quence that the treasure should be sent on board the Centurion; which ship, by the presence of the Commander-in-chief, the greater number of her hands, and her other advantages, was doubtless much safer against all the casualties of winds and seas than the galleon. And the securing the prisoners was a matter of still more consequence, as not only the possession of the treasure, but the lives of the captors depended thereon. This was indeed an article which gave the Commodore much trouble and disquietude, for they were above double the number of his own people; and some of them, when they were brought on board the Centurion, and had observed how slenderly she was manned, and the large proportion which the striplings bore to the rest, could not help expressing themselves with great indignation to be thus beaten by a handful of boys. The method which was taken to hinder them from rising was by placing all but the officers and the wounded in the hold, where, to give them as much air as possible, two hatchways were left open; but then (to avoid all danger whilst the Centurion's people should be employed upon the deck) there was a square partition of thick planks, made in the shape of a funnel, which inclosed each hatchway on the lower deck, and reached to that directly over it on the upper deck. These funnels served to communicate the air to the hold better than could have been done without them, and, at the same time, added greatly to the security of the ship; for they being seven or eight feet high, it would have been extremely difficult for the Spaniards to have clambered up; and, still to augment that difficulty, four swivel-guns loaded with musket-bullets were planted at the mouth of each funnel, and a sentinel with lighted match constantly attended, prepared to fire into the hold amongst them in case of any disturbance. Their officers, who amounted to seventeen or eighteen, were all lodged in the first lieutenant's cabin, under a constant guard of six men; and the General, as he was wounded, lay in the Commodore's cabin with a sentinel always with him; and they were all informed that any violence or disturbance would be punished with instant death. And that the Centurion's people might be at all times prepared, if notwithstanding these regulations any tumult should arise, the small arms were constantly kept loaded in a proper place, whilst all the men went armed with cutlasses and pistols; and no officer ever pulled off his clothes, and when he slept had always his arms lying ready by him. These measures were obviously necessary, considering the hazards to which the Commodore and his people would have been exposed had they been less careful. Indeed the sufferings of the poor prisoners, though impossible to be alleviated, were much to be commiserated; for the weather was extremely hot, the stench of the hold loathsome beyond all conception, and their allowance of water but just sufficient to keep them alive, it not being practicable to spare them more than at the rate of a pint a-day for each, the crew themselves having only an allowance of a pint and a half. All this considered, it was wonderful that not a man of them died during their long confinement, except three of the wounded, who died the same night they were taken; though it must be confessed that the greatest part of them were strangely metamorphosed by the heat of the hold. For when they were first taken they were sightly, robust fellows; but when, after above a month's imprisonment, they were discharged in the River of Canton, they were reduced to mere skeletons, and their air and looks corresponded much more to the conception formed of ghosts and spectres than to the figure and appearance of real men. Thus employed in securing the treasure and the prisoners, the Commodore, as has been said, stood for the River of Canton, and on the 30th of June, at six in the evening, got 1743.] | 463 TREASURE FOUND IN THE GALLEON. sight of Cape Delangano,1 which then By this time the particulars of the cargo of the galleon were well ascertained, and it was found that she had on board 1,313,843 pieces of eight, and 35,682 oz. of virgin silver, besides some cochineal and a few other commodities, which however were but of small account in comparison of the CHAPTER IX. THE Commodore, having taken pilots on board, proceeded with his prize for the River of Canton, and on the 14th of July came to an anchor short of the Bocca Tigris, which is a narrow passage forming the mouth of that river. This entrance he proposed to stand through the next day, and to run up as far as Tiger Island, which is a very safe road, secured from all winds. But whilst the Centurion and her prize were thus at anchor, a boat with an officer came off from the mandarin commanding the forts at Bocca Tigris, to examine what the ships were and whence they came. Mr Anson informed the officer that his ship was a ship of war belonging to the King of Great Britain, and that the other in company with him was a prize he had taken; that he was going into Canton River to shelter himself against the hurricanes which were then coming on; and that as soon as the monsoon 1 Cape Engano, near the north-shifted he should proceed for England. western extremity of the Island of The officer then desired an account Luconia or Luzon. of what men, guns, and ammunition were on board, a list of all which, he | means they had fallen into Mr Anson's said, was to be sent to the Government power. And on this occasion the