1779- THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 389 



the factory agreeable to me, for a few days longer 

 than I seemed willing to favour them with my com- 

 pany. 



Though I was not much disposed to relish this 

 compliment, yet I could not help being diverted 

 with an incident that occurred very opportunely to 

 convince me of the truth of their representations, and 

 of the suspicious character of the Chinese. The 

 reader w T ill recollect that it was now about fifteen 

 days since Captain Gore had written to the factory, 

 to desire their assistance in procuring leave for one 

 of his officers to pass to Canton. In consequence of 

 this application, they had engaged one of the prin- 

 cipal Chinese merchants of the place, to interest 

 himself in our favour, and to solicit the business with 

 the viceroy. This person came to visit the president 

 whilst we were talking on the subject, and with great 

 satisfaction and complacency in his countenance ac- 

 quainted him, that he had at last succeeded in his 

 applications, and that a passport for one of the 

 officers of the Ladrone ship (or pirate) would be 

 ready in a few days. The president immediately 

 told him not to give himself any farther trouble, as 

 the officer, pointing to me, was already arrived. It 

 is impossible to describe the terror which seized the 

 old man on hearing this intelligence. His head sunk 

 upon his breast, and the sofa on which he was sitting 

 shook from the violence of his agitation. Whether 

 the Ladrone ship was the object of his apprehensions, 

 or his own government, 1 could not discover ; but 

 after continuing in this deplorable state a few minutes, 

 Mr. Bevan bade him not despair, and recounted to 

 him the manner in which I had passed from Macao, 

 the reasons of my journey to Canton, and my wishes 

 to leave it as soon as possible. This last circumstance 

 seemed particularly agreeable to him, and gave me 

 hopes that I should find him equally disposed to 

 hasten my departure ; and yet, as soon as he had 

 recovered the courage to speak, he began to recount 



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