death was not occafioned by any diforder caught during the prefent
voyage,, but from an old complaint in the urethra, which frequently
occafioned a fuppreffion of urine, and other alarming
fymptoms, during the latter part of the voyage. At the time of
his being taken ill (which was on the 28th) he. was on a vifit on
board the Loeko Indiaman; and his drinking fome ftale porter
after dinner brought on fo violent a relapfe of his diforder, as was
fuppofed to be the immediate caufe of his death. He died universally
lamented by his friends and acquaintance, and was interred, *
in the forenoon of the 30th, on Frenchman’s Ifland.
At ten o’clock in the morning of the 2d of December we were
honoured with the prefence of John Tuck on board. He was attended
by a'numerous retinue, who paid him a princely refpeft,
faluting him at his coming upon deck with a bent knee.
This vifit feems to be a mere matter of form, as they only
meafure from the foremaft to the taffrel,' and then athwart near
the gangway, which certainly can give them but a very imperfeft
idea of a veflel’s burthen : however they demand (I am informed)
no lefs than a thoufand pounds fterling, as a port charge, for this
piece, of mummery. His Excellency made us a prefent of two
poor buffaloes, eight jars of famfhu, (a fpirit fo bad that we
threw it overboard) and eight bags of ground rice, about forty
pounds each.
This neceflary piece of bufinefs being over, proper meafures
were taken to get our furs to Canton. We learnt, on enquiry,
that a choppe, or Quftom-houfe boat muft be procured an Can ton
for the cargo of each veflel, the expence of which would be fifteen
dollars each: however, as the King George’s cargo was confiderably
fiderably lefs than our’s,, we judged, that by taking their furs 1787.
on board our veffel, the expense-of a boat might be fayed, ; ao, D_ec"mbaj
cordingly, this, afternoon we received from the King George feven
puncheons and two-fiop-chefts of furs.
On the 4th Captain Dixon went to Canton, tQ, get every thing
in readinefs at our fafloty for Rowing the furs, and to fend a
boat to carry them up. In the morning of the 5th a choppe boat
came along-fide for our cargo; Captain Portlock likewife lent a
fmall cheft, and a bundle of furs on board.
We fent to Canton twenty-three puncheons, two chefts, and
two calks, containing the whole of our furs; and feven puncheons,
three chefts, and one bundle, belonging to the King George; the
particular contents of all which, I fhall, perhaps, have occafion
to mention hereafter.
From our firft arrival’till now, the people had been employed
in overhauling the rigging and repairing whatever was defective j
our main yard had been condemned, an'd another fubftituted in its
room, with fundry other neceflary jobs. On the 6th we began
to clear the hold, and feat our empty calks on fhore to be repaired:
the fail-makers were employed in making fundry new
fails, and repairing the old ones. Thefe different employments
engrofled the grealeft part of this month; and indeed we were in
no particular hurry, as none o f our furs were yet difpoled of,
and till then we could not take in any cargo for the Eaft-India
Company.
On the 26 th the Carpenters began to caulk between decks.
Captain Portlock purchafed a number of rattans, for the purpofe
P p of