[91] Christoval Ferreira was born in Portugal, in 1580. At the age of sixteen he entered the Jesuit order, and in 1609 was sent to the Japan mission; he remained there through many years of persecution, and was long the provincial of his order in Japan. In 1633 he was seized and imprisoned, and finally, under the strain of cruel tortures, recanted his faith--being, it is claimed, the only Jesuit who in all those fierce persecutions, became an apostate. His life was spared, but he was compelled by the Japanese to witness the martyrdom of his brethren, and even to decree their fate. At last Ferreira, tormented by remorse and shame, surrendered himself to the authorities as being still a Christian, and died (1652) as a martyr, suffering long and extreme torments. See Cretineau-Joly's account of his career, in _Hist. Comp. de Jesus_, iii, pp. 161-164. Murdoch and Yamagata say of this Jesuit (_Hist. Japan_, p. 633): "As to the story that Ferreyra repented and was _fossed_ at Nagasaki in 1653 (at the age of seventy-four), there seems to be no foundation for it." [92] Apparently a corrupt Spanish pronunciation of the Japanese Jodo (also written Jiodo, and Jodo), the name of one of the Buddhist sects which flourish in Japan. It was founded in 1174 _A.D._--by one Honen, according to Griffis; by Genku, according to Rein. Iyeyasu and his successors were adherents and benefactors of this sect. "Its priests strictly insisted upon celibacy, and abhorred the eating of flesh. They taught that the health of the soul depends less upon virtue and moral perfection than upon the strict observance of pious practices" (Rein). See Griffis's account of Buddhism in Japan, in his _Mikado's Empire_, pp. 158-175; and the chapter on religious systems in Rein's _Japan_, pp. 442-464. [93] This is the volcanic mountain called Onzenga-take, situated in the northern part of Shimabara peninsula--noted for the terrible massacre of Christians, in 1637, at Arima, a town in the south of the peninsula--and east of Nagasaki. The last great eruption of this volcano took place in 1791-93, in which, it is said, fifty-three thousand people lost their lives. Its height is estimated at one thousand meters, and at its base are numerous hot springs. See Rein's _Japan_, pp. 17, 43, 54, 86. [94] Regarding this letter, see note in brackets at end of this document. [95] Probably Sendai, in the province of Satsuma. [96] This would seem to be Otsu, the chief town of the province of Omi; it lies northeast of Ozaka (the Ojaca of the text).