Chap. I. George 
are inconfiderable in refpetft to it ; for the contrary is ftridtly 
true. As a Proof of this, I muft obferve, that, within 
four Leagues of this City, there lies the Town of Fo-chan , 
to which, during the Troubles at Canton , occafioned by 
the Revolution in China , abundance of Tradefmen and 
Manufacturers retired ; fince which, it is become fo con- 
fiderable a Place, that it is no lefs than three Leagues in 
i Circumference j and, in point of Riches, Trade, and even 
in the Number of its Inhabitants, it is very little, if at all, 
inferior to Canton itfelf. The other Cities of the Province 
are alfo large, well peopled, and have a great Trade ; 
and all the adjacent Country is thick-fet with fine Villages ; 
and not the Fields only, but the Mountains, and every 
Spot of Ground, are laid out and cultivated to the bell Ad- 
vantage. In a Word, the View that is afforded to a 
judicious Spectator, in paffing up the River of Canton , is 
fufficient to afford him a competent Idea of the Wealth of 
i China, and the Wifdorn of its Government •, for, where- 
i ever he caffs his Eyes, new Scenes of Induftry prefent 
! themfelves to his View j every thing is improved to the 
I belt Advantage, and he finds himfelf abfolutely at a Lofs 
to decide, whether the Fertility bellowed by Nature, or 
the Acceffions made thereto by the Labour of the Inha- 
bitants, ought moft to be admired. But it is now time to 
; teturn to the Hiftory of this Voyage, from which we have 
made a long, but, we hope, not an unpleafant Digreffion. 
When we come in the fecond Book, to treat exprelly, and 
: at large, of this noble Empire, we fhail endeavour to 
: gratify, in their utmoft Extent, the Expectations raifed in 
• our Readers by this fhort Account of Canton •, in which, 
perhaps, we may have the Affiftance of the Obfervations 
; made by the moft intelligent Perfons concerned in this Ex- 
pedition, who had, to be fure, great Opportunities of 
, making themfelves perfectly acquainted with the State of 
1 the Country, and the Manners of the People. In the mean 
time let us proceed. 
On the 4th of December , the Commodore returned from 
1 Canton ; and, on his Arrival on board his Ship, was faluted 
by all the European Veffels in the Harbour, except the 
French. The next Day he gave a grand Entertainment to 
1 the Gentlemen who had attended him when he had his 
Audience of the Vice-King ; and, having taken a Survey 
i of the Ship, the Sea-ftores, and Provifions, and given his 
1 Orders for completing whatever was wanting, he declared 
his Refolution to return home immediately ; and accord- 
ingly all the neceffary Difpofitions were made for failing : 
And, on the 7th, they weighed, with their Prize, and 
began to fall down the River of Canton , in which they had 
lain from the Middle of the Month of July. 
34. On the 1.0th, they warped over the Bar, and fent 
their Boats a-head to tow : The fame Afternoon, a Szvedijh 
homeward-bound Ship, lying there at Anchor, faluted the 
Commodore with fixteen Guns, who returned fifteen. The 
next Day they paffed Lin- tin Bar *, and, on the 12th, fent 
the Pinnace, and the third Lieutenant in her, to Macao. 
The next Day they anchored in the Road of that Place in 
; five Fathom Water, where they cleared the Prize of the 
Powder, dry Provifions, and Water, that was on board 
i her, and then fold her to the Portuguefe. On the 1 6th in 
i the Afternoon they failed from Macao ; the next Day they 
1 had brifk Gales, with Rain. They now found the Ship 
i leaky, and that to fuch a Degree, that the Water gained 
: feven Inches in two Hours, which it was judged was 
owing to their Gun-ports not being calked. The next 
i Morning they fplit their Fore-fail, and were forced to bend 
another. On the 1 8th in the Afternoon, the Water gained 
confiderably, and the Weather continued very indifferent 
for feveral Days together. On the 2 2d, they fell to 
founding, as being then entered the Sea between Malaca 
and the Eland of Borneo , and found from fixty-four to 
i fifty-three Fathom Water. The two next Days they con- 
t tinned founding, and had. from thirty-five to twenty-five 
l Fathom Water. 
On the 26th, they had Sight of fome of the Elands on 
the Malaca Coaft, and continued fleering through them 
with great Danger, as having a narrow Chanel, with Sholes 
on both Sides , for the Eland of Langen , which lies to the 
: South of the Streights of Sincapour , immediately under 
the Equinoctial. On the 29th in the Morning, the Souther- 
Mu mb. 25. 
