i787- Captain Dixon went in a Chinefe paffage-boat to Canton, Ire
. - _ ■' order to learn from, the Eaft India Company’s Supercargoes the
bell method of facilitating our bufinefs.
At eleven o’clock we weighed and began to warp through
the fleet up the river. At three in the afternoon we anchored
with the fmall bower, in four fathom and a half water, over
a muddy bottom, mooring with the ftream anchor j the village
of Wampo bore Weft North Weft. Canton is about fourteen
miles higher up the river, but the Ihips of the different
countries who trade to China are not admitted farther than
Wampo. Indeed I believe the river is not navigable for large
veffels fo far as Canton.
As it was Captain Dixon’s wilh to procure frelh provifions for
the fhip’s company as foon as poflible, no time was loft in making
every neceffary enquiry for that purpofe, and we foon learnt,
that in fpite of our utmoft care it would be impoffible to avoid
a number of impofitions : that every veffel was fupplied with
whatever provifions they wanted by an officer, called a Comprador,
who always demanded a cumjhau, or gratuity of three hundred
dollars, exclufive of the profit which would accrue to him from
ferving us with provifions.. >
A demand of this nature- appeared fo very exorbitant, that we
determined, if poflible, to avoid i t ; and a Captain Talker, from
Bombay, whofe veffel lay near ours, kindly offered to furnifh us
with beef for the prefent. This, however, could not be done
without caution j for we had a Hoppo or Cuftom-houfe boat on
each fide the veffel, with officers onboard, who made it a point
to
to prevent any beef coming on board unlefs fumifhed by a Com- 1787.
prador. lumber.
During this time our people were employed in unbending the
fails, unreeving the running rigging, and doing whatever jobbs
were immediately neceffary.
In the forenoon of the 17th the Captain returned from Canton.
He was informed by the Company’s Supercargoes that no Heps
could be taken refpecting the difpoial of our furs,, till the Superintendant
of the Chinefe Cuftoms had been on board to meafure
our veffel ; and as the King George was expected foon, he would
not come till after her arrival.
The Hoppo, as he is generally called, is a perfon o f very great
authority, and next in rank to the Viceroy of Canton. Having ' .
procured fome beef from Captain Talker, the fhip’s Company
were allowed two pounds per man, each day, with a proportionate
quantity of greens, the man in the hoppo boat undertaking to
fupply us with every thing of the vegetable kind we might want.
All the fpirits on board being expended, on the 19th we pur-
chafed a leger of arrack from a Dutchman, for forty-five dollars.
In the afternoon we took up the ftream anchor, and moored with
both bowers, a mooring junk being bent to the fmall bower. The
Hoppo officer having found out by fome means or other, that we
were fupplied with beef by Captain Talker, put a flop to it ; and
we again bid fair to live on fait provifions, or pay a Comprador’s
extravagant cumjhau. In this dilemna, Mr. Moore, Firft Mate o f
the Royal Admiral, Captain Huddart, happening to call on board,
and hearing our fituation, kindly undertook to furnifh us with
1 beef