"BILL ADAMS."

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 147, 23 June 1934, Page 8 (Supplement)

"BILL ADAMS."

AN ANCIENT MARINER.

FIRST MAN TO SAIL TO JAPAN,

The first man to sail to Japan —the man who founded the Japanese merchant service—was recently honoured at Gillingham, Kent, his birthplace, when a memorial to him was unveiled. AVilliani Adams, a seventeenth century master mariner, sailed early in the year 1600 on a voyage of exploration in the Dutch ship Liefde. After terrible hardships and perils, ho arrived at Japan, an island hitherto unknown to alien seafarers.

By his energy, initiative and business acumen, lie founded the Japanese merchant fleet, and his story is taught in all the schools to Japanese children. The Japanese Ambassador, members of the Japanese Legation, and representatives of the British Navy were present at the ceremony. A guest, of honour was Mr. Walter Adams, a 07-year-old Gillingham tradesman, who claims direct descent from the town's hero.

Mr. Walter Adams lias also led a life of adventure and romance. During tlio war he was arrested at Sheerness and imprisoned as a spy, because he agreed to take a letter from a suspected man to a friend in Gillingham. On his sixtieth birthday, Mr. Adams suddenly decided to make a voyage of exploration for himself. He went round the world, sailing in' all kinds of craft, penetrating to the remotest corners of the earth. He returned to Gillingham with enough souvenirs to turn his house into a museum of strange trophies. Caught a "Mermaid." One of the queerest is a real "mermaid," which was fished up off the coast of Italy. Mr. Adams keeps it in a strong box with two locks, hidden away in a thief-proof safe. The "mermaid" has two arms, ending in hand's with five fingers and perfect linger-nails, a strangely human head with two rows of teeth and a round skull covered with fine brown hair. The body tapers away into a scaly tail. "I believe there are only two other such creatures in tho world," said Mr. Adams. "One belongs to a Manchester business man, and the other is in a German museum. I have received scores of offers to house my 'mermaid' in British museums—but my own house is my museum and the creature its most 'important exhibit." In cases, all over Mr. Adams' house are thousands of rare tropical birds, butterflies, scorpions, tarantulas, seahorses, alligators and baby crocodiles, the majority of which Mr. Adams caught.

Souvenirs of world-known events have a room to themselves, and among these arc clocks, bells, bolts, belaying pins and wardroom mirrors from almost every ship that fought in an engagement during the war. A cabinet holds several thousand different types of sea shells, gathered by Mr. Adams on the beaches of the world.

"Collecting is really a passion with me," added Mr. Adams. "I went to every place that my famous ancestor visited, and I brought back a souvenir from every one. When the memorial to old AVilliam Adams is unveiled it will be the proudest day of my life."