1590 - Matsumae Clan is granted rights over Hokkaido and Japan's northern borders, with special privileges that come as 'defenders of the north.' Merchants under the Matsumae Clan trade with the Ainu, going as far as the Kurils and Sakhalin.
1610 - Thule Ivory, both worked and occasionally raw, begins to filter down the Kurils, and into the possession of Matsumae merchants.
1620 - A Matsumae expedition goes north, seeking the source (or at least, 'a source') of Thule Ivory. It encounters a Thule Sea Settlement on the Kamchatka peninsula. Procuring as much local Walrus Ivory and Walrus harvest as the locals will tolerate, they are directed further north. The expedition follows the coastline, encountering other peoples and a Sea Settlement, and then locates the Aleutians, sailing to the Commander and Near Islands. It returns with a load of worked and raw ivory, some old, some freshly harvested, seal and sea otter furs, medicinal roseroot and other goods. It brings tails, told by the natives, of an Island of Ivory.
1620 - 1645 - Occasional Japanese Merchants, usually one every year or two years, sails north on an ivory hunting expedition. The usual model is that the expedition cruises along Thule lands, either north into Bering, or along the Aleutians, seeking to purchase ivory or walrus rights from locals. As local resources are depleted, they follow the trade routes further and further, supplementing Ivory with secondary trade goods.
1629 - An expedition brings back a live baby walrus to the Matsumae clan. The animal is sent south to Hondo, as a gift for the Shogunate. The animal dies in transit. A second live baby walrus makes the journey in 1634, and is quite the sensation. Thereafter, there is an occasional traffic in exotic arctic mammals, either live or carcasses - Polar Bear, Sea Otter, Sea Cow and Walrus, either as adults or juveniles are occasionally shipped to Hokkaido and beyond.
1632 - First maps of the Alaskan coast by the Japanese. Also during this time, there's evidence of Thule trade networks selecting for ivory. Some of the Walrus Ivory artifacts obtained by the Japanese are later determined to originate in the McKenzie Basin area. Also, first appearances of fossil mammoth ivory artifacts.
1636 - A Japanese trading ship is offered a fossil Mammoth tusk. It pays an appalling premium for the tusk.
1638 - A second fossil ivory tusk is purchased, this one larger and more intact than the first. This one has been transported a large distance across Siberia to a coastal community.
1640 - From a Japanese text "...the Walrus, being the most terrifying killer of the northern seas. Born into modest circumstances, it grows through its life with the largest reaching a length of 500 feet. Like the otter, being a creature of land and sea, in the winter, during the time of ice the Walrus climbs upon the land and preys upon the people and animals there. When it sleeps, its form is taken for a hill, but woe betide those who set their camp upon it. The below of the Walrus may be heard for miles, and paralyzes all who hear it, making its hunting easy. During the spring, the Walrus returns to the water, sending the whales fleeing, and causing the seals to climb upon the land. Sometimes in the water, the walrus will hunt by pretending to be an island, luring mariners to land upon its surface, whence it drowns. The tusks of the greatest walruses are eight to ten feet in length and procured only at great expense and suffering..."
1645 - the First Semi-Permanent Japanese trading station is established, just beyond the Kamchatka peninsula. Other permanent or Semi-Permanent stations are established, further up the Siberian coast in 1648 and 1650, on the Aleutians in 1651 and in Alaska 1653.
1661 - Text from a letter from a Matsumae merchant - "After due ceremony, we were brought into the presence of the mighty chieftain. So great was the honour of the Chieftain, and his importance, that he could not deign to enter the trading station, but must insist upon our attendance.... Thereupon, he caused to be unrolled a great expanse of hide, and within this hide there were five tusks of the Great Walrus, of whom much has been said, but which fortunately has never been encountered. I wish a cannon, he said unto me, with balls and powder in adequate amount. Is this sufficient? I said that this would be more than sufficient, but that we had no cannon to spare, all being part of the ship's or station's complement. He then asked if double the number would be sufficient, and in consideration of such a remarkable sum, I could not help but acknowledge that it would be entirely satisfactory. He then clapped his hands, as if the deal was struck, and his retainers entered with an equal amount of ivory. He inquired if this was to my pleasure, and I had no option to express my gratitude. I was of the opinion that our business was concluded, however, the Chieftain was not, for he said "All is well, this first cannon shall be a token of our arrangments and the measurement of value - when you return in the spring, bring us another thirty, in all respects the same or better."
