THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
427 
few days longer than I feemed willing to favour them with 
my company. 
Though I was not much difpofed to relifh this compli¬ 
ment, yet I could not help being diverted with an incident 
that occurred very opportunely to convince me of the truth 
of their reprefentations, and of the fufpicious charadter of 
the Chinefe. The reader will recoiled!, that it was now 
about fifteen days fince Captain Gore had written to the 
fadtory, to defire their afiiftance in procuring leave for one 
of his officers to pafs to Canton. In confequence of this 
application, they had engaged one of the principal Chinefe 
merchants of the place, to filtered: himfelf in our favour, 
and to folicit the bufinefs with the Viceroy. This perfon. 
■came to vifit the Prefident, whilft we were talking on the 
fubjedt, and with great fatisfadtion and complacency in his 
countenance acquainted him, that he had at laft fucceeded 
in his applications, and that a pafiport for one of the of¬ 
ficers of the Ladrone fhip (or pirate) would be ready in a 
few days. The Prefident immediately told him not to give 
himfelf any farther trouble, as the officer, pointing to me, 
was already arrived. It is impoffible to defcribe the terror, 
which feized the old man on hearing this intelligence. 
His head funk upon his breafl, and the fofa on which he 
was fitting fliook, from the violence of his agitation. Whe¬ 
ther the Ladrone fhip was the objedfc of his apprehenfions, 
or his own government, I could not difcover; but after 
continuing in this deplorable fiate a few minutes, Mr. 
Bevan bade him not defpair, and recounted to him the 
manner in which I had palled from Macao, the reafons of 
my journey to Canton, and my wilhes to leave it as foon 
as polfible. This laft circumftance feemed particularly 
agreeable to him, and gave me hopes, that I fliould find 
3 I 2, him 
* 779 - 
December* 
