ced Kananari in
Japanese. Here the strangers met with a very rough reception. The
Tartar, however, kept his head well during the various attempts which
were made to frighten him; he pointed out the historical precedents to
be found in the annals of previous Chinese dynasties, and firmly
declined to surrender his credentials except at the chief seat of
government, and to the king or ruler in person. It seems that even the
Japanese now began to see that the "honest broker," Corea, was playing
false to both sides; at all events, they said that "Corea had reported
the imminence of a Chinese attack, whereas Kublai's language seemed to
deprecate war." Officials from head-quarters explained that "from
ancient times till now, no foreign envoy has ever gone east of the
Dazai Fu." The reply to this was: "If I cannot see your ruler, you had
better take him my head; but you shall not have my documents." The
Japanese pleaded that it was too far to the ruler's capital, but that
in the mean time they would send officers back with him to China. He
was thereupon sent back to await events at Tsushima, and, having
remained there a year, he arrived back in Peking in the summer of
1273. In escorting him to Tsushima, the Japanese had sent with him a
number of secondary officials to have an audience of Kublai; it
appears that the Japanese had been alarmed at the establishment of a
Mongol garrison at Kin Chow (I suppose the one near Port Arthur, then
within Corean dominions); and the Tartar envoy, during his stay in
Tsushima, now sent on these Japanese "envoys" (or spies) in advance,
advising Kublai at the same time to humor Japanese susceptibilities by
removing the Kin Chow garrison. The cabinet council suggested to
Kublai that it would be a good thing to explain to the Japanese envoys
that the occupation of Kin Chow was "only temporary," and would be
removed so soon as the operations now in process against Quelpaert
were at an end. It is related that the "Japanese interpreters"--which
probably means Chinese accompanying the Japanese--explained to Kublai
that it was quite unnecessary to go round via Corea, and that with a
good wind it was possible to reach Japan in a very short time. Kublai
said, "Then I must think it over afresh." Late in the year 1273 the
same Tartar envoy was once more sent to Japan, but it is not stated by
what route or where he first landed; this time he really reached the
Dazai Fu, or capital of Chikuzen. In the same yea