and fervants, having with them eighteen half gallies furnilhed with
mufic, and decorated with a great number o f dreamers, and full of
men, came to grapnel a-head of the Centurion s whence the Mandarine
fent a meflage to the Commodore, telling him, that he (the
Mandarine) was ordered by the Viceroy of Canton, to examine the
condition of the Ihip, therefore defiring the (hip’s boat might be
fent to fetch him on board. The Centurion s boat was immediately
difpatched, and preparations were made for receiving him; in particular
a hundred of the moll fightly of the crew were uniformly
dreft in the regimentals of the marines, and were drawn up under
arms on the main-deck, againft his arrival. When he entered the
Ihip he was faluted by the drums, and .what other military mafic
there was on board ; and palling by the new-formed guard, he was
met by the Commodore on the quarter-deck, who conduced him
to the great cabbin. Here the Mandarine explained his commiffion,
declaring, that he was diredted to examine all the articles mentioned
in the Commodore’s letter to the Viceroy, and to confront
them with the reprefentation that had been given of them j that
he was in the firft place inftruited to infpeft the leak, and had for
that purpofe brought with him: two Chinefe Carpenters ; and that
for the more regular difpatch of his bufinefs, he had every head
of enquiry feparately wrote down on a flieet o f paper, with a void
fpace oppofite to it, where he was to infert fuch information, and
remarks thereon, as he could procure by his own obfervation.
This Mandarine appeared to be a perfon of very confiderable parts,
and endowed with more franknefs and honefty, than is to be found
in the generality of the Chinefe. After the neceffary infpedtions had
been made, particularly about the leak, which the Chinefe Carpenters
reported to be to the full as dangerous as it had been d.fcribed, and
confequently that it was impoffible for the Centurion to proceed to
fea without being refitted, the Mandarine exprelfed himfelf fatisfied
with the account given in the Commodore’s letter. And this Ma-
giftrate, as he was more intelligent than any other perfon of his nation
that caine to our knowledge, fo likewife was he more curious
3 and
361
and inquifitive, viewing each part of the (hip with extraordinary attention,
and appearing greatly fürprized at the largeriefs of the lower
deck guns, and at the weight and fize of the (hot. The Commodore,
obferving his aftonilhment, thought this a proper opportunity
to convince the Chinefe of the prudence of granting him all
his dethands in the molt fpe'edy and ample manner : He therefore
told the Mandarine, and thofé who were with him, that, befides
the requeft hé made for a general licence, to furnifh himfelf with
whatever his prefent fituation required, he had a particular complaint
to prefer againft the proceedings of the Cuftom-houfe of Macao -,
that at his firft arrival the Chinefe boats had brought On board him
plenty of greens, and variety of frefih provifions for daily ufe ; that
though they had always been paid to their full fati'sfaftibrt, yet the
Cuftom-hOufe officers at Macao had foon forbid them, by which
means he was deprived of thdfé refrelhmertts Which were o f the
utrrioft confequéncë tb the health of his men, after their long and
fiekly voyage j that as théyv the Mandarines, had informed them-
(elves o f their Wants, and Were eye-witneffes of the force and ftrength
of his ffiip, they might be (Stisfied it was not bècaufê he had no
pOtvettb fupplÿ himfelf, that he défired the përmiffiört o f the Go-
vërhffiehrtb pilrChafe' what prbvifiorifi fie flood in need of ; fince he
prefumed they Were convinced that the Centurion alone Was capable
of deftroying the whole navigation Of the port of Canton, or
o f any other port in China, without running the leaft rifque from
ail thé force this Chinefe cbiild collet! ; that it Was true, this Was
not the manner of proceeding between nations in friendfhip with
each other, but it was likewife trite, that it was not cuftomary for
any natiofi to permit the (hips of thëir friends to ftarve and fink in
their' ports, when thofe friènds had money fo pdrchafe nëceflaries,
and only defirèd liberty to lay it out'; that they miift confefs, he
and his people had hitherto behaved with great modefty and referve,
but that, as his diftrefies were each day increàfing, famine would
at laft prové tbd ftfong for any reftraint, and neceflity was acknowledged
in all countries to be fuperior to every other laW ; and therefore
it could not be expefled that his crew would long continue to
A a a ftarve