hogs were bought alive, it was difcovered! that the Chinefegave them
fait to inCreafe their tbirft, and having thus- excited them to drink
great quantities of water, they then took, meafures to prevent them
from difehargihgit again by urine» and fold the tortured animal in
this inflated ftate. When the Commodore firft put to fea from
Macao, they prafiifed an artifice o f another kind ; for as the
Gbiiiefe never fcruple eating any food that dies of itfelf, they contrived
by fome fecret praQices, that great part of his live fea-llore
fliould die in a fhort time after it was put on board, hoping to
make a fecond profit of the dead eafcafies which they expeited
would be thrown over-board ; and two thirds of the hogs dying
before the Centurion was out of fight o f land, many of the Chinefe
Wats followed her, only to pick up the carrion. Thefe inftances
may ferve as a fpecimen of the manners of this celebrated Nation,
which is often recommended to the reft of the world as a pattern
©f all kinds of laudable qualities. But to return:
The Commodore, towards the end of September, having found
out (as has been laid) that thole, who had contradled to fupply
him with fea-provilions and ftores, had deceived him, and that the
Viceroy had not invited him to an interview, according to fiispro-
mife, he faw it would be impoflible for him to furmount the difficulties
he was under, without going bimfelf to Canton, and viftting
the Viceroy. And therefore, on the 27th o f September, he fent a
mefiage 10 the Mandarine, who attended the Centurion, to inform
him, that he, the Commodore, intended on the firft o f OSiober,
to proceed in his boat to Canton : Adding, that the day after he got
there, he fhould notify his arrival to the Viceroy, and fhould defire
him to fix a time for his audience. This mefiage being delivered to
the Mandarine, he returned no other anfwer, than that he would
acquaint the Viceroy with the Commodore’s intentions. In the mean
time all things were prepared for this expedition: And the boat’s
crew, which Mr. Anfon propofed to take with him, were cloathed
in an uniform drefs, refembling that of the Watermen on the
fhames; they were in number eighteen and a Coxfwain; they had
2 . , fcarlet
399
fcarlet jackets and blue filk waiftcoats, the whole trimmed with
filver buttons, befides filver badges on their jackets and caps. As
it was apprehended, and even aflerted, that the payment of the
euftomary duties for the Centurion and heir prize, would be demanded
by the Regency o f Canton, and would be infilled on previous
to their granting a permiflion to vidlual the Ihip .for her future
voyages..the Commodore, who was refolved never to eftablifh,
fo dilhonourable a precedent, took all poflible precaution to prevent
the Chinefe from facilitating the fuccefs of their unreafonable pre-
tenfions, by having him in their power at Canton, And.therefore,
the better to fecure his lhip, and the great treafure on board her,
againft -their projeûs, he appointed his firft Lieutenant, Mr. Brett,
to be Captain of the Centurion, .under him, giving him proper in-
ftrudlions for his conduit ; directing him, particularly, i f he, the
Commodore, lhould be detained at Canton on-account o f the duties
in difpute, to take out-the men from the Centurion’s prize, and ta ■
deftroy her ; and then to proceed dawn the river through the Bocca
Tigris, with the Centurion alone, and'to remain without that entrance
till he received farther orders from Mr. Anfin.
Thefe neceflary fteps bei-ng-taken, which were not unknown to' -
the Chinefe, it fhould feem as i f their délibérations were in fome
-fort perplexed thereby. It is reafonab'le to imagine, that they,
were in general very de-firous o f -getting the dut-iestobe paid them s .
not perhaps folely in confiderat-isn o f the Amount of thole dues, .
but to keep up their reputation for addrefs and fubtlety, and to -
avoid the imputation of receding^ from claims, on which they had i
already fo frequently infilled. However, as they no w ferefa-w that .
they had no other method of fueceeding than by violence, and that
even againft this the Commodore was-prepared. ; they were at la-ft
difpofed, I.conceive, to let the aifeir drop,-rather than entangle-
themfelves in an hoftile meafare, which they found would-only
expofe them to the rifque of. having the whole navigation of their,
port deftroyed, without any certain prolpeift of -gaining their, favourite.
point».
Biutj.:,