420 
A VOYAGE TO 
1779. delay, could only be equalled by the extreme impatience 
/ Cf . m . er, i with which we had fo long waited for an opportunity 
of receiving intelligence from Europe. It often happens,, 
that in the eager purfuit of an objedt, we overlook the 
eafieft and moft obvious means of attaining it. This was 
actually my cafe at prefent; for I was returning under 
great dejedlion to the fhip, when the Portugueze officer, 
who attended me, afked me, if I did not mean to vifit the 
Engfifh gentlemen at Macao. I need not add with what 
tranfport I received the information this queftion conveyed 
to me; not the anxious hopes and fears, the conflict be^- 
tween curiofity and apprehenfion, which palled in my 
mind, as we walked toward the houfe of one of our coun¬ 
trymen. 
In this date of agitation, it was not furprizing, that our 
reception, though no way deficient in civility or kindnefs, 
fhould appear cold and formal. In our inquiries, as far as 
they related to objects of private concern, we met, as was 
indeed to be expedted, with little or no fatisfadlion; but 
the events of a public nature, which had happened flnce 
our departure, and now, for the firlf time, burft all at 
once upon us, overwhelmed every other feeling, and left 
us, for fome time, almoft without the power of reflection. 
For feveral days we continued queftioning each other 
about the truth of what we had heard, as if defirous of 
feeking,. in doubt and fufpence, for that relief and con- 
folation, which the reality nf our calamities appeared to¬ 
tally to exclude. Thefe fenfations were fucceeded by the 
moff poignant regret at finding ourfelves cut off, at fuck 
a diflance, from the fcene where, we imagined, the fate of 
fleets and armies was every moment deciding. 
The intelligence we had juft received of the ftate of af¬ 
fairs 
