翻刻
貫目以上之大銃数挺不被配置候而者不相成
振合ニ候処臨時ニ異国船之遠近旋転ニ随
上ケ下ケ左右自由ニ附廻し打放いたし候ニ多
門内より之業ニ而ハ取廻不宜多門内ニ煙り立
籠候ハヽ照準不自由ニ有之大銃数多打
放候ハヽ石壁ニ響き忽ち損所出来見
苦敷相成可申且両岸ニ備厳重成ル躰見
請候ハヽ洋中を乗込可申左候而者見セ備
ニ而も可相済程之儀ニ而当所と房州陸地之
御備者無用之物ニひとしく且異国船を見懸
両岸ゟ乗着候ニも遥遠之沖合通漕致候
ハヽ風潮之順逆ニ依而者手筈迅速ならさる義
茂可有之哉依而者白川家御持場ニ而備を厳ニ
被示候ニ付而者 御家御持場ニ而者いよ〳〵備を
潜置候ハヽ必玉先を避け御持場之方へかた
より通漕致候ニ可有之且御内立ニ取り普請
方大造ニ而入費も容易ニ無之風烈之場所ニ
候へ者時々破損も可有之其共御備方実用
をなし候事ニ候ハヽ御入費御厭可被成筋ニ無之
候へ共迚も当所陸地ゟ之手つかひハ十分所存ニ
現代語訳
一貫目以上の大砲を数挺配置しなければ意味をなさないという按配であるが、臨時に異国船の遠近・旋回に随って、上下・左右自由に向きを変えて打ち放つためには、多聞の内側からの作業では取り回しが悪い。また多聞の内側に煙が立ち籠もれば照準が不自由となり、大砲を数多く打ち放てば石壁に響いてたちまち損傷箇所が生じ、見苦しい状態になりかねない。さらに両岸に厳重な備えがある様子を見てとれば、（敵は）洋中を乗り込んでくるであろう。そうなると、見せかけの備えで済む程度の話であって、当所と房州の陸地の備えは無用の物に等しくなる。また異国船を見掛け、両岸から乗り着こうとする場合でも、はるか遠方の沖合を通漕させれば、風潮の順逆によっては手筈が迅速にいかないこともあろう。したがって、白川家（白河藩）の持ち場において備えを厳重に示されるならば、御家（会津藩）の持ち場においてはいよいよ備えを潜めて置けば、必ず弾先を避けて御持ち場の方へ寄って通漕するに違いない。また内々の手立てとして、普請が大がかりになれば費用も容易ではなく、風の激しい場所であるから時々破損もあろう。もっとも、御備えが実用をなすのであれば御入費を惜しむべき筋合いではないが、とても当所の陸地からの手さばきは十分とは思われず……
英語訳
Unless several large cannon of one kanme or more in weight are deployed, the arrangement will not serve its purpose. However, in order to freely train the guns up, down, left, and right to track the movements — near or far, turning or maneuvering — of foreign ships in an emergency, operating from within tamon-style enclosures would make maneuvering extremely awkward. Moreover, if smoke were to accumulate inside the tamon enclosures, aiming would become difficult, and if many large cannon were fired in rapid succession, the reverberations against the stone walls would quickly cause damage, resulting in an unsightly state of affairs. Furthermore, if enemy vessels were to observe that both shores were heavily fortified, they would simply sail through the open sea between them. In that case, the situation could be managed by a mere show of force, rendering the shore defenses at this location and on the Bōshū coast effectively useless. Additionally, even if foreign ships were spotted and attempts were made from both shores to intercept them, if the enemy were to pass through the distant open sea, depending on the direction of wind and tide, it is conceivable that coordinated operations might not proceed swiftly. Therefore, if the Shirakawa domain were to display a conspicuously strong defense at their position, the more prudent course for your domain (Aizu) would be to keep its own defenses concealed — for the enemy would surely avoid that direction of fire and steer toward your domain's sector. Furthermore, from the standpoint of internal financial management, large-scale construction would entail considerable expense, and given that this is a location exposed to strong winds, damage would occur from time to time. Of course, if the defensive installations were to serve their practical purpose, there would be no reason to begrudge the expenditure; however, it is hard to believe that shore-based operations from this location alone would be fully effective...