206 
ARRIVAL AT CANTON. 
swiftly down a broad and rapid stream, descried about noon, the 
British flag flying at some distance, and soon after, a British boat 
in advance of several others. “ Captain Maxwell and the Alceste’s 
boats !” was the joyful exclamation through our fleet. Our antici- 
pations were soon verified. Captain Maxwell, accompanied by Sir 
Theophilus Metcalfe in the Ambassador’s barge, preceded the other 
boats of the Alceste, and of all the British ships at that time in the 
Canton river, containing Captain Hall of the Lyra, and their other 
respective officers, and many gentlemen of the Canton factory. On 
this occasion Mr. Wilcocks the American consul, with his usual 
liberality of character, joined the procession in his own barge, to 
congratulate His Excellency on his safe arrival at Canton. 
The boats having rowed round the different yachts and received 
His Excellency and the gentlemen of his suite, advanced in two lines 
till within half a mile of the city of Canton. His Lordship’s barge 
then halted, whilst the other boats went a-head and landed the gen- 
tlemen of the factory and of his suite at the entrance to the quarters 
prepared for the Embassy, at a temple in the village of Honan, on 
the opposite side of the river to the British factory. They were 
here joined by the gentlemen of the factory, who had been unable 
to form part of the procession, and received the Ambassador and the 
Commissioners on landing. 
His Excellency was immediately conducted to a spacious, and, 
what had been rendered by the exertions of our Canton friends, a 
splendid and comfortable establishment for the whole Embassy. A 
temple had been given up for the purpose ; and the paraphernalia 
of idol worship had given place to the commodious furniture of 
an English house. Leaving what, in our sudden transition from 
confined boats, seemed little short of a paradise, we passed over the 
water to partake of a sumptuous entertainment at the British 
factory j and soon forgot, amidst the hospitality of our countrymen, 
the inconveniences of our vexatious journey. 
