翻刻
相暮し同所はヌベツトホヲル之向側にて人家は海
岸に流れ凡二里程二側に建続き家作は何れも板
葺二階附又は平家も有之鯨漁船之船頭其外
都而商ひ家多し繫花之所に有之私義は学問
為致候由船頭申聞急々帰国為致候様子も無之
学問致候はゝ弁利も宜敷可有之と存可然頼候
趣及挨拶候処直に学校へは難遣下稽古場へ遣し
候旨に而月日不覚船頭同道に而町并壱丁半程罷
越門構之家へ連参り五六軒立位之板張之
間有之凡二十人計集り素読致何れも腰懸を設
師匠は高座に罷在教示致天文地理等之書を
読船頭之宅ゟ通ひ暮比帰宿いたし十ヶ月程稽古
致候処最早学校へ可参旨船頭申聞日不覚船頭
同道に而町并三町程参り門構二十間方位之家に連
越候間師匠は同所之者之由猶又転職之者有
之候得は他所ゟ罷越教示いたし毎朝百人又は五
六拾人も罷越師匠は高座に罷在一同板敷に腰懸
を設素読致私義も日々船頭宅より通ひ天文地
理之書素読稽古致凡二ヶ月程も過可也に通答
出来致前書之船頭は数人もやひの鯨漁船に乗
現代語訳
暮らしていました。その場所はニューベッドフォードの向かい側で、人家は海岸に流れる川の両側約二里にわたって建ち並んでいました。家作はいずれも板葺きで二階建て、または平屋もありました。捕鯨船の船頭やその他すべて商売をする家が多く、繁栄した場所でした。私については学問をするようにと船頭が申し聞かせ、すぐに帰国するような様子もなく、学問をすれば便利で良いこともあるだろうと思われるので然るべく頼むという趣旨で挨拶されました。すぐに学校へは遣わし難く、まず下稽古場へ遣すということで、月日ははっきりしませんが、船頭と同道で町並み一丁半ほど行き、門構えのある家へ連れて行かれました。
五、六軒建てほどの板張りの部屋があり、およそ二十人ほど集まって素読をしていました。いずれも腰掛けが設けられ、師匠は高座にいて教示し、天文地理などの書を読んでいました。船頭の宅から通い、暮れ頃に帰宿し、十ヶ月ほど稽古しました。もう学校へ参ってよいと船頭が申し聞かせ、日ははっきりしませんが、船頭と同道で町並み三町ほど行き、門構え二十間四方ほどの家に連れて行かれました。
師匠はその場所の者でしたが、なお転職の者がいる時は他所から来て教示していました。毎朝百人または五、六十人も来て、師匠は高座にいて、一同板敷きに腰掛けを設けて素読をしていました。私も日々船頭の宅より通い、天文地理の書の素読稽古をしました。およそ二ヶ月ほども過ぎると、かなり通じるようになりました。前述の船頭は数人で雇いの捕鯨船に乗っていました。
英語訳
They lived there. That place was on the opposite side of New Bedford, with houses built continuously along both sides of the river flowing to the coast for about two ri. The buildings were all board-roofed, either two-story or single-story houses. There were many whaling ship captains and various merchant houses, making it a prosperous place. Regarding myself, the captain advised me to pursue learning, and since there was no immediate prospect of returning to Japan, he said that studying would be beneficial and convenient, and greeted me with the intention of making appropriate arrangements.
Since it was difficult to send me directly to school, they decided to first send me to a preparatory school. Though I don't recall the exact date, I went with the captain about one and a half chō through the town streets to a house with a gate structure.
There were rooms with board flooring that could accommodate about five or six buildings' worth of people, where approximately twenty people gathered to practice reading aloud. All had seats provided, with the teacher on a raised platform giving instruction and reading books on astronomy, geography, and other subjects. I commuted from the captain's house, returning in the evening, and practiced for about ten months. The captain then told me I could now attend the regular school. Though I don't recall the exact date, I went with the captain about three chō through the town to a house with a gate structure about twenty ken square.
The teacher was from that place, but when there were substitute teachers, they would come from elsewhere to provide instruction. Every morning, one hundred or fifty to sixty people would come, with the teacher on a raised platform while everyone sat on seats arranged on the board flooring to practice reading aloud. I also commuted daily from the captain's house, practicing reading aloud books on astronomy and geography. After about two months, I became quite proficient in understanding. The aforementioned captain was employed on whaling ships with several other people.