Tosa Hyokaku Dan - 2 manuscript books Telling the story of John Manjiro
[Japan] Two Japanese manuscript books telling the story of Nakahama Manjiro (known also as John Mung and, more commonly, John Manjiro), whose small fishing vessel was blown off course in 1841 and eventually picked up by an American ship, the John Howland. Manjiro was from Tosa (present day Kochi prefecture in Shikoku) and just 14 years old when this happened. He became one of the first Japanese people to visit America. His story is a fascinating one. One manuscript contains a simple map of North and South America along with the Hawaiian Islands. In the text we can find the names of people and places involved such as Captain Whitfield (who rescued Manjiro and his shipmates), Oahu, Hawaii (where they stayed for a while), Fairhaven, Massachusetts (where Manjiro later lived) and so on. Each manuscript is in a different hand but they were found together so are to be sold together. Both manuscripts worthy of further research.
Smaller manuscript titled 'Tosa Hyokaku Dan' - 45 leaves. 21 x 13.5cm. Author unknown, 1854.
Larger manuscript - 56 leaves. 23.2 x 16.7cm. Copied by Ogawa Ryosuke, 1853.
Both manuscripts good with some age wear, marks, creasing and stains but all text readable.
