Nanto, a fine city and harbor about fixty miles -from Canton ;
there he met with the moft hofpitable reception, and by his
prudent conduit quite conciliated the affeiStion o f theCbmefe.
He landed there the embafiador (nomas Per ess) who was immediately
conducted to the imperial court. Aadrada returned
to the iile of Tama, informed himfelf of every thing that was
neceflary, and greatly enriched himfelf and companions by his
commerce with the merchants, who flocked to Trim from different
countries. He left China after impreffin-g on the nation
the higheft opinion o f the integrity of his countrymen.
A l l this was ruined by the ill conduit of Simon his brother,,
who foon after arrived there to form the fettlement. After
building a fort he thought himfelf fecure, and began to offer
infults arid violence o f every kind to the natives, who fell on the
Portuguefe, killed numbers, and obliged Simon to fecure himfelf
by flight.
T h e emperor difmiffed the embafiador, who on his arrival at
Canton, was flung into prifonby the -citizens, where he periihed
miferably.
T h e Portuguefe for a long time were the detefiation of the
■Chinefe; towards the clofe of the century they regained their
affetftion by a piece of fervice they had an opportunity o f doing
to the empire by relieving it from the infiult of the pirate Chang-
fi-Lau, who had feized on the ifland o f Macao, and was befieging
Canton. The emperor prefented the Portuguefe with Macao, as-
a reward, who fortified it with two hundred pieces of cannon,,
at which the fubtle Chinefe took no fort o f umbrage; for they
had ftationed their forces in fuch a manner, as to cut them ofi
6 (at
(at will) from even their daily provifion. The Portuguefe ftill retain
poffelfion o f the city, and have a governor of their own ;
but a Mandarine refides here who is fupreme over the whole
ifland, fo that they are in a very dependant ftate; and they be-
fides pay an annual tribute, on the original agreement o f being
permitted to eredt fortifications. They enjoy their own laws
and religion, and have a bilhop of Macao, fuffragan to the arch-
bilhop of Goa.
T h e Englijh came in late for their fhare o f the Chinefe trade.
In 1584 we made an unfuccefsful attempt to get there, but arrived
no farther than the Brazils; our thoughts at that period
were full of the rich Cathaian coaft ; and all Europe was engaged
in many an attempt for the difcovery o f the paffage to it, but,
Mountains o f lee did ftop the imagin’d way
Beyond Petfara eaftward to the rich
Cathaian coaft.
Our firft faftory in that empire was about the year 1701,
when the Chinefe granted to us Chufasn, a fmall ifland not far
froyn the coaft o f Tehe-Tchiang, in hat. 30* 40'. It had been
totally depopulated by the Tartars, but began to be re-peopled
when we fettled there. The beffi account given- of the place is
by Mr. J. Cunningham, a very ingenious furgeon who attended
our colony; he fays * it abounded with provifioris o f all kind,
and with cows, buffaloes-, deer, goats, and wild hogs, and many
kinds o f efeulent plants;- and with the te* lbrub- on the tops of
the hills. The Kiew-yeu, Croton Sebiferum +, or tallow- tree, is com-
* Ph. Tranf. Abr. vol/v. p. 171.
' f Emb. toiGhinfc. vol* ii.-p. 43©. E .
Q 2 mon
E n g l is h ,
f ir s t AT.
C h u sa n .