翻刻
出火二而焼失候者共男女弐百人余有之多分人絶二
相成災害村々之分人別弐分七厘之減高二相成支
配所高五万八千三百石余之内無難村方三分内な
らで残り不申高七歩分余は災害村々二而何共嘆ヶ敷儀二
御座候差向村々水路手入不仕候而ハは呑水二差支
且田方用水肝要之時節二付何れも難捨 被（取ヵ）繕不
申候而は苗之間ハは勿論無難之田地植付二差支候
処場廣大破之儀中々以村々自力二及不申火災
等之二難共訳違家々田畑山林等迄覆候大災就中水
内高井両郡は大地震痛強捨置候而は 皆々潰
亡処二相成候村々多く人命二も拘り末々御収納御
益を失ひ不容易儀迚も御救不被下置候而は何共可仕
様無御座候且又大地震二而北国往還丹波嶋
村渡船場凡二里半程川之真田信濃守領分平
林村地内字虚空蔵山凡二十町程之処山抜崩
犀川押出し埋り川中を〆切候付流水を堰留水湛当
時川上村々平地へ水開候得共湛湛切候ハゝ自然と押埋〆
切 場所水力二而押崩可申如何様之洪水二相成可申哉
気遣ヶ敷支配所千曲川縁村々 為心得之申越候旨
信濃守家来掛合有之右故当時千曲川平水ゟ
七八尺減水致ㇱ居候川筋村々致心得山陰高場江
立退居切開候ハゝ如何可有之数日湛溜候を一時二押
流候ハゝ又水災異変出来可申と殊の外人気不穏
心配仕候儀二御座候間前書申上候災害艱難二陥候次
第得と御賢察
被下相続方并自普請所用水路大破二付
金弐千五百両書面之村々江急拝借被
仰付被下度左も無之候而ハ迚も相続筋
手段無之万一此上難渋迫心得違人気立候
様被成候而ハ恐入深心配仕候儀二御座候支配所
村々之者共昨年来同所他之支配所二無之
御国恩并定免増米上納相願候実二以
良民共空敷退転為及候段歎ヶ敷奉存候
間御仁恵之御沙汰永年賦拝借被下候様
仕度奉存候然ㇽ上ハ右拝借金高村々応
割符貸渡年賦返納等之儀ハ別紙追而
相伺候様可仕候間急速伺之通拝借被
仰付御下ヶ置被成下候様仕度奉存候仍之
災害村々之一村限帳壱冊相添此段奉伺候 ⑰
以上
弘化四年未四月四日 高木清左衛門
御勘定所
現代語訳
出火によって焼失した者は男女合わせて二百人余りにのぼり、多くは絶家となってしまいました。被害を受けた村々の人口は二分七厘の減少となり、支配所の石高五万八千三百石余りのうち、無事であった村方は三分のうちに過ぎず、残りは七歩分余りが被災村々となっており、何とも嘆かわしい次第でございます。さしあたり、村々の水路の手入れをしなければ飲料水に支障をきたし、また田方の用水が肝要な時節でもありますので、いずれも手を入れずにはおられない状況でございます。修繕しなければ苗の管理はもちろん、無事な田地への植え付けにも支障をきたします。箇所が広大に破損しており、とても村々の自力では及びません。火災等の二重の災難とは訳が違い、家々・田畑・山林等にまで及んだ大災害であり、とりわけ水内・高井両郡は大地震の打撃が強く、そのまま放置すれば皆々が潰滅するに至る村々が多く、人命にも関わり、将来の御収納・御益を失うことになります。容易ならざる事態であり、どうかご救済をいただかなければ何とも致しようがございません。
また、大地震によって北国往還の丹波島村渡船場からおよそ二里半ほどの川の、真田信濃守領分の平林村地内、字虚空蔵山のおよそ二十町ほどのところで山が崩れ落ち、犀川に押し出して埋まり、川中を塞いでしまったため、流水が堰き止められ水が溜まっております。現在は川上の村々の平地へ水が開いておりますが、溜まり切った場合には自然とその水力で押し崩されるでしょう。どのような洪水になるか気がかりであり、支配所の千曲川沿いの村々に心得のため申し伝えるよう、真田信濃守の家来より掛け合いがございました。そのため現在、千曲川は平水より七、八尺減水しております。川筋の村々は心得て山陰の高い場所へ退避しており、堰き切り箇所が開いた場合にはどうなるか、数日間溜まったものが一時に押し流された場合には、また水害の異変が起きるかもしれないと、殊の外人心が不穏になっており、心配しているところでございます。
以上、前書きに申し上げた災害艱難に陥った次第をよくご賢察いただき、
相続方並びに自普請所の用水路大破につき
金二千五百両を書面の村々へ急ぎ拝借仰せ付け
くださいますよう。さもなければとても相続の手段
がなく、万一この上難渋が迫り、心得違いの人心が
立ち上がるようなことになれば、恐れ入りながら深く
心配いたします。支配所村々の者共は昨年来、同所
他の支配所にはない御国恩ならびに定免増米の上納を
相願っておりまして、まことにもって良民共が空しく
退転するに至らせるのは嘆かわしく存じます。
御仁恵のご沙汰として永年賦にて拝借くださいます
ようにしたく存じます。そうなりましたうえは、右
拝借金額を村々に応じて割り符し、貸渡し・年賦
返納等のことは別紙にて追って伺いを立てるよう
いたしますので、急速にお伺いの通り拝借仰せ付け
お下げ置きくださいますようにしたく存じます。よって
被災村々の一村限り帳一冊を添えてこの段をお伺い申し上げます。
以上
弘化四年未四月四日 高木清左衛門
御勘定所
英語訳
Those who perished in the fires that broke out numbered over two hundred men and women combined, and many households have become extinct. The population of the affected villages has decreased by 2.7%, and of the total assessed yield of over 58,300 koku under this administration, barely three-tenths of villages emerged unscathed, while the remaining seven-tenths or more are disaster-stricken villages — a most lamentable situation. For the time being, if the water channels in the villages are not repaired, it will hinder the supply of drinking water; furthermore, as this is a critical season for irrigation water for the rice paddies, there is no choice but to address this matter. Without repairs, not only the management of seedlings but also the planting of undamaged paddies will be impaired. The extent of the damage is vast, and it is far beyond the means of the villages to address on their own. Unlike a disaster of fire alone, this is a great catastrophe that has affected homes, fields, mountains and forests alike. In particular, the two districts of Mizuuchi and Takai have been so severely struck by the earthquake that if left unattended, many villages face total ruin. This threatens human life and will lead to the future loss of tax revenues. This is a matter of the utmost urgency, and without relief we have no means of recovery whatsoever.
