Iggg )
the river that difeteigescitfelf into Turon Bay, he ifteohfiderstely
began to furvey, and take plans of, the coaft * but, in attempting to
execute this defign, he, with the feven, men. who accompanied him,
were made prifoners by the natives, who feized the boat, and carried
them to the capital Pity o f the kihgcbiiL
This very difagreeable intelligence wler communicated from the
fhore by the mandarins, whofe good offices were earneftly folicited by
Lord Macartney, and' Sir Erafmus Gower, to obtain the return . o f
thefe meri to. the ffiip. Indeed, this unrefle&ing eonduffc o f the
matter might, as it was apprehended, be attended with confequgnces
that would have interrupted the courfe o f the embafly Last the codntry
o f Cochin China is tributary to the Chinefe empire, and lends an
annual Ambaffador to the court -of Pekin; fo that all this biifinefs
might have been mifrcprefented in ttich a manner to the Chinefe go--
vernment, as to have leffened the good difpofitions we were difpofed
to believe that they entertained towards the Britifh embafly. In
ffiort, it appeared, that. very ferious apprehensions were entertained
on that fiibjcft» by thofe who were the beft qualified to form a right
judgment o f the policy and temper o f the court which was tbs pbjedt
o f our deftination.
Tuefdayn. Mr, Niaung, one o f the interpreters, went on fhore with fome of
the Ambaffador’s fuite, to inquire concerning the Britifh prifoners,
and he was informed by the mandarins, that they had been releafed,
and were on their return.
Wednef- William Tothill, Efq. purfer o f the Lion, died this morning, after
day i*. au ifinefs o f a few days.
The King o f Cochin China fent another large prefent o f rice to the
Ambaffador.
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g j g f g )
The^ody o f M r. ^pthil^y^gjS ipferred^ori fhore with every poffibfd
mark anil regard i^Sir Eiaftrlus^pv^^ alfo^rdpx;^ an in- * ^ ^ 7 ^
pripri^n;|q4be in wpqd^W^ich was afterwards placed on,his ThlirfdV IlJ
'grave, ■
^ At(i four o ^ ^ k rin the^fternoon Mr. Jackfon.^pftMed with the
ctttter and from flieir impitfonmeitt; ’dliri^g-'Hvhich" -period
they had- undergone the .feyertrft ffifferingsAoth in bddy and mtpffij
and no circuffiftarice, but their belonging to the Britifh embafly, -could
have preferved them from being put to death.