1610 - Thule Ivory, both worked and occasionally raw, begins to filter down the Kurils, and into the possession of Matsumae merchants.
1620 - A Matsumae expedition goes north, seeking the source (or at least, 'a source') of Thule Ivory. It encounters a Thule Sea Settlement on the Kamchatka peninsula. Procuring as much local Walrus Ivory and Walrus harvest as the locals will tolerate, they are directed further north. The expedition follows the coastline, encountering other peoples and a Sea Settlement, and then locates the Aleutians, sailing to the Commander and Near Islands. It returns with a load of worked and raw ivory, some old, some freshly harvested, seal and sea otter furs, medicinal roseroot and other goods. It brings tails, told by the natives, of an Island of Ivory.
1620 - 1645 - Occasional Japanese Merchants, usually one every year or two years, sails north on an ivory hunting expedition. The usual model is that the expedition cruises along Thule lands, either north into Bering, or along the Aleutians, seeking to purchase ivory or walrus rights from locals. As local resources are depleted, they follow the trade routes further and further, supplementing Ivory with secondary trade goods.
1629 - An expedition brings back a live baby walrus to the Matsumae clan. The animal is sent south to Hondo, as a gift for the Shogunate. The animal dies in transit. A second live baby walrus makes the journey in 1634, and is quite the sensation. Thereafter, there is an occasional traffic in exotic arctic mammals, either live or carcasses - Polar Bear, Sea Otter, Sea Cow and Walrus, either as adults or juveniles are occasionally shipped to Hokkaido and beyond.
1632 - First maps of the Alaskan coast by the Japanese. Also during this time, there's evidence of Thule trade networks selecting for ivory. Some of the Walrus Ivory artifacts obtained by the Japanese are later determined to originate in the McKenzie Basin area. Also, first appearances of fossil mammoth ivory artifacts.
1636 - A Japanese trading ship is offered a fossil Mammoth tusk. It pays an appalling premium for the tusk.
1638 - A second fossil ivory tusk is purchased, this one larger and more intact than the first. This one has been transported a large distance across Siberia to a coastal community.
1640 - From a Japanese text "...the Walrus, being the most terrifying killer of the northern seas. Born into modest circumstances, it grows through its life with the largest reaching a length of 500 feet. Like the otter, being a creature of land and sea, in the winter, during the time of ice the Walrus climbs upon the land and preys upon the people and animals there. When it sleeps, its form is taken for a hill, but woe betide those who set their camp upon it. The below of the Walrus may be heard for miles, and paralyzes all who hear it, making its hunting easy. During the spring, the Walrus returns to the water, sending the whales fleeing, and causing the seals to climb upon the land. Sometimes in the water, the walrus will hunt by pretending to be an island, luring mariners to land upon its surface, whence it drowns. The tusks of the greatest walruses are eight to ten feet in length and procured only at great expense and suffering..."
1645 - the First Semi-Permanent Japanese trading station is established, just beyond the Kamchatka peninsula. Other permanent or Semi-Permanent stations are established, further up the Siberian coast in 1648 and 1650, on the Aleutians in 1651 and in Alaska 1653.
1661 - Text from a letter from a Matsumae merchant - "After due ceremony, we were brought into the presence of the mighty chieftain. So great was the honour of the Chieftain, and his importance, that he could not deign to enter the trading station, but must insist upon our attendance.... Thereupon, he caused to be unrolled a great expanse of hide, and within this hide there were five tusks of the Great Walrus, of whom much has been said, but which fortunately has never been encountered. I wish a cannon, he said unto me, with balls and powder in adequate amount. Is this sufficient? I said that this would be more than sufficient, but that we had no cannon to spare, all being part of the ship's or station's complement. He then asked if double the number would be sufficient, and in consideration of such a remarkable sum, I could not help but acknowledge that it would be entirely satisfactory. He then clapped his hands, as if the deal was struck, and his retainers entered with an equal amount of ivory. He inquired if this was to my pleasure, and I had no option to express my gratitude. I was of the opinion that our business was concluded, however, the Chieftain was not, for he said "All is well, this first cannon shall be a token of our arrangments and the measurement of value - when you return in the spring, bring us another thirty, in all respects the same or better."
