はじめのひとこと
オールコックは、旅の途中で、腰布だけの二人の男が小走りに近づいてくるのを見た、と書いています。
一人は、厳重に包んだ包みを肩に担いでいました。
道の人たちがみな、すぐに道を空けたので、政府の文書を運ぶ急便だと分かった、と。
Alcock wrote that on a journey he saw two men, stripped to their loin-cloths, coming towards him at a quick trot.
One of them carried a carefully secured packet over his shoulder.
Everyone at once got out of their way, and by that, he wrote, he knew it was an express carrying Government despatches.
オールコックは、騎馬の役人にあとを追わせて、尋ねさせました。
返ってきた答えは、Miaco（ミヤコ）の政府へ文書を運ぶ急便だ、というものでした。
こうした飛脚は、短い区間ごとに走り手を替え、とても速く走る、とオールコックは書いています。
一人に何かあったときに備えて、必ず二人一組で走る、と。
江戸から長崎や箱館まで、川や湾を渡るところで嵐に止められなければ、九日でおよそ三百五十里、八百五十マイルを行く、と。
時間も信用も、おおむね当てにできる、とも書いています。
長崎までのような道のりを急ぎで送ると、ふつう二十小判、つまり六ポンドかかる、とも書いています。
ただ、オールコック自身の飛脚が、一度、行方知れずになりました。
神奈川と江戸のあいだで、英国の郵便を持ったまま消えた、と彼は書いています。
幕府からは、満足な返事も知らせも得られなかった、と。
Alcock sent a mounted officer after them to ask.
The answer that came back was that they were an express carrying despatches to the Government at Miaco.
Couriers like these, Alcock wrote, are relieved at short stages and travel very fast.
They always go in pairs, in case one of them meets with an accident.
From Edo to Nagasaki or Hakodate, if they are not stopped by stormy weather at the crossings of rivers and bays, they cover some 350 ri, or 850 miles, in nine days, he wrote.
He also wrote that they can generally be depended upon for both punctuality and trustworthiness.
For a journey such as the one to Nagasaki, he added, an express usually costs twenty koban, or six pounds sterling.
But once, a courier of Alcock's own disappeared.
He vanished between Kanagawa and Edo with an English mail, Alcock wrote.
He never obtained either satisfaction or information from the government.
記録の言葉
この話のもとになった記録の言葉です。ページは、その本に刷られたものです。
Rutherford Alcock『The Capital of the Tycoon』Vol. II（London: Longman, 1863）一次史料
a mounted officer after them, to get an answer that they were an ‘Imperial express carrying despatches to the Government at Miaco.’
These couriers will travel in this way—being relieved at short stages and always going in couples, to provide against one meeting with any accident —at a very swift rate.
From Yeddo to Nagasaki or Hakodadi, if not stopped by stormy weather in crossing rivers or bays, they will go in nine days a distance of some 350 Re or 850 miles; and may generally be depended upon both for punctuality and trustworthiness.
For such a journey as that to Nagasaki, the expense is usually twenty cobangs, or six pounds sterling, when express.
I only know of one case where a courier of my own between Kanagawa and Yeddo mysteriously disappeared with an English mail; and I never was able to obtain either satisfaction or information from the Government.
I saw two men stripped／to their loin-cloths approaching at a quick trot, one of them carrying over his shoulder a carefully-secured packet, and everyone instantly getting out of their way. I immediately recognised by these signs an express with Government despatches