ABSTRACT
Meanwhile Kuroda Jōsui in Kyushu was by no means idle. He called for volunteers for the campaign against the Ishida party in that island, and all classes of society were encouraged to join, Ronin, old men, Inkyo, traders, farmers, and artisans, since all the able-bodied samurai were with his son Nagamasa in Ieyasu’s camp, and they responded willingly. Those who had no proper armour came in paper haori, on the back of which they had painted their crests, and picked up any old discarded equipment they could find, while some who had no helmets wore split bamboo hats with birch twigs stuck round the brim. The horses they rode were in many cases thin and sorry-looking but they made as brave a show as they could, riding up gaily brandishing their spears. In all, three thousand six hundred men were thus collected. Jōsui greeted them all personally with compliments suitable to the occasion, if they were old telling them that their experience would be most useful and congratulating them on their enterprise, and if they were young observing that their vigour was remarkable and their spirit beyond all praise. Each horseman received 300 me in silver, and each foot soldier a kwambun of Eiraku coins. Jōsui himself presented them with the money, and spoke a few words to each, never repeating himself, and when some of his officers informed him that some had come forward more than once so that they could receive more money and that it would be well to mark them in some way, he replied that he was well aware of it, but considered that on such an occasion it was not advisable to make any invidious investigations.
