434 
A VOYAGE TO 
I 
1779. Having procured an account of the price of provifions at 
»_1 J Canton, as fettled for the year 1780, which the reader will 
find at the end of this Chapter, I have only to obferve, that 
the different articles are fuppofed to be the belt of the kind ; 
and that the natives purchafe the fame for nearly one- 
third lefs than the price, which in the lift is fixed only for 
ftr angers. 
I had hitherto intended, as well to avoid the trouble and 
delay of applying for paffports, as to fave the unneceffary 
expence of hiring a Sampane , which I underftood amounted 
at leaft to twelve pounds fterling, to go along with the ftores 
to Macao, in the country merchant’s fhip I have before 
mentioned : but having received an invitation from two 
Englifh gentlemen, who had obtained paffports for four, I 
accepted, along with Mr. Philips, their offer of places in a 
Chinefe boat, and left Mr. Lannyon to take care of the men 
and ftores, which were to fail the next day. In the evening 
Sunday 26. of the 26th, I took my leave of the fupercargoes, having 
thanked them for their many obliging favours; amongft 
which I muft not forget to mention an handfome prefent 
of tea for the ufe of the fhips companies, and a large col¬ 
lection of Englifh periodical publications. The latter we 
found a valuable acquifition, as they both ferved to am ufe 
our impatience, during our tedious voyage home, and en¬ 
abled us to return not total ftrangers to what had been 
tranfaching in our native country. At one o’clock, the next 
Monday 27. morning, we left Canton, and arrived at Macao about the 
Tuefday 28. fame hour the day following, having paffed down a chan¬ 
nel, which lies to the Weftward of that by which we had 
come up. 
During our abfence, a brifk trade had been carrying on 
with the Chinefe, for the fea-otter fkins, which had, every 
day, 
