The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1908-12-09

That the Japanese know how to
shoot has been made apparent to all
nations, but it would puzzle most peo-
pie to say who gave them their first
lesson in the use of firearms. 1t
might possibly be supposed that they
borrowed the art, as they have bor-
rowed other things, from their Chi
nese neighbors, who were certainly
acquainted with the virtues of villain
GUS saltpetre long before gunpowder
was introduced into Europe. But 1t
was no Chinese musketry instructor
who taught the Jap to handle gun.
The lesson came from a Portuguese
traveller and soldier of fortune, one
of the companions of the renowned
Fernand Mendez Pinto, who tells the
story. Pinto had been called the
prince of liars, but the libel is quite
without justification. He was an ac-
complished traveller Among other
things, he went to Lhassa, and took
down sermon preached by the Dalai
Lama; but that is another story. His
adventures in Japan were not the
least interesting part of his expert
ences. He tells us that when sailing
the Eastern seas he and his comrades
were wrecked and left stranded on
desert island. There they were picked
up by Chinese pirate. From his
craft, after series of mishaps, they
landed on the island of Tanixuma,
which may be identified with Tanega
Shima, just to the south of the south
ernmost of the four great islands of
Japan. Here they were well re-
ceived by the governor, who asked
many questions about Portugal,
"whereunto," says Pinto, 1--WE rem
dered him such answers as might
rather fit his humor than agree with
the truth"
Invited on shore by the Japanese
governor of Tanega Shima, the Por-
tuguese employed themselves in fish
ing, hunting or visiting the temples
of these Gentlies, as Pinto calls them.
1t happened that the governor, when
out riding, saw one of them-Diego
misunderstanding with an acluebus,
wherein he was very expert" The
governor had never set eyes on gun
before, and was so nightly taken
with this manner of shooting that he
desired to be informed of the secret
of the powder, which he concluded
must be some source of sorcery.
Proud of the sensation he had ere
ated, Diego made three shoots" for
the governors benefit, bringing down
a kite and two turtle doves. The
governor was so delighted that he
told Diego to get on his horse, and
so rode with him to the palace, ac-
companied by great crowd. Diego
gave his arquebus to the governor,
who declared that he valued 1t more
than all the treasures of China, and
then persuaded his guest to teach
him how to make gunpowder. Clev-
to make guns of the same pattern;
and before Pinto and his companions
left the island-that is, within five or
six months six hundred muskets
had been turned out. The fame of
the new weapon was soon carried
across what we now call theVan Die
man Straits to the island of Kiu-Kiu,
Pinto's kingdom of Bungo. The king,
who was possibly no more than a
Daimio of high degree subject to the
ruler of all Japan, having heard of
the arrival of the Portuguese at
Tanega Shima, and of the wonders
of their discourse, wrote to the gov
ernor asking that they might be for
warded to his capital; "for l have
heard of truth" he wrote, that
these same men have entertained you
at large with all matters of the wide
universe, and have affirmed unto you