by thefe threats, carried the Ihip through fafely, the forts not attempting
to difpute the paflage. Indeed the poor Pilot did not
elcape the refentment o f his countrymen ; for when he came on
Ihore, he was feized and fent to prifon, and was rigoroufly difci-
plined with the bamboo. However, he found means to get at
Mr. Anfon afterwards, to defire of him fome recompence for the
chaftifement he had undergone, and of which he then carried very
flgniflcant marks about him : Mr. Anfon therefore, in commifera-
tion o f his fufferings, gave him fuch a fum of money, as would
at any time have enticed a Cbinefe to have undergone a dozen
baftinadings.
Nor was the Pilot the only perfon that fuffered on this occafion j
for the Commodore foon after feeing fome royal junks pafs by him
from Bocca Tigris towards Canton, he learnt, on enquiry, that the
'Mandarine commanding the forts was a prifbner on board them •
that he was already turned out, and was now carrying to Canton,
where it was expedted he would be feverely punilhed for having
permitted the fliips to pafs. Upon the Commodore’s urging the
unreafonablenefs o f this procedure, from the inability of the forts
to have done otherwife, and explaining to the Chinefe the great
fuperiority his Chips would have had over the forts, by the number
and flze of their guns, the Chinefe feemed to acquiefce in his
reafoning, and allowed that their forts could not have flopped
h im ; but they ftill aflerted, that the Mandarine would infallibly
fuffer, for not having done, what all his judges were convinced
was impoflible. T o fuch indefenfible abfurdities are thofe obliged
to fubmit, who think themfelves concerned to fupport their authority,
when the neceflary force is wanting. But to return.
On the 16th o f July the Commodore fent his fecond Lieutenant
to Canton, with a letter for the Viceroy, informing him o f the rea-
fon of the Centurion’s putting into that port; and that the Commodore
himfelf foon propofed to repair to Canton, to pay a vifit to
his Excellency. The Lieutenant was very civilly received, and was
promifed that an anfwer fliould be fent to the Commodore the next
day.
day. In the mean time Mr. Anfon gave leave to feveral of theofficers
o f the galeon to go to Canton, they engaging their parole to return
in two days. When thefe prifoners got to Canton, the Regency
fent for them, and examined them, enquiring particularly by what
means they came into Mr. Anfon’s power. It luckily happened that
On this occafion the prifoners were honeft enough to declare, that as
the Kings of Great Britain and o f Spain were at war, they had propofed
to themfelves the taking of the Centurion, and had bore down
upon her with that view, but that the event had been contrary to
their hopes. And, being queftioned as to their ufage on board,
they frankly acknowledged that they had been treated by the
Commodore, much better than they believed they fliould have
treated him, had he fallen into their hands. This confeffion from
an enemy had great weight with the Chinefe, who, till then, tho
they had revered the Commodore’s military force, had yet fufpedted
his morals, and had confidered him rather as alawlefs free-booter,
than as one-commiffioned by the State for the revenge of public
injuries; But they now changed their opinion, and regarded him
as a more important perfon ; to: which perhaps the vaft treafure of
his prize might not a little contribute j the acquifition of wealth
being a matter greatly adapted -to the efteem and reverence of the
Chinefe Nation. t _
In this examination of the Spanijh prifoners, though the Chtnefe
had no reafon in the main to doubt o f the account which was
given them, yet there were two circumftances which appeared to
them fo Angular, as to defetye a more ample explanation ; one of
them was the great difproportion of men between the. Centurion
and the galeon ; the other was the humanity, with which the people
o f the galeon were treated after they were taken. The Mandarines
therefore aiked the Spaniards, how they came to be overpowered
by fo inferior a force; and how it happened, fince the
two nations were at war, that they werV.not put to death when
they fell into the hands of the Englijh. To the flrft of thefe enquiries
the Spaniards anfwered, that though they had more men