Anson, Efq-, |4f 
moft of the Seven Brothers , which are fo many final! 
Hands lying off the Coaft of Sumatra , bore Eaft South- 
eaft, at the Diftance of fix Leagues : At two that After- 
noon, they paffed the Streights between Sumatra and Banca* 
The latter is a final] Ifland, about fifty Leagues in Length, 
and twenty in Breadth ; the moft Southern Point of which 
lies in the Latitude of 3 0 South, and is undoubtedly the 
moft conveniently fituated of any Bland in thole Seas ; 
which has made the Dutch often regret their not fixing the 
Centre of their Indian Trade in fome Place on that Eland 
rather than at Batavia ; becaufe they might eafily have 
planted the whole Ifland, and have kept it intirely in their 
own Hands ; whereas it is impoflihle for them to think of 
doing this in the Ifland of Java. 
On the 29th they entered, and the next Day they paffed 
through the Streights, between the Hands of Sumatra 
and Borneo and had the Ifland of Luc dp ar a , which lies 
without the Streights, bearing diredftly South. On thelaft 
of December, that Ifland bore North-eaft, at about four 
Leagues diftant ; and, on the 2d of January, they anchored 
on the Coaft of Java, off the High-lan'd oi Bantam, at 
the Diftance of about forty Miles from Batavia. There 
were two Dutch Ships in the Road, on board of which the 
Commodore fent his Pinnace ; and thofe who were on 
board her reported, on their Return, that eight Dutch 
Ships, homeward-bound, were expedled horn Batavia , 
in order to pafs the Streights of Sunda. On the 3d, about 
fix in the Morning, they weighed, in order to pafs through 
the Streights ; and, at four in the Afternoon, faw Prince’s 
IJland, which was to be the Rendezvous of the Dutch Fleet, 
lying South-weft by South : The next Day at Noon the 
Ifland bore Weft, and they fent their Boat on ftiore, in 
order to find the Watering-place. 
35. On the 4th, they anchored in forty-five Fathom 
Water on the Coaft of Prince's IJland and, the fame 
Evening, five Dutch Ships came to an Anchor there, which 
were homeward-bound. While they were getting their 
Wood and Water on board, they felt the Shock of an 
Earthquake, which lafted about a Minute. The fame 
Day there arrived two more Dutch Ships from Batavia , 
which were Part of thofe that were expefted ; and, on the 
7th, there arrived three more. On the 8th, they completed 
their Watering, and received fome Cordage from a Dutch 
Ship. On the 9th in the Morning, they unmoored, and 
made Sail, with five Dutch , for Europe. On the 15th, 
they had Sight of the South-end of Chrijlmas IJland. 
On the 1 8th, they had very bad Weather •, by which, 
about eight in the Morning, their Main-fail was lplit, and 
blown from the Yard ; and from thence, to the 2 2d, they 
had hard Gales, dark Weather, and much Rain 5 bat very 
moderate Weather for the next Week. On the 2d of 
February , their Fore-truffel-trees broke. On the 25th, they 
had very hard Gales, and much Rain : About fix in the 
Evening their Main-fail and Mizen were fplit. On the 
28th, the Main and Fore-top-fail fplit, which they handed ; 
and, having mended, fet them up again. On the 8th, 
they tacked, and flood to the North. On the 5th of 
March, they faw the Continent of Africa, bearing from 
North-eaft to North North- weft. On the nth, having 
little Wind, and fair Weather, about fix in the Evening, 
they faw the Head-land of the Cape of Good Hope , bearing 
North North-eaft, diftant about ten Leagues •, and, about 
Noon the next Day, the Cape was diftant about five 
Leagues. 
36. On the 1 2th in the Afternoon, they anchored in 
Table Bay, at the Diftance of fomewhat more than a Mile 
from the Shore. They found riding here the Salisbury , 
Captain Burroughs , and the Warwick , Captain Mifner , 
belonging to the Eafi-India Company, who faluted them 
with eleven Guns each ; they anfwered them both with 
nine : Here were likewife five Sail of Dutch Ships, whofe 
Commodore faluted them with eleven Guns, and they re- 
turned nine. At Three in the Afternoon they warped far- 
ther into the Bay, and moored with their beft Bower. At 
Six, one of the Dutch Ships failed out : At Ten, they 
ftruck the Main and the Fore-yards, it appearing very 
likely to be a wet Night, About Midnight, their beft 
Bower Cable broke, with the Haifer that was bent to the 
Stream Anchor , fo that they rodq.all Night by the Sheet 
4 Z Cable* 
