386 cook's voyage to dec. 



Captain Gore for the assistance of a few hands to 

 navigate a vessel he had purchased at Macao, up to 

 Canton. Captain Gore, judging this a good oppor- 

 tunity for me to proceed to that place, gave orders 

 that I should take along with me my second 

 lieutenant, the lieutenant of marines, and ten seamen. 

 Though this was not precisely the mode in which I 

 could have wished to visit Canton, yet as it was very 

 uncertain when the passport might arrive, and my 

 presence might contribute materially to the expe- 

 diting of our supplies, I did not hesitate to put my- 

 self on board, having left orders with Mr. Williamson 

 to get the Discovery ready for sea as soon as pos- 

 sible, and to make such additions and alterations in 

 her upper works, as might contribute to make her 

 more defensible. That the series of our astronom- 

 ical observations might surfer no interruption by 

 my absence, I entrusted the care of continuing them 

 to Mr. Trevenen, in whose abilities and diligence I 

 could repose an entire confidence. 



We left the harbour of Macao on the 11th of 

 December, and sailing round the south-eastern ex- 

 tremity of the island, we steered to the northward, 

 leaving as we passed along, Lantao Lintin, and 

 several smaller islands, to the right. All these islands, 

 as well as that of Macao, which lie to the left, are 

 entirely without wood ; the land is high and barren, 

 and uninhabited, except occasionally by fishermen. 

 As we approached the Bocca Tygris, which is thir- 

 teen leagues from Macao, the Chinese coast appears 

 to the eastward in steep white cliffs ; the two forts 

 commanding the mouth of the river, are exactly in 

 the same state as when Lord Anson was here ; that 

 on the left is a fine old castle, surrounded by a grove 

 of trees, and has an agreeable romantic appearance. 



We were here visited by an officer of the customs ; 

 on which occasion the owner of the vessel, being 

 apprehensive that, if we were discovered on board, 

 it would occasion some alarm, and might be attended 



