A. D. 1788. 



177 



Britifti merchants fettled there iri the year 1785 under the command of 

 Captain Hanna *, whofe fuccefs encouraged the gentlemen concerned 

 to fit him out again with a larger veflel : but the proceeds of this more ex- 

 pienfive undertaking were inferior to that of the preceding one. Thefe 

 attempts, however, excited the emulation of other Britifh merchants in 

 Bengal and Bombay, from each of which two fhips were this year dif- 

 patched on the fur trade : and even the Portuguefe in India were rouf- 

 ed from their flumber of two centuries to attempt a participation of 

 this lucrative traffic. 



It was alfo in 1785 that Mr. Etches and fome other merchants in 

 London formed themfelves into a partnerfhip, under the name of the 

 iS"'. George's found company, for carrying on a fur trade from the north- 

 weft coaft of America to China, and fent out their two firft vefTels un- 

 der the command of Captain Portlock and Captain Dixon, having pro- 

 cured licences from the South-fea company, and the Eaft-India com- 

 pany, who engaged to freight their veflels homeward from China. Both 

 thefe commanders had circumnavigated the globe under the immortal 

 Cook, and they now again made the circuit of it in this commercial 

 undertaking. 



From the account of the voyage publiflied by Captain Dixon we have 

 the following fummary of the proceeds of the furs, procured in the fe- 

 veral voyages in that trade, at Canton in China down to the year 1788. 



Amount iti 

 SiJanish 



Year3. 



Vessels. 



Commanders. Furs. 



/ 



1 783 Ship Imperial eagle Berkley 



560 



eoo - - - 



100 at 50 dollars and 300 pieces 

 ]• 604 



I 2,552 and other furs 



267 from 5 to 70 dollars ~| 

 50 prime at 91 > 



and sundry other furs J 

 800 valued at 



and there were sent from California by die ") „ f not sold when Portlock and 



Spanish priests || i '' \ Dixon left China. 



dollars 

 20,600 



t 10,000 



8,000 



24,000 



} 54,875 



14,242 

 30,000 



* So it is ftated in the introduftory part of 

 Portlock and Dixon's voyage ; but I obferve, that 

 the New annual regifter for 1785 fays, that Cap- 

 tain Richardfon in the Bellona had failed in the 

 year 1784 on a voyage to Malacca and China, 

 whence he was to proceed to the coall of America 

 in purfuance of the plan propofed by Captain King 

 in his laft voyage with Captain Cook. 



f The account of furs belonging to thefe two 

 French fliips, tironeoufly ftated by Dixon, \i cor- 

 reded from Perovife himfelf. They were left at 

 Macao to be fold, not, as Captain Dixon fuppof- 

 ed, for account of the two captains, but for the 

 benefit of the whole crews of the two frigates. 

 Mr. De la Peroufe obfcrves, that the price was 

 now reduced to a tenth of what it was, wiien 

 Alffiujvs Gore and King brought the firft fpeci- 



Vol, IV. 



mens of the article to China. \_Peroufes Voyagi, 

 V. i, pp. 495, 517 of Englijlj traiiJlciUon, 1799.] 



:|; Captain Portlock, in the conclufion of his ac- 

 count of the voyage, fays, that the ikins fold fo 

 low in confequcnce of the fales being-, by agree- 

 ment at home, put into the hands of the Eall- 

 India company's fupercargoes, whereby th.ey aver- 

 aged kfs than 20 dollars each, though prime ll<ins 

 fold from 80 to 90 dollars, when they arrived at 

 Canton. 



§ Some farther account will be given of Cap- 

 tain Mtares's voyage. 



II 111 September 1786, when Mr. De la Peroufe 

 was at Monterey in Califorifla, an agent, or com.- 

 miflioner, was preparing to let out for Chii.a, in 

 order to fettle a treaty or correfpondence refpcvfl- 

 ing the trade in fe-a-otler furs. 



z 



