3S§ The V O Y A G E S of Book I.. 
On the 27th the Licence arrived, and the next Day they 
failed over the Bar, and anchored in five Fathom Water. 
The next Morning they fent the General of the Spanijh 
Ship, the reft of the Officers, _ and all the Priioners, except 
the Second Mate, Tome Carpenters, and ten or twelve more 
Men, who might be ufeful in refitting their own Ship, on 
board two Chinefe Junks, to Macao. On the 29th, they 
weighed, and flood up the River, and came to an Anchor 
over-againft the Cuftom-Houfe *, and now, having no fur- 
ther Occafion for the Chinefe Pilots, the Commodore dis- 
charged them. The whole Month of Auguft was employ- 
ed in purchafmg Stores and Provifions from feveral Ships 
in the River, as was alfo that of September in making fuch 
neceffary Repairs as their Circumftances would permit. 
The 1 ith of Oblober , being the Anniverfary of his Majefty’s 
Coronation, they dreffed their Ship, difplayed their Colours, 
and fired twenty-one Guns. 
On the 1 2th, the Commodore being informed, that a 
Ship belonging to the Eafi-India Company, called the 
Haejlingfield i was arrived on the Coaft of China , in a very 
diftreffed Condition, occafioned by her meeting with a 
Tuffoon about thirty Leagues to the Weftward of Macao , 
in which file loft her Main-maft, Fore-maft, Bow-fprit, and 
had her Quarter and Gunnel broke, he immediately fent 
the Long boat belonging to the Harrington , another Eaft- 
India Ship, with an Officer and thirty Men well armed, 
with twenty Swords, as many Bayonets, and Cartridge- 
boxes, together with an Anchor, and a feven Inch and half 
Halfer, for the Ufe of that Ship. He was the more 
anxious about this Affair, from an Apprehenfion, that the 
Spanijh Prifoners he had lately difcharged, and fent to Ma- 
cao , might, on feeing her in this Diftrefs, attempt fome- 
thing to her Prejudice : So careful was the Commodore, on 
every Occafion, to fhew his Concern for whatever related 
to his Country, and fo willing was he to contribute, fo far 
as lay in his Power, to protect the Commerce of his Maje- 
fty’s Subjects; which gained him the univerfal Efteem and 
Affection, not only of all in the Eafi-India Company’s Ser- 
vice, but of fuch Europeans alfo as were at this Time at 
Canton *, of which they gave the moft fignal Teftimonies, 
whenever any Opportunity offered, and particularly on the 
following Occafion ; in which the Commodore adted with 
all the Prudence, Dexterity, and Prefence of Mind, that 
fo nice and delicate a Conjundture required : And, no 
doubt, his Behaviour will be efteemed a fit Precedent in 
fucceeding Times, in cafe any of his Majefty’s Ships of 
W ar fhould hereafter 1 have Occafion to vifit this, or any 
other Port in China. 
32. The Ship being now almoft in a Condition fit for 
Sailing, and nothing wanting but a fufficient Stock of Pro- 
vifions and Naval Scores, for which, notwithftanding the 
moft preffng Inflances had been made, no Licence could 
be obtained, tho’ all the Favour afked, was to purchafe 
them for ready Money ; the Commodore refolved to make 
a Vifit in Per fon to the Vice- King. But as it was impof- 
fible to forefee what Accidents might attend his putting 
himfelf abfolutely in the Power of the Chinefe , who had 
hitherto {hewn no great Regard to his Representations, he 
very wifely provided for the worft, by granting a Com- 
rniffion to Mr. Brett , whom he appointed Captain of the 
Centurion , with ft rift Injunctions, that, in cafe he fhould be 
detained on fhore by the Chinefe , he fhould immediately 
deftroy the Prize, out of which all the T reafure had been 
taken, and proceed with the Centurion without the Mouth 
of the River, and out of the Reach of the two Forts, that, 
at all Events, the Ship might be fafe. 