Furthermore, due to the great earthquake, approximately two-and-a-half ri (roughly 10 km) from the Tanbashima Village ferry crossing on the Hokuriku Highway, at a location approximately twenty chō into the mountains called Kokūzō-yama in Hirabayashi Village within the domain of Sanada Shinano-no-kami, a landslide occurred and was deposited into the Sai River, completely blocking the river channel. As a result, the flow has been dammed up and water is pooling. Currently the water is spreading out into the flatlands of the upstream villages, but when it reaches full capacity, it will naturally be pushed through by the force of the water. It is deeply concerning what scale of flooding might result. We have been informed by a retainer of Sanada Shinano-no-kami that villages along the Chikuma River under this administration have been notified to prepare accordingly. As a result, the Chikuma River is currently running seven to eight shaku (approximately 2–2.4 meters) below its normal level. Villages along the river are aware of the situation and have retreated to elevated positions behind hills. However, there is great anxiety about what would happen if the blockage were to break, and if water that has accumulated over several days were to rush through all at once, yet another water disaster may occur. Public sentiment is unusually unsettled and we are deeply concerned.
In light of the foregoing, we humbly request your wise consideration of the circumstances of disaster and hardship described above, and respectfully petition as follows:
Regarding the continuation of village operations and the severe damage
to irrigation channels under self-funded repair,
we urgently request that an emergency loan of 2,500 ryō in gold
be granted to the villages listed in this document.
Without such assistance, there is no means of sustaining operations,
and should further hardship press upon the people and lead to
misconduct or unrest among them, we would be most deeply
concerned and alarmed. The villages under this administration have,
since last year, petitioned for matters not seen in other jurisdictions,
including the grace of the domain and the payment of increased rice
levies under the fixed tax rate; it is truly lamentable to see such
good and honest people driven to ruin and displacement.
We sincerely wish for a benevolent directive granting a long-term
installment loan. Once this is granted, the allocation of the loan
amount among the villages, the terms of disbursement, and the
annual repayment schedule will be submitted separately in due course.
We therefore urgently request that the loan be granted as petitioned
and the funds disbursed accordingly. In accordance with the above,
we attach one register per affected village and respectfully submit
this petition.
Respectfully submitted.
4th day of the 4th month, Kōka 4 (1847), Year of the Sheep
Takagi Seizaemon
To the Office of the Magistrate (Go-kanjō-sho)