Shogun's Silver Telescope and the Cargo of the New Year's Gift

The East India Company, founded in London in 1600, was originally a spice trading organisation. But its governors soon began to think bigger. After a decade, they started to plan voyages to more fabulous places, notably India and Japan. Rich in silver, Japan was a desirable trading partner; crucially, it was also cold in winter. England''s main export was woollen cloth, which would not sell in hot...