effected in China, becaufe capital punifhments are rare in that country,
the effeminate genius of the nation, and their ftrong attachment
to lucre, diippfing them rather to make ufe of fines. And
as from thefp there arifes no inconfiderable profit to thofe who
compofe their tribunals; it is ob.vious,enough that prohibitions of
all kinds, particularly fuch as the alluring profpedt o f great profit
may often tempt the fubjedl to infringe, cannot but he favourite in-
llitutions in fitch a Government.
A fhort time before this, Captain Saunders took his paffage to
England on hoard a Swfidijh, fhip, and was charged, with difpatches
from the Cpmmpdore; and in th.e month of December, Captain
Mitcbel, Colonel Cracherode, and Mr. Tapwell, one o f the Agent-
Vidluallers, with his nephew Mr. Charles Harriott, embarked on.
board fome of our Company’s fhips; and I, having obtained the
Commodore’s leave to return home, embarked with them. 1 mifft
obferve too, (having omitted it before) that whilft we lay at Macao,
we were informed by the officers o f our Indiamen, that the
Severn and Pearl, the two fhips, of o.uf fquadron which had fepa-
rated from us off Cape Noir, were fafely arrived at Rio Janeiro
on thecoaft of Brazil. I have formerly taken notice, that at the
time of their reparation, we fufpedted them to b.e loft :• And there
were many reafons, which greatly favoured this fufpicion : For w.e
knew that the Severn in particular was extremely fipkly; which
■ was the more obvious to the reft of the fhips, as, in the preceding
part of the voyage her commander, Cbptain Legg, had been remarkable
for his .exemplary pundluality in keeping hi^ ftation ;
and yet during the laft ten days before his reparation, his crew was
fo diminifhed and enfeebled, that with his utmoft efforts he co,uld
not poffibly maintain his proper pofitipn with his wonted exadtnefs.»
The extraordinary ficknefs on board him was by many imputed tos
the fhip, which was new, and on that account was believed to bet
the more unhealthy; but whatever was the caufe of it, the Severn
was by much the moft fickly of the fquadron. Since before her
departure from St. Catherine’s, fhe buried more men than any o f
them, infomuch that the Commodore was obliged to recruit her
3 with
with a number of frefh hands j and the mortality flill continuing
on hoard her, fhe was fupplied with men a fécond time at fea, after
our fetting fail from St. Julians ; yet, notwithftanding theffe different
reinforcements, fhe was at laft reduced to the diftreffed condition
1 have already mentioned. Hence the Commodore himfelf
firmly believed fhe was loft ; and therefore it was with great joy
we received the news of her and the Pearl’s fitfety, after the ftrong
perfnafion, which had fo long prevailed amongft us, of their having
both perifhed. But to proceed with the tranfaftions between
Mr. Anjon and the Chineje-.
Notwithftanding the favourable difpofition of the Mandarine
Governor of J'anfon, at his leaving Mr, Anjon, feveral days were
elapfed before there was any advice from him;, and Mr. Anfon was
privately informed there were great debates in Council upon his
affair ;• partly perhaps owing to its being fo unufual a. cafe, and in
part to the influence,; as I fuppofe, of the intrigues o f the French-
at Canton:- For they had à countryman and faft friend refiding on
the fpet, who fpoke the language well, and was not unacquainted
with the venality of the Government, nor with the perlons o f feveral
of the Magiftrates, and eonfequently could not be at a lofs for means,
of traverfing the affiftance defired by Mr. Anjon. Indeed this op-
pofition of the French was not merely the effedt: of national prejudice,,
or a contrariety of political interefts ; but was in good meafure
owing to vanity, a motive of much more weight with the generality
of mankind, than any attachment to the public fervice of their
community. For, the French pretending their India-men to be
Men of War, their officers were apprehenfive that any diftindlion
granted to Mr. Anjon, on account of his bearing the King’s Com-
miffion, would render them left confiderable in the, eyes of the
Chineje, and would eftablifh a pregoffeffion at' Canton in. favour of
fhips o f war, by which they, as trading veffels, would fuffer in;
their importance.. And I with the affedtation of endeavouring to,
pafs for men of war, and the fear of finking in the eftimationof the
Chineje, if the Centurion was treated in a different manner from,
themfelves, had been confined to the officers of the French fhips,
onlÿs.