-- In the evening of the 2d, Captain Gore fent me on fhore to vifit the Portuguese Governor, and to request his affiftance in procuring refreshments for our crews. At the fame time, I took a lift of the naval ftores, of which both veffels were greatly in want, with an intention of proceeding immediately to Canton, and applying to the fervants of the Eaft India Company, who were at that time refident there. On my arrival at the citadel, the fort-major informed me that the governor was fick, and not able to fee company; on my acquainting the major with my defire of proceeding immediately to Canton, he told me that they could not venture to furnish me with a boat, till leave was obtained from the hoppo, or officer of the customs; and that the application for this purpose must be made to the Chinese government at Canton.

The mortification I felt at meeting with this unexpected delay, could only be equalled by the extreme impatience 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 object, we overlook the eafieft and moft obvious means of attaining it. This was actually my cafe at prefent, for I was returning under great dejection to the fhip, when the Portuguese officer who attended me, afked me, if I did not mean to visit the English gentlemen at Macao. I need not add with what tranfport I received the information this question conveyed to me; nor the anxious hopes and fears, the conflict between curiofity and apprehenfion, hich paffed in my mind, as we walked toward houfe of one of our countrymen.

In this ftate of agitation, it was not surprising, that our reception, though no way deficient in civility or kindness, thould appear cold and formal. In our enquiries, as far as they related to objects of private concern, we met, as was indeed to be expected, with little or no fatisfaction; but the events of a public nature, which had hap pened fince our departure, now, for the first time, burft all at once upon us, overwhelmed every other feeling, and left us, for fome time, almoft without the power of reflection.

On the 9th, Captain Gore received an answer from the Committee of the English fupercargoes at Canton, in which they affured him that their beft endeavours fhould be used to procure the fupplies we stood in need of, as expeditiously as poffible; and that a paffport fhould be fent for one of his officers.

The following day, an English merchant, from one of our fettlements in the East Indies, applied to Captain Gore for the affiftance of a few hands to navigate a veffel, he had purchased at Macao, up to Canton. Captain Gore judging this a good opportunity for me to proceed to that place, gave orders that I fhould take along with me my fe cond lieutenant, the lieutenant of marines, and ten feamen. Though this was not precifely the mode in which I could have withed to vifit Canton, yet as it was very uncertain when the paffport might arrive, and my prefence might contribute materially to the expediting of our fupplies, I did not hesitate to put myself on board.

I reached Canton, on the 18th, a little after it was dark. and landed at the English factory, though my arrival was very unexpected, ceved with every mark of attention and

civility.

civility. Wishing to make my ftay here as fhort as poffible, I requested the gentlemen to procure boats for me the next day to convey the ftores; but I was foon informed, that a business of that kind was not to be transacted fo rapidly in this country; that many forms were to be complied with; and, in fhort, that patience was an indif penfable virtue in China.

I waited feveral days for the event of our application, without understanding that the matter was at all advanced toward a conclufion. Whilft I was doubting what measures to pursue, the commander of a country fhip brought me a letter from Captain Gore, in which he acquainted me that he had engaged him to bring us down from Canton, and to deliver the flores we had procured, at his own rifk in the Typa.

Hav

As Canton was likely to be the most advantageous market for furs, I was defired by Captain Gore to carry with me about twenty fea-otters fkins, chiefly the property of our deceased commanders, and to dispose of them at the best price I could procure; a commiffion, which gave me an opportunity of becoming a little acquainted with the genius of the Chinese for trade. ing acquainted fome of the English fopercargoes with thefe circumftances, I defired them to recommend me to fome Chinese merchant of credit, who would offer me a fair price. Having laid my goods before him, he examined them with great care, and told me that he could not venture to offer more than three hundred dollars for them. As I knew from the price our skins had fold for in Kamtfchatka, that he had not offered me one half their value, I found myself under the neceffity of driving a bargain. In my turn, I therefore

Ff3

therefore demanded one thousand; my Chinese then advanced to five hundred; then offered me a private prefent of tea and porcelain, amounting to one hundred more; then the fame fum in money; and laftly rofe to seven hundred dollars, on which I fell to nine hundred. At last, being tired of the conteft, I confented to and received eight hundred.

During my ftay at Canton, I was carried by one of the English gentlemen to vifit a person of the first confequence in the place. We were received in a long room or gallery, at the upper end of which stood a table with a large chair behind it, and a row of chairs extending from it on each fide down the room. Being previously inftructed that the point of civility confifted in remaining as long unfeated as poffible, I readily acquitted myfelf of this piece of etiquette; after which we were entertained with tea, and some preserved and fresh fruits. Our hoft was very fat, with a heavy dull countenance, and of great gravity in his deportment. He spoke a little broken Englifh and Portuguese; and, after we had taken our refreshment, he carried us about his house and garden, and, having fhewed us all the improvements he was making, we departed.

In the evening of the 26th, I took my leave of the fupercargoes, having thanked them for their many obliging favours; amongst which I muft not forget to mention a handfome prefent of tea for the use of the fhips' companies, and a large collection of English periodical publications. The latter we found a valuable acquifition, as they both served to amuse our impatience during our tedious voyage home, and enabled us to return not total strangers to what had been tranfa&t

ing in our native country. At one o'clock the next morning we left Canton, and arrived at Macao about the fame hour the day following, having paffed down a channel which lies to the weftward of that by which we had come up.

During our absence a briík trade had been carrying on with the Chinese for the fea-otter fkins, which had every day been rifing in their value. One of our feamen fold his ftock alone for eight hundred dollars; and a few prime fkins, which were clean and had been well preferved, were fold for one hundred and twenty each.

The

whole amount of the value in fpecie and goods that was got for the furs in both fhips, I am confident did not fall fhort of two thousand pounds fterling; and it was generally fuppofed that at leaft two thirds of the quantity we had originally got from the Americans were spoiled and worn out, or had been given away and otherwise difpofed of in Kamtfchatka.

The rage with which our feamen were poffeffed to return to Cook's River, and by another cargo of fkins to make their fortunes at one time, was not far fhort of mutiny.

The barter which had been carrying on with the Chinese for our fea-otter fkins, had produced a very whimsical change in the drefs of all our crew. On our arrival here, nothing could exceed the ragged appearance both of the younger officers and feamen; for as our voyage had already exceeded, by near a twelvemonth, the time it was at first imagined we fhould remain at sea, almost the whole of our original ftock of European clothes had been long worn out, or patched up with fkins, and the various manufactures we had met with in the courfe of our difcoveries. Thefe

were