refolved on; and that a Captain o f a veffel had actually undertaken
to perform the bufinefs for forty thoufand dollars, which he was
not to'receive, unlefs he fucceeded; but the Governor pretending
that there was no treafure in the royal cheft, and infilling thit the
Merchants Ihould advance the money, and they refilling to com-*
ply with the demand, the affair was dropped. Perhaps the Merchants
fufpedted that the whole was only a pretext to get forty
thoufand dollars from them j and indeed this was affirmed by fome
who bore the Governor no good will, but with what truth it is
difficult to ascertain.
As foon as the Centurion was righted, they took on hoard her
powder, and gunners ftores, and proceeded with getting in their guns
as fall as poffible, and then ufed their utmoft expedition in repairing
the fore-mall, and in compleating the other articles o f her refitment.
But whillt they were thus employed, they were alarmed on the
ioth of March, by a Chinese Filherman, who brought them intelligence,
that he had been on board a large Spnnifh fliip off the
grand Padrone, and that there were two more in company with
her. He added feveral particulars to his relation ; as that he had
brought one of their officers to Macao, and that, on this, boats
went off early in the morning from Macao to them : And, the
better to ellablilh the belief o f his veracity, he faid, he defired no
money, i f his information Ihould not prove true. T his was pre-
fently believed to be the forememioned expedition from Manila -,
and the Commodore immediately fitted his cannon and fmall arms,
in the bell manner be could for defence; and having then his
Pinnace and Cutter in the offing, who had been ordered to examine
a Portuguefe veffel, which was getting under fail, he fent
them the advice he had received, and directed them to look out
flridlly. Indeed no Sganijh- Ibips ever appeared, and they were
foon latisfied the whole of the ftory was a fiction ; though it was
difficult to conceive what reafon could induce the feliow to be at
Inch extraordinary pains to inapofe on them.
It was the beginning of A pril when they had new rigged the
fhip, flowed their provifions and water on board, and had. fitted
her
her for the fea ; and before this time the Chinefe grew very unealy,
and extremely defirous that Ihe Ihould be gone; either not knowing,
or pretending not to believe, that this was a point the Commodore
was as eagerly fet on as they could bes At length, about
the third of April, two Mandarine boats came on board from
Macao, to prefs him to leave their port; and this having been often
urged before, though there had been no pretence to fufpedl
Mr. AnJon of any affedted delays, he at this lall meffage anfwered
them in a determined tone, defiring them to give him no farther
trouble, for he would go when he thought proper, and not fooner.
After this rebuke the Chinefe (though it was not in their power to
compel him to depart) immediately prohibited all provifions from
being carried on board him, and took fuch care their injundlions
Ihould be complied with, that from thence forwards nothing could
be purchafed at any rate whatever.
The 6th of A fr il the Centurion weighed from the Pyfa, and
warped to the fouthward; and, by the 15th, Ihe was got into
Macao road, compleating her water as Ihe pall along, fo that there
remained now very few articles more to attend to ; and her whole
bufinefs being finilhed by the 19th, Ihe, at three in the afternoon
o f that day, weighed and made fail, and Hood to fea.
B b b C H A P ,