priof Canton. But when these articles soners were honest enough to declare were repeated to him, particularly that, as the Kings of Great Britain when he was told that there were in and Spain were at war, they had prothe Centurion 400 firelocks and be- posed to themselves the taking of the tween 300 and 400 barrels of powder, Centurion, and had bore down upon he shrugged up his shoulders and her with that view, but that the event seemed to be terrified with the bare had been contrary to their hopes; recital, saying that no ships ever came however, they acknowledged that they into Canton River armed in that man- had been treated by the Commodore ner; adding, that he durst not set much better than they believed they down the whole of this force, lest it should have treated him had he fallen should too much alarm the Regency. into their hands. This confession After he had finished his inquiries, from an enemy had great weight with and was preparing to depart, he de- the Chinese, who till then, though sired to leave the two custom-house they had revered the Commodore's officers behind him; on which the power, had yet suspected his morals, Commodore told him, that though as and had considered him rather as a a man-of-war he was prohibited from lawless freebooter than as one commistrading, and had nothing to do with sioned by the State for the revenge of customs or duties of any kind, yet for public injuries. But they now changed the satisfaction of the Chinese he their opinion, and regarded him as a would permit two of their people to more important person, to which perbe left on board, who might them- haps the vast treasure of his prize selves be witnesses how punctually he might not a little contribute, the acshould comply with his instructions. quisition of wealth being a matter The officer seemed amazed when Mr greatly adapted to the estimation and Anson mentioned being exempted reverence of the Chinese nation. from all duties, and told him that the Emperor's duty must be paid by all ships that came into his ports. And it is supposed that on this occasion private directions were given by him to the Chinese pilot not to carry the Commodore through the Bocca Tigris, which makes it necessary more particularly to describe that entrance.. On the 16th of July the Commodore sent his second lieutenant to Canton with a letter to the Viceroy, informing him of the reason of the Centurion's putting into that port; and that the Commodore himself soon proposed to repair to Canton to pay a visit to the Viceroy. The lieutenant was very civilly received, and was promised that an answer should be sent to the Commodore the next day. In the meantime Mr Anson gave leave to several of the officers of the galleon to go to Canton, they engaging their parole to return in two days. When these prisoners got to Canton, the Regency sent for them and examined them, inquiring particularly by what In this examination of the Spanish prisoners, though the Chinese had no reason in the main to doubt the account which was given them, yet there were two circumstances which appeared to them so singular as to deserve a more ample explanation. One of them was, the great disproportion of men between the Centurion and the galleon; the other was the humanity with which the people of the galleon were treated after they were taken. The mandarins therefore asked the Spaniards how they came to be overpowered by so inferior a force, and how it happened, since the two nations were at war, that they were not put to death when they came into the hands of the English. To the first of these inquiries the Spaniards replied, that though they had more hands than the Centurion, yet she, being intended solely for war, had a great superiority in the size of her guns, and in many other articles, over the galleon, which was a vessel fitted out principally for traffic. And as to the second question, 1743.] SPANISH PRISONERS SENT ASHORE. they told the Chinese that amongst the nations of Europe it was not customary to put to death those who submitted, though they readily owned that the Commodore, from the natural bias of his temper, had treated both them, and their countrymen who had formerly been in his power, with very unusual courtesy, much beyond what they could have expected, or than was required by the customs established between nations at war with each other. These replies fully satisfied the Chinese, and at the same time wrought very powerfully in the Commodore's favour. 465 never submit to any demand of that kind; that as he neither brought any merchandise thither, nor intended to carry any away, he could not be reasonably deemed to be within the meaning of the Emperor's orders, which were doubtless calcu lated for trading vessels only; adding that no duties were ever demanded of men-of-war by nations accustomed to their reception, and that his master's orders expressly forbade him from paying any acknowledgment for his ships anchoring in any port whatever. The mandarins being thus cut short on the subject of the duty, they On the 20th of July, in the morn- said they had another matter to mening, three mandarins, with a great tion, which was the only remaining one they had in charge; this was a number of boats and a vast retinue, came on board the Centurion, and de- request to the Commodore, that he livered to the Commodore the Viceroy would release the prisoners he had of Canton's order for a daily supply of taken on board the galleon; for that provisions, and