The
Rekidai Hoan, a collection of official papers exchanged between Ryukyu and the Ming and Ch'ing dynasties as well as between Ryukyu and some Southeast Asian countries, contains a number of articles called
fubun,
sissho. They are a kind of passport, in which the names and official status of those who travel from Ryukyu to the forein countries above-mentioned are given.
Kacho is one of the official status in the paper, In China,
kacho was a pilot in charge of a compass. In Ryukyu too,
kacho has been considered to be a title for a similar duty, because it is known that it was the Chinese immigrants called the
Binjin-sanjurokusei who taught the Ryukyuan people how to navigate and to compile diplomatic documents.
However, the title
kacho is replaced by
sokan to denote that same position in the Ryukyuan Family Chronicles. While in the
Ryukyu-koku Yuraiki and the
Ryukyu-koku Kyuki, the title is given to a person who offers incense to the
Tenko-bosatsu in a boat.
I picked up all
kacho from the first compilation of the
Rekidai Hoan and examined the number of their navigations and their ages. It turned out that their average age was 22, and that 63 percent of them engaged in only one sailing. Also it is found that as many as 27 ships had no
kacho. These facts seem to contradict the statement that
kacho was a pilot.
I conclude, therefore, that
kacho in Ryukyu Islands was a officer in charge of rituals on board, except
kacho of the first generation who immigrated from China.
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