Thefe Precautions taken, the Commodore acquainted 
the Captains and Supercargoes of the Englifh , Swedifh , and 
Danifh Ships, that were in the Harbour, of his Defign •, 
and that he would be glad of their Company, to attend 
him to his Audience of the Vice-King. Accordingly, on 
the 13th, at Nine in the Morning, they came on board his 
Ship ; and, about Four in the Afternoon, the Commodore, 
with Captain Summare , and Lieutenant van Kepple , with 
the Captains and Supercargoes, put off in the Barge, which 
was rowed by eighteen Seamen, all chofen Men, and in 
new Cloat hs. They were immediately joined by the Boats 
of all the India Ships in the River, the Crew of the Centu - 
■ rion giving the Commodore three Cheats as he went off, 
and fainting him with 19 Guns. When fie landed, Ms 
Officei s, and thole who accompanied him, marched in a 
folemn and regular Proceffion towards the Viceroy’s Pa- 
lace, the Commodore himfelf being carried in a Chair : 
His Attendants alfo were properly marfhalled, and the 
whole Ceremony conducted with as much Decency, and 
even with all the Magnificence, that their Circumftances 
would allow. As the Chinefe are extravagantly fond of 
I omp and Snew, and as the Officers were all of them very 
richly dreffed, and all their Attendants in new deaths, the 
Ceremony had a very proper Effect, and all the Spectators 
regarded it with Silence and Refpedt. 
On their Arrival at the Vice-King’s Palace, they found 
10,000 Men under Arms before it, the Windows, Galle- 
ries, and Battlements, all thronged with People belonging 
to his Court. The Commodore, and thofe who acconv 
panied him, were immediately conduced into the great 
Hall of the Palace ; and foon after were admitted to the 
Prefence of the Vice-King, who appeared on this Occafion 
with all the Pomp imaginable, being attended by the Man- 
darins of his Council. He received the Commodore with 
the utmoft Civility and Politenefs, and gave him a grand 
Entertainment, confifting, after the Chinefe Manner, of a 
Multitude of fmail Diffies, filled with different Sorts of 
minc’d Meat ; after which, and a proper Interval between, 
there followed a rich Deffert of dried Fruits and Sweet- 
meats ; and, after that, Tea. The Vice-King likewife 
readily granted all that the Commodore defired, and made 
him fame Prefents, as a Teftimony of his Refpeft. , The 
Commodore had alfo provided fuitable Prefents for the 
Vice-King, who told him, with all the Civility imaginable, 
that it was contrary to the Cuftom of his Country, and in- 
compatible with the Office he held, for him to receive them ; 
and therefore hoped he would excufe his Refufal. 
Such was the Iflue of this Audience, with which the 
Commodore had all the Reafon in the World to be fatif- 
fied, having fucceeded therein to the utmoft Extent of his 
Willies, and much beyond the Expectation of all the Eu- 
ropeans ; who gave it as their unanimous Opinion, before 
the Commodore’s Departure, that the Port Duties would 
be infilled on, there having been hitherto no Inftance of 
their being ever difpenfed with. TheSuccefs of this whole 
Affair was entirely owing to the perfonal Condudt of the 
Commodore, who had thoroughly ftudied the Genius and 
Difpofition of the People he had to deal with • and by his 
Wifdom, Moderation, and Difcretion, overcame all the 
Difficulties, which the moft experienced People in that Coun- 
try thought infurmountable ; and by his Firmnefs, and Pre- 
fence of Mind, afferted the Honour of his Mafter, and of 
this Nation, among the moft cunning and fubtle People in 
the World. He returned with the fame State and Cere- 
mony from this Audience, with which he went to it ; and 
the News of his happy Succefs, when brought to his Ship, 
was received with all poffible Marks of the moft fincere 
J°y. 
The firft Thing that was done after his Return, was to 
take an Account of, and to pack up in the propereft Man- 
ner, the Treafure taken out of the Prize •, and the Carpen- 
ters were ordered to prepare proper Receptacles for its Se- 
curity : A certain Number of Chinefe Carpenters were like- 
wife taken into Pay, in order to forward the Repairs. In 
the Beginning of November , they began to take in Provi- 
fions and Sea-ftores, and fent a great Quantity of Iron, and 
other Goods, on board the Harrington. On the 7th, the 
Men returned that had been fent to affift the Haejlingfield ; 
and, having reported, that they had brought her into the. 
Chanel, the Launch was fent with a proper Crew of Men, 
in order to affift in bringing her up. The next Day, the 
Haejlingfield paffed by them, and fainted the Centurion with 
21 Guns, and received 19 in Return. On the 10th, they 
completed their Watering, and the reft of the Month was 
fpent in receiving all forts of Provifions and Sea-ftores from 
Canton. On the 28th, a moft dreadful Fire broke out in 
the Suburbs of that City, by which 350 Houfes were con- 
fumed ; as were likewife the Factories belonging to the 
Swedes and Banes. By the Clofe of the Month, the belt 
Part of their Stores were on board •, and they began to 
think of difpofing all Things for their Departure. 
33 ' After ' 
