany, which one could imagine; also comes the Tartar in the severe winters, when because of the strong frost the water between Tartarien and Corea could not be kept open, invaded with his powers also transported people, cattle and whatever he could get.

Follows how and in what way, with what splendor and being accompanied by a suite of Japanschen nobility, the two envoys of Corea entered, drove and received in January to the Imperial City Jedo (*)

Firstly the playing of the  shawms [the predecessor of the oboe], drums, gongs and pipes where behind that going some with some big sticks as rice pounder on both sides of the street two by two next to each other. Behind the same followed a youngster on horseback, having a big lance with a red banner in his hand, which, on both sides, being held by 3 persons each having a string braided with gold and silver [silk in the daily register Japan] being accompanied by around 30 youngsters on horseback, having also each a small red banner in their hand, being dressed like the Chinese, with a wide rimmed black hat, made of horsehair on the head. There after followed a sedan chair which was carried by 50 to 60 men, being lined with red satin, in which there was on a table a lacquered box in which were locked the letters to the Emperor of Japan, written in Korean letters.

These being passed a little came again another performance with all kinds of instrument, whereupon again a youngster followed, sitting on horseback , having a blue banner in his hand, being accompanied as the last one, each with a blue banner.

After that followed again a sedan chair which was carried and therein was a second person of the previously mentioned, dressed with a silk satin skirt [=coat]. Having this one passed for a while, came around 400 horsemen having each a hammer with a sharp nib on the front (almost in the way as the hammers of Surat) which was the guard of the chief or the most principal of the envoys, who was sitting under the suite [= baldachin or canopy??] being carried in a black lacquered sedan chair and being followed by one ditto. After the train had passed for a quarter of an hour, came the guard of the Majesty of Japan, around 200 men, musketeers as well as lancers going on their Japanese [= wearing Japanese clothes] one by one behind the others, being the musket covered with red cloth, the lances covered in red and on top white feathers.

There behind followed 8 to 10 norimons (*) wherein the commissioned Japanese Gentlemen were seated, ordered by his Majesty to accompany the Coreers.

And behind them followed a big suite of Japanese nobility sitting on luggage horses.

At last followed around a 1000 mules which brought the luggage and the gifts of the Coreers.

This lasted around 5 hours before this train had passed and nobody of the spectators was allowed to stick his head outside the windows nor to let any tobacco smoke coming out of them and were all the passages well cleaned and sprinkled with clean sand.

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(*) Norimon is a contraction of Classical Japanese norimono, which means "transportation vehicle/means", which in early middle ages may be palanquin, cart, etc. In Tokugawa period the usage of this term was restricted to a special kind of palanquin which only higher classes could use. The word itself consists of the nominalized form nor-i of the verb nor- "to ride" and mono "thing (tangible)". (I owe this explanation to Alexander Vovin Associate Professor of Japanese Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures University of Hawaii at Manoa)