of his officers to the Mandarine, who commanded the guard o f
the principal gate of the eky of Canton, with a letter diredted to
the Viceroy. When this letter was delivered to the Mandarine
he received the officer who brought it very civilly, and took down
the contents o f it in Chinefe, and promifed that the Viceroy Ihould
be immediately acquainted with it j but told the officer, it was not
neceffary he ihould wait for an anfwer, becaufe a meffage would
be fent to the Commodore himfelf.
When Mr. Anfon firft determined to write this letter, he had
been under great difficulties about a proper interpreter, as he was
well aware that none o f the Chinefe, ufually employed as Linguifts,
could be relied o n : Blit he at laft prevailed with Mr. Flint, an
Englijh Gentleman belonging to the fadtory, who fpoke Chinefe
perfedtly well, to accompany his officer. This pe'rfon, who upon
that occafion and many others, was o f fingular fervice to the Commodore,
had been, left at Canton, when a youth, by the late Cap-
tain Rigby. The leaving him there to learn the Chinefe language
was a ftep taken by that Captain, merely from his own perfuafion
of the confideiable advantages which the Eaft-India company might
one day receive from- an Englijh interpreter j and though the utility
of this meafure has greatly exceeded all that Was expedted from it,
yet I have not heard that it has been to this hour imitated : But we
imprudently choofe (except in this Angle inftance) to carry on the
vaft tranfadlions of the port o f Canton, either by the ridiculous jargon
of broken- Englijh, which feme few o f the Chinefe have learnt, or
by the fufpefted interpretation of Linguifts o f other Nations..
Two days after the fending the above-mentioned letter, a: fire
broke ou t in the fuburbs of Canton, On the firft alarm, Mr. Anfon-
went thither with, his Officers, and his boat’s crew, to aid the
Chinefe. When he came there, he found thafcithad begun in a-
failor's Ihed, and-that by the flightnefs of the buildings, and the
awkwardnefs of the Chinefe, it was getting head apace. However,
he perceived, that by pulling down fome of the adjacent Iheds it
might.eafily be extiBguiftied; and particularly obferving that it was'
then, tunning; along a. wooden, corniffi, which blazed fiercely, andl
would.
would immediately communicate the flame to a great diftance, he
ordered his people to begin with tearing away that cornifti: This
was prefently attempted, and would have been foon executed; but,
in the mean time, he was told, that, as there was no Mandarine
there, who alone has a power to direft on thefe qccafions, the-
Chinefe would make him, the Commodore, anfwerable for whatever
ihould be pulled.down by his command. Hereupon Mr. Anfon
and his attendants deftfted j and he fent them to the Englijh factory,
to affift in fecuring the Company’s treafure and effefts, as
it was eafy to forefee that no diftance was a protection againft the-
rage of-fuch a fire, where fo little was done to- put a flop to it..
Since all the while the Chinefe contented themfelves with viewing
it, and now and then holding one of their idols near it, whiqh-
they feemed to exped ihould check its progrefs. Indeed, at
laft, a Mandarine came out of the city, attended by four or five
hundred firemen: Thefe made fome feeble efforts to pulldown-
the neighbouring houfes ; but by that time the fire had greatly extended
itfelf, and was got amongft the Merchants ware-hopfes;.
and the Chinefe firemen, wanting both fkill and fpirit, were incapable
o f checking its violence,} fo that its fury increafed upon, them,
and it was feared the whole city would be deftroyed. In this general
confufion the Viceroy himfelf came thither, and the Commodore
was fent to, and was entreated to afford.his-affiftance, being
told that he might take any meafures he ihould think, m od
prudent in the prefent emergency. Upon this meflage, he went:
thither a fecond time, carrying with him about forty of his people ;■
who, in the fight o f the whole city, exerted themfelves-after fo-
extraordinary a manner, as in that, country was altogether: without,
example. For, behaving with the agility and boldnefs peculiar to ■
failors, they, were rather, animated than deterred by the flames and.-
falling buildings, amongft which they w rou gh tW hen ce it was-
not uncommon to fee the moft forward of them tumble to the -
ground on the roofs, and amidft the ruins-of houfes, which their,
own efforts brought down under them. By their refolution and.
activity the.fire. was. foon.ex-t-inguiflied,, to-the amazement- of the.