1787. accefs. In on e of thefe excurfions, Mr. Miller, Second Mate, Mr_
November, purfer, and two of the people, left the boat, and went in
an Indian canoe to trade with the inhabitants on fliore, taking
with them a fheet of copper for that purpofe, but were never feen
afterwards. Some of the Imperial Eagle’s people landed at the
place next day, and found fonie pieces of their cloaths and li..en
mangled and bloody, but no part of their bodies, fo that they
doubtlefs had been murdered, and their bodies either eat or burnt.
This fad cataftrophe fufficiently evinces the cruelty of thefe.
people, and at the fame time may teach all future navigators never
to put too much confidence in thefe Savages, however friendly
they may feem to be.
About noon on the 1 rth our Captain returned from Macao,.
Ijrmgmg a pilot with him to take the veffel to Canton, on which
we immediately djicharged our former pilot. We. had been under
fome degree. ojE anxiety on account of Captain Dixon’s long ab.-
fences but it feems the Chinefe are not very expeditious in tranf-
afting their bufinefs, and there is no remedy for thefe delays' but.
patience, j There came with the Captain from Macao, Mr. Rofs,
Firft Mate of the Nootka, (which velfel arrived- here fbme time before
us) a Mr.. Moore, the Purfer,. and Tyana, a Sandwich Ifland.
Chief whom Captain Meares had brought from Atoui, as paf-
fengers to Canton.
It feems the Nootka received confiderable damage on firft
coming into Macao Roads in a gale of wind, in confequence of
which their furs had been fent to Canton in another veffel.
The
The tide being in our favour, we weighed anchor at one 1787.
"O’clock, and made fail, with light variable winds and fine weather. i QVcmbu ;
From'Macao Roads to Wampo, the place of our dellination, the
courfe is nearly North North Weft, and ‘the diftance about twenty-
three leagues.
Near the midway is a narrow paffage called the Bocca Tigris,
defended by a paltry fort on each fide the river.
From the n th to the 14th we were employed in working up
to this paffage, the wind being conftantly againft us, fo that we
were obliged to anchor every tide.
A t four in the afternoon of the 14th, We paffed the Bocca Ty-
gris, and foon after, the tide being done, came to anchor in five
fathom and a half water. The foundings up the river from Macao
are from eight to four fathom, over a Toft bottom.
A Mandarine boat now came along-fide us, with a nerfon fent
by Government to attend our veffel, much of the fame nature as
the Cuftom-houfe Officers in England, as we were informed his
bufinefs was to prevent any illicit trade from being carried on.
At one o’clock in the morning of the 15th, we weighed and
made fail. Having light variable airs, our boats were hoifted out
and fent a-headto tow the veffel. We kept working Up the river
in this manner during the whole of the 1 5th, and at fix
o’clock in the morning of the 16th, came to anchor at the bottom
of Wampo Roads, in four fathom and a half water. Soon afterwards
our paffengers left us; and towards noon, after giving orders
for the veffel to proceed to the upper end of the fleet,
O 0 2 Captain