for pilots to carry the the Viceroy of Canton apprehended ships up the river as far as the second the Emperor, his master, might be bar; and at the same time they de- displeased if he should be informed livered him a message from the Vice- that persons who were his allies, and roy in answer to the letter sent to carried on a great commerce with his Canton. The substance of the mes- subjects, were under confinement in sage was, that the Viceroy desired to his dominions. Mr Anson was himbe excused from receiving the Commo- self extremely desirous to get rid of dore's visit during the then excessive the Spaniards, having on his first hot weather, because the assembling arrival sent about 100 of them to the mandarins and soldiers necessary Macao, and those who remained, to that ceremony would prove ex- which were near 400 more, were on tremely inconvenient and fatiguing; many accounts a great encumbrance to him. However, to enhance the but that in September, when the weather would be more temperate, he favour, he at first raised some diffishould be glad to see both the Com-culties; but, permitting himself to modore himself and the English captain of the other ship that was with him. As Mr Anson knew that an express had been despatched to the Court at Pekin with an account of the Centurion and her prize being arrived in the River of Canton, he had no doubt but the principal motive for putting off this visit was, that the Regency at Canton might gain time to receive the Emperor's instructions about their behaviour on this unusual affair. When the mandarins had delivered their message, they began to talk to the Commodore about the duties to be paid by his ships; but he immediately told them that he would be prevailed on, he at last told the despatched, the Centurion and her prize came to her moorings above the second bar, where they proposed to continue till the monsoon shifted. Though the ships, in consequence of the Viceroy's permit, found no difficulty in purchasing provisions for their daily consumption, yet it was impossible for the Commodore to proceed to England without laying in a large quantity both of provisions crew, tells a somewhat ugly story of the Spanish "General" now set at liberty. He was not only allowed the use of his own cabin till he should be recovered of his wound, but obtained the services of an English surgeon; Anson, at the same time, sending an officer to demand his commission. The General made the officer look in a box in the locker of his private cabin, where he said the commission would be found, along with a swordbelt studded with diamonds of great value; and when the box was found empty, the Spaniard averred that some of the English, rummaging in his cabin, must have stolen and secreted the contents. Despite the non-production of his commission, the General received the most humane and liberal treatment, being allowed at his departure to carry off several chests and trunks unsearched which he claimed as his private property, though he had many valuable ventures concealed which should have been given up as fair and lawful prize. Persisting to the last in the theft of his commission and sword-belt, he brought down on the prize crew a heavy and undeserved punishment; for Anson, on their arrival in the Canton River, absolutely prohibited their intercourse with the natives, that the thief might have no chance of parting with his booty undiscovered. Thomas, however, was afterwards told at Macao by an Irish priest, that the General had both his commission and his swordbelt; that he had made no secret of his fraud; and that he had offered the diamonds-which were made up in the belt only by way of a blind-among the merchants at Macao for sale. and stores for his use during the voyage. The procuring this_supply was attended with much embarrassment; for there were people at Canton who had undertaken to furnish him with biscuit and whatever else he wanted; and his linguist,1 towards the middle of September, had assured him from day to day that all was ready, and would be sent on board him immediately. But a fortnight being elapsed, and nothing being brought, the Commodore sent to Canton to inquire more particularly into the reasons of this disappointment, and he had soon the vexation to be informed that the whole was an illusion; that no order had been procured from the Viceroy to furnish him with his sea stores, as had been pretended; that there was no biscuit baked, nor any one of the articles in readiness which had been promised him; nor did it appear that the contractors had taken the least step to comply with their agreement. This was most disagreeable news, and made it suspected that the furnishing the Centurion for her return to Great Britain might prove a more troublesome matter than had been hitherto imagined; especially, too, as the month of September was nearly elapsed without Mr Anson's having received any message from the Viceroy of Canton. And here, perhaps, it might be expected that some satisfactory account should be given of the motives of the Chinese for this faithless procedure. But as I have already in a former Chapter made some kind of conjectures about a similar event, I shall not repeat them again in this place, but shall observe that, after all, it may, perhaps, be impossible for a European, ignorant of the customs and manners of that nation, to be fully apprised of the real incitements to this behaviour. Indeed, thus much may undoubtedly be asserted, thatinar |