what he was about, immediately ordered him to defift, thinking
it more prudent to fubmit to the prefent violence, than to embroil
his Commander in an inextricable fijuabble With thn Chinefi G o vernment,
by the death of their fubjedts : Which calmnefs in this
Gentleman was the more meritorious,, as he was known to be a
perfonof an uncommon fpirit, and of a fomewhat hafty temper. By
this means the Chinefi fpeedily recovered the poffeffionof the fword,
when, they perceived it was prohibited to be made ufe o f againft
them, and carried off -their whole booty u-n mole fled. No iboner
were they gone, than a Chinefe on horfeback, very well dreffed,
and who had the air and appearance o f a Gentleman, came down
to the fea-fide, and as far as could be underftood by his figns,,
feem'ed to cenfure the conduct o f his Countrymen, and to commi-
ferate the officer, being wonderfully officious to affift in getting
him on board the boat: Bin notwithftanding this behaviour, it
was fhrewdly fufpedted that he was an accomplice in the theft, and
time fully made out the Juftice o f thofe fufpicions.
When the boat returned on board, and the officer reported what
had palled to the Commodore, he immediately complained o f it'
to the Mandarine, who attended to fee his ffiip fopplied; but the
Mandarine coolly obferved, that the boat ought not to have gone
bn ffiorej. promising, ho wever, that i f the thieves could be found,
they Ihould be puuiflied: Though it appeared plain enough, by
his manner o f answering, that he would never give himfelf any
tiouble in fearcbing them out. However, a confiderahle time
afterwards,, when feme Chinefi boats were felling provifions to the
Centurion,- the perfon -Who had wrefted the fivord from the Chinefi
came with greateagernefe to the Commodore, to aiiure him that-
ope o f the principal thieves was then in a provifion-boat along-fide
the (hip:; and the officer, who had been, robbed, viewing the fe l- .
I q w on -this report, and well remembring his face, orders were im - .
mediately given’to feize him ; and he was accordingly.'fecured on ,
hpatd.fhs.flMp». where ftrange. difeoyeries were now made.
This.,
This thief, on Ms being fivft apprehended, expreffed’ fo much
frivht on his countenance, that k was feared he would have died
upon the foot; the Mandarine too, who attended the fhip, had
viTtfelv no fmaB fhare of concern on the occafion. Indeed he had
reafon enough to he alarmed, ftnee it was foon apparent, that he
had been privy to the whole robbery; for the Commodore declaring
that he would not deliver up the thief, but would himfelf
order him to be (hot, the Mandarine immediately put off the mat
e r i a l air, with which he had at firft pretended to demand him,
L begged his releafe in the moft abjea manner. But theCommodore
feeming to be inflexible, there came on board, in lefs than
nvo hours time, five or fix of the neighbouring M andates who
l\ l joined in the fame entreaty, and with a view of Militating
their fuit, offering a large fum of money for the fellow’s liberty.
Whilft they were thus fbEciting, it was difeovered that the Man-
H e , the moft affive amongft them, and who^was thence prefumed
to be moft interefted in the event, was the very Gentleman
who rode up to the officer, juft after foe robbery and who
pretended to be fo much » with tlfo v.llamy o f his eoun-
frvmen. On further inquiry it was alfo found that he was the
Mandarine of the Ifland ; and that he had, by the author^ of h,s
office, ordered thePeafants to commit that infamous aftimi. This
eafily accounted for his extraordinary vigilance m the prefent con-
• Z c r\r~f* oc far as' could be colie died from the broken
hints which were cafually thrown out, it feemed that he and Ms
S r l n , who were every one privy to the tranfaftion, were terrified
With the fear o f being called before the tribunall at Canton,wherei the
firft article of their puniihment would be the ftnppmg
they were worth ; though their judges (however fond o f infliaing
a chaftifement fo lucrative to themfelves) were pefhaps o f as
tainted a complexion as the delinquents. Mr. A n fo n jas not dif-
pleafed to have caught the Chinefe in this dilemma; he entertained
himfelf for feme time with their perplexity ; rejecting then me.
ney with feorn, appearing inexorable to their prayers